It was 1969, I was 14 years old, and one night my dad came home and said, “Son, we’re going to Norway to see the relatives.” I thought, “Stupid idea.”
A few days after arriving, I was sitting on the carpet with my cousins in Bergen watching Neil Armstrong on TV as he took “et lite skritt for et menneske … one giant leap for mankind.” It occurred to me that this was more than an American celebration. It was a human one. Without my realizing it, travel was broadening my perspective. While reinforcing how thankful I was to be an American, it was also making me a better citizen of the planet. It was shaping the 14-year-old me to be a force for peace and an advocate for the importance of thoughtful travel — the idea that travel can be a political act.
I wrote about this idea in the September issue of the Rotarian Magazine. You can read it now here — and be sure to tune in below to hear my conversation with Rotary International.
https://www.facebook.com/rotary/posts/330421654186379