It's Not About the Eiffel Tower
August 27, 2024•211 words
A few weeks ago, I met a hero of mine, Derek Sivers: https://youtu.be/ao6iLiFXqxQ
He said something that has stuck with me. He said that when he travels, he doesn’t care at all about the tourist attractions or even the food or most of the things people care about. He travels to “inhabit philosophies.” And he does that by meeting people everywhere he goes.
That little phrase concisely captures why I have always loved traveling but could never quite put it into words myself.
When I was in Nepal, the Himalayas are amazing but what I remember most vividly is the hostel conversation with the Nepalese hostel owner explaining the difference between the Eastern mindset and the Western mindset.
In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is amazing but it pales compared to the family I lived with in Phnom Penh and got to peak into their lifestyle for a month.
In Korea, the food and culture is incredible but the all-night conversations on a Seoul rooftop with the woman who became my wife are what I’ll remember most.
And so it is with every place I’ve been.
It’s not about the amazing ______ (insert Eiffel Tower, Coliseum, Grand Canyon, Burj Khalifa, Pyramids, etc). It’s the people. It’s the conversations. It’s the philosophy you inhabit.