10 Things I've Learned From Traveling the World That I Want to Teach My Kids

I recently hit country number thirty-something.

It's a strange milestone. On one hand, I've seen a large part of the world. On the other hand, I've barely scratched the surface. The reason I travel has evolved over time. It's no longer just about places — it's layered, interconnected. Like a map that keeps expanding the more you explore it. Certain moments light up brighter than others. Small, seemingly insignificant points in time that stay with you long after you've left. Moments that never would have existed if I had stayed home.

Which brings me to lesson number one.

1. Travel
There is more to see than you will ever be able to experience in one lifetime. The more you travel, the more you realize how much you haven't seen. Don't let that discourage you — let it motivate you. Go anyway.

This time, it was a clockwise road trip through Morocco.

I started in Casablanca and made my way north to Chefchaouen — the "Blue Pearl" — a town painted entirely in shades of azul, where life felt almost like a calm dream. I arrived just in time to see something special. Eid al-fitr. The celebration at the end of Ramadan. When I first arrived the dreamy calm of the town felt almost bare. There seemed to be more tourists than residents and a few times I had wondered where all the people were. The next night I found them. The celebration of Eid al-fitr felt like a new years party. People filled the narrow blue walkways from every corner of the town. It was a sea of people that had descended upon Chefchaouen and a beautiful way to close out my time there.

Standing in that crowd, I wasn't blending in — I never would. Which brings me to lesson number two.

2. Be Yourself
You will never blend in completely — and you don't need to. There's nothing wrong with being a tourist. The Grand Canyon is crowded for a reason. So is Machu Picchu. So is Angkor Wat. Trying too hard to be "authentic" often leads people to lose perspective entirely. You're there to experience the world, not pretend you belong to it.

Abby & the city of Fez, Morrocco

From there, I went to Fez. Dense, chaotic, alive. I wandered the Medina, took a cooking class, and stood above the ancient leather tanneries as men worked in methods unchanged for centuries. I spent two days with a local guide named Abby. He was a delightful old man who seemed to know everyone. He had been a guide in Morocco for 50 years. He gave background, context and history on everything from the most prominent points of interest like madrassa and university to the smallest shop in the medina. A closet sized cove dug out of a wall packed with all kinds of candy and random items. He knew the winding streets like the back of his hand and cared for all life there. Cats seem to outnumber the people but at one point Abby stops and says "I've seen this cat for the last few weeks and she's always hungry. Please wait while I get her something to eat." I stood at the corner while he went to another stall, bought a piece of cheese and placed it where the mangy feline sat curled up in what looked like fear and pain. It was a beautiful moment of love and kindness. One that gave me assurance that goodness can be found in all corners of the planet.

Abby didn't have to feed that cat. He chose to. Which brings me to lesson number three.

3. Show Respect
You are always a guest. Respect the people, plants and animals. Respect the culture. You'll see others act entitled, impatient, dismissive. Don't be that person. The way you carry yourself matters more than you think.

Then came the Sahara.

Endless orange dunes stretching to the horizon. At one point, I looked across the border into Algeria through a pair of binoculars. When I handed them to my guides, they laughed — less interested in the border itself and more fascinated by spotting Moroccan military posts in the distance.

Even there, in the vastness of the desert, the world felt layered with unseen structure. A structure that you must study and feel in order to navigate. Otherwise the sea of sand will swallow you up. Literally. I had been there less than 12 hours and watched three separate groups of tourists get their vehicles stuck in the sand. The hosts of the desert camp I was staying in would take guests from the campsite into the dunes to explore. Omar would drive his 4Runner across the sand like the captain of a ship or as if he were surfing waves of silica.

Omar wasn't lucky. He was ready. Which brings me to lesson number four.

4. Be Prepared
You can't prepare for everything — but you can prepare for a lot. A map. A backup plan. A few essentials. These things don't matter — until they do. And when they do, you'll be glad you have them.

