Belonging to the World is an inspirational travel memoir that shares your journey of healing after the tragic loss of your wife and your mission to travel to all 193 countries on earth, and the personal transformation you experience. Why was this an important book for you to write? 

I did not start out traveling to write a book, but rather as a means of escape. It was one year into my journey, after a compelling trip to Afghanistan only a year after the Taliban takeover, that I realized that I was really “living” again, learning and, most of all, collecting stories. At that point, I realized that there was an evolving story that I needed to tell. It was about the healing powers of travel and connection. 

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?  

Sure, other than specific profound connections with people from everyday life in countries all over the world, below are some themes and ideas that kept coming to the surface:  

Ø  The unexpected and transformative power of grief

Ø  Letting go of control brings unexpected peak experiences around the world

Ø  Finding awe and wonder in the world’s places considered some of the world’s most dangerous

Ø  The best things in life can happen by chance if you let them

Ø  Reconciling a world that feels deeply divided yet profoundly interconnected

Ø  How do we honor the past yet be ready to step into what may come next

Ø  How the world can change you if you let it

What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
   
It took me a while in my journey to understand that I wasn’t simply seeking new countries, but the people within them. With that came the anticipation of finding the one story in each place that resonated with me, my story, shaped by my own impressions and by the mystery of how and when it would reveal itself. Somehow, it always did.

I found that profoundly moving: the realization that if you seek people and their wisdom with an open heart and genuine respect, you will find it.

How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?

I am sure for many writers, the release of a book is the end of a big project. For me it is end of a significant entire chapter of my life, of devastating loss, of being lost, of leaning into grief and going on a amazing journey. That journey completely rewired my brain and changed the way I see the world and my place in it. 

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