I’ve Traveled Millions of Miles, But Not Why You Think
I‘m a traveler by profession and by nature. When I’m not speaking or writing about the benefits of travel, I’m probably planning my next adventure ~ Antarctica by boat and plane, The Empire Builder train across the northern US, the most dangerous airport in the world (Lukla, Nepal) and a drive across the Sahara.
I am a travel evangelist. Over the last two decades, I have traveled over a million miles and set foot in over one hundred countries. While personally exploring the world, I’ve also professionally helped top travel companies, start-ups, private equity and venture capital firms bring disruptive travel products to market. I’ve had opportunities to meet with Ministers of Tourism, CEO’s of top travel companies and hang out with llama shepherds in Peru. More on that later.
And, I’ve traveled with people who have traveled further, to more destinations and have had more incredible experiences than I. Lexie Alford, at 21 years old, is reported to be the youngest to visit every country. Gunnar Garfors has been to every country, twice. The Traveler Century Club (founded 1954) admits travelers who have been to 100 countries and territories (I don’t count Hawaii and Alaska) and has over 1,400 current members. Travel with “more” and “further” are two aspects of travel.
The greatest journeys are born when people open their eyes to the incredible human experience brought on by travel. When the desire for travel Is awakened, a purpose that transcends basic needs are opened. In a series of articles, I wrote about existential and transformational travel in the Traveler Hierarchy, like Maslow’s Hierarch of Needs. I encourage travelers and aspiring travelers to uncover reasons for travel beyond attending to life or business events and talk about them.
Every step out your front door can be intoxicating and heighten your sense of the world around you. For me, this includes more daring and sometimes frustrating experiences, like security checkpoints and boarding queues as well as eyeball blistering bungee jumps and expired passports. The levels of technology and business innovation all along the travelers journey have increased magnitudes from when it was paper reservations systems and paper tickets.
I am a travel evangelist, sharing my passion and expertise around the world, addressing audiences on topics of business, leisure, and inspired travel. Within the hierarchy of travel (existential, business, personal, leisure, and aspirational/transformational), there are levels that range from budget to luxury. An example is “glamping” which is something like glamour-camping. Aspirational does not have to be expensive and can be walking the El Camino de Santiago for 30 days staying in hostels for €10 per night.
My goal is for people to travel. Just go. I still marvel at the human experiences that others can have. As an adolescent and teen, I hung out at Miami International Airport. My walls were papered with maps (unfortunately, that hasn’t changed) of airline routes, schedules and flight charts. I flew alone for the first time at 15 years old before getting my driver’s license. My addiction (and passion) only intensified and I have learned that deeper than the hierarchy and deeper than the ways we travel, we have a myriad of reasons.
Travel can evoke deep emotions, both positive and negative. I see it at airports on almost every trip. I tell audiences to be observant, to embody the whole of travel. Many think I am crazy for it, but I pay extensive attention. Earlier this year I received a text from someone in a long line at the airport saying that by paying attention to those around them, their waiting seemed lessened (and seemed entertaining). As much as I love travel, I want others to see the same.
When you travel, think of the complexities of everything that has to work together. A reservation system connected to hundreds of airlines with hundreds of planes with a myriad of plane types that have to have pilots and flight crews, mechanics, tools and parts with the technology to make sure it all comes together coupled with airports, food and fueling so that airport and air traffic controllers can guide planes where they need to go. And, I left out the Intricacies of luggage, seat assignments, billions of fares, tickets (yes, they still exist), security, weight and balance, navigation and at the end, the person who marshals the plane the final 20 feet (yes, there is a term for that). And, I also left out the same tangle of how a car rental, Uber, Lyft and taxi work. And the hotel. And the cruise. And Insurance. And the process for getting home.
In my career, I was able to work on most of these systems.
I am a travel evangelist. I work with business and government leaders, coders, employees of travel companies, and engage fellow travelers. I’ve written about travel and the experience of the experience as a contributing author in the book, “Bushido Business: The Fine Art of the Modern Professional,” along with Steven M. R. Covey and Brian Tracy. Along with many blog posts on the state of travel, this year (2020) I penned an ode to travel, I’m a Traveling Man.
After trips on planes, trains, cruise ships, cars, busses, ferries, and walking (across Spain (2004) and from Trieste across the border to Slovenia (2017, country #100)), I am still riveted that it all works and thankful for the people who have built this enterprise we call travel.
In future articles I’ll write more about the intricacies of travel ~ security such as biometrics, seamless travel, and passports; global logistics between travel businesses; interdependencies between governments and travelers; risks and why insurance is a good idea; synergies between places; and why having an amazing budget experience is often better than than a poor luxury experience. I’ll also write about behind the scenes travel experiences rarely seen by the traveler. Like, why does immigration ask how many countries I just went to ~ can’t they tell via their links to Interpol?
And yet travel works every day for millions of us, and from the millions of workers who support me and each of you, the traveler.
Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper — copyright © Karl L. Swartz