At one point a convoy of trucks were gathered at the top of a very large dune. One of the trucks completely bottomed out on the crest of the peak. Another vehicle behind it was trying to tow it and about 15 Europeans all crowded around looking dazed and confused. No one seemed to know what to do, yet as Omar drove to offer his help, one of the men brushed him off. Omar insisted that he could help them yet the man became more angry and aggressive, refusing any aid. It was sad and poignant. There was no one in that desert that knew more about the ways of the sand and how it moved yet this man's refusal left him stuck for hours until later we finally saw the truck emerge from the desert.

That man never figured out who was actually there to help him. Which brings me to lesson number five.

5. Pay Attention
Not everyone is trying to help you. But not everyone is trying to hurt you either. You'll meet people who see you as an opportunity — and others who genuinely want to help. Learn to tell the difference. Trust your instincts, but don't let them close you off from the kindness that exists everywhere in the world.

My journey continued to Aït Benhaddou, where centuries-old Berber architecture blends into modern life, but this stop was an unplanned one. My original goal had been to go directly to Marrakech but the desert had other plans. The 6 hour drive quickly turned into 9 when the route I was taking was shut off due to a flooded road. I had to double back on myself and go around through the town of Errachidia. It rained the entire day. Who knew the desert could be so wet?

Aït Benhaddou was never on the itinerary. It became one of the stops I remember most. Which brings me to lesson number six.

6. Know Where You're Going
You don't need a rigid plan — but you do need direction. Have a sense of where you are, where you're headed, and why. Some of the most meaningful moments won't be the landmarks — they'll be the unexpected ones. A long conversation. A quiet café. A moment you didn't plan for. Leave space for those.

Entrance gate to the ancient city of Aït Benhaddou

Which brings me to lesson number seven — the flip side of the same coin.

7. Don't Get Attached
Plans will change. Things will go wrong. That's part of it. Some of the best experiences come from the moments you didn't expect. Be flexible enough to let them happen.

If Fez was flavor and Chefchaouen was color, Marrakech was sound.

Drums. Voices. Snake charmers. Merchants calling out in every direction. The echo of the call to prayer rising above it all. A constant, overwhelming symphony of life happening all at once. At one point I sat in the main square with my eyes closed simply listening to the chaos. Picking out each sound and comparing it to the rest.

A few words got me further in that noise than I expected. Which brings me to lesson number eight.

8. Learn the Basics
You don't need to speak every language fluently. But learn a few words: Hello. Please. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Cheers! Kindness translates everywhere and they are called pleasantries for a reason.

For my final stop, I visited Rabat — orderly, calm, almost surreal in its cleanliness. A different version of Morocco entirely. Not a tree unmanicured or a piece of trash to be found. The pristine water of the river flowed into the crystal blue Atlantic Ocean where the sweet water met the salty. It seemed like a version of heaven, the palace streets kissed by the golden sun and every corner a postcard. It was clear that a king lived here.

By the last stop, I'd been a guest in enough homes and enough countries to remember I was never just traveling for myself. Which brings me to lesson number nine.

9. You Are an Ambassador
Whether you realize it or not, you represent something. Your family. Your values. Where you come from. The way you treat people — especially when it's inconvenient — matters. Every interaction is a reflection of who you are.

That's the thing about travel. It forces you to use all five senses. It puts you in unfamiliar situations. It reminds you that the world is bigger — and more complex — than you think. And over time, it teaches you things. Not just about the world. But about how to move through it.

Which brings me to the last lesson, and maybe the one that matters most.

10. You Can Handle More Than You Think
The world can feel overwhelming. It's big. It's unfamiliar. It's unpredictable. But that doesn't mean it's something to fear. Wherever you are — whether it's across the world or down the street — you are capable of figuring it out. Of adapting. Of learning. Of growing. And of finding your place in it.

These are the things I want you to carry with you.

Travel won't give you all the answers. But it will teach you how to ask better questions. And more importantly — it will show you who you are when you're outside of everything familiar. That's what I want for you. Not just to see the world. But to be curious and continually understand your place in it.