I never had a single movie or book that inspired me to travel. Instead, it was the cumulative effect of reading books and watching films that changed my perspective. They taught me that the world was far bigger than the city limits I grew up within.

Every story became a window into another way of living. Whether it was a bustling city on the other side of the globe, a quiet mountain village, or a culture entirely different from my own, I began to understand that there were countless lives unfolding beyond my own experience. That realization sparked something deeper than wanderlust. It created curiosity.

When I eventually had the opportunity to travel, I wasn’t searching for postcard moments. I wanted to understand the people, the history, the traditions, and the everyday lives that made each place unique. Whether I was wandering through the street markets of South Korea, attending a jazz festival in Japan, or finding myself in a place where someone else’s English was better than my attempt at their language, travel kept reminding me how little I knew.

More than once, I heard some version of the same observation:

“We speak English, but you don’t speak Arabic.”

They were right.

Travel has a way of stripping away the illusion that our own customs, language, and experiences sit at the center of the world.

More than anything, though, I wanted my own life to count for something. I hoped that wherever I went, whatever work I did, I might leave a place—or a person—a little better than I found it. Looking back, I believe I have, at least in some small way.

But the truth is, the miles I’ve traveled matter less than the lives I’ve touched—and the lives that touched me. Those encounters taught me humility, broadened my perspective, and reminded me that every culture has something worth learning from. Hopefully, we bring that humility home with us and instill those values in our children: the willingness to listen before speaking, the courage to admit what we do not know, and the understanding that the world is far bigger than ourselves.

In the end, that was the journey I was really searching for all along.