When You Travel The World... You Find What You're Looking For

One of the most common questions I get asked before an expedition is:

"Is it safe?"

The destination changes.

Sometimes it's Mexico.

Sometimes it's Brazil.

Sometimes it's Mongolia, South Africa, or the Bahamas.

But the question is always the same.

Is it safe to travel there?

And after more than twenty-three years of traveling the world, my answer is usually the same.

Yes of course it is, we wouldn’t be going there if it wasn’t. 

But… you find what you're looking for.

Now let me be clear. Bad things happen. Crime exists. Common sense matters. There are places in every country that are best avoided.

But most people asking this question aren't really asking about crime statistics.

They're asking if the locations we are visiting are dangerous.

The truth is this.

If you're looking for trouble, you’re probably going to find it.

If you're wandering unfamiliar cities at three in the morning, looking for the next bar, the next party, or the next bad decision, eventually trouble has a way of introducing itself.

The world has never struggled to provide opportunities for poor choices.

But that's not what I'm looking for.

When I travel, I'm looking for wildlife.

I'm looking for stories.

I'm looking for beautiful landscapes, local restaurants, small villages, and conversations with people whose lives are completely different from my own.

And what I continue to find, over and over again, are good people.

That doesn't mean I travel carelessly.

In fact, I do the opposite.

I protect my camera gear and personal belongings. I pay attention to my surroundings. I lock valuables away when appropriate. I avoid putting myself into situations that don't make sense, and I've never been much of a fan of wandering large cities, especially at night.

Wherever I travel, I try to remain aware.

Awareness and fear are not the same thing.

Being aware doesn't mean you distrust people. It doesn't mean you assume the worst about a destination. It simply means you understand that personal responsibility travels with you.

I don't let my guard down because I'm in Mexico.

I don't let my guard down because I'm in Brazil.

I don't let my guard down because I'm in Mongolia.

And I don't let my guard down when I'm at home.

Awareness is a habit, not a reaction.

Ironically, I think this mindset is one of the reasons my experiences around the world have been so positive. I don't travel in fear, but I don't travel blindly either.

I pay attention.

Then I focus on the things I came to find.

Over the years I've sat at dinner tables in remote villages.

I've shared boats with fishermen.

I've been welcomed into homes, communities, and cultures all over the world.

I've met people who had every reason to ignore a stranger and instead chose to help.

I've watched guides work tirelessly to give guests the experience of a lifetime.

I've seen kindness expressed in languages I couldn't understand.

What I've discovered is that most people are simply trying to live their lives, take care of their families, and find happiness wherever they can.

They're not much different than you and me.

Many of the places we visit on expedition are small communities built around wildlife and tourism.

These aren't places filled with people looking for trouble.

They're places filled with people who are proud of their homes and excited to share them with visitors.

And that's exactly what I find.

Magic.

Not because the world is perfect.

Not because danger doesn't exist.

But because I believe travel works a lot like life.

If you spend your days looking for reasons to be afraid, you'll find plenty.

If you spend your days looking for reasons to be angry, you'll find those too.

But if you look for kindness, generosity, beauty, adventure, and connection, you'll find those as well.

The world tends to reveal what we're paying attention to.

After more than twenty-three years on the road, my memories are filled with whale sharks, jaguars, sperm whales, brown bears, snow leopards, and countless acts of kindness from complete strangers.

Those are the things I was searching for.

And those are the things I found.

Because in my experience, the world is far kinder, more welcoming, and more beautiful than most people imagine.

So when people ask me if a destination is safe, I usually smile.

Then I tell them the truth.

Of course it is!

An Embarrassing Confession!

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Young me, editor of SDM.
I had no idea where the passport would take me. Now I can’t imagine who I’d be without it.

This short blog was originally written for our newsletter on April 20, 2005.

I have a confession to make: I had never owned a passport.

Imagine that… the editor of Shark Diver Magazine had never owned a passport. The reason? I had simply never traveled far enough to need one. How boring is that?

No passport… No ticket to the world!

Sure, I’d traveled a bit, but never to any destination that required more than a birth certificate and a driver’s license. Well, that’s all changed. I’m now the proud owner of my very first passport—the world has officially opened up to me.

It’s funny how this little booklet has shifted my perspective. This small document with my name on it now allows me to visit places on the other side of the world. Without it, I was limited to neighboring countries that welcomed weekend warriors like me—those without a passport.

But now?

Now I can venture far off the beaten path. I can travel to places and dive in waters where few tourists have gone before. I can even get lost in a remote jungle somewhere (not that I want to get lost in a jungle… but I could if I wanted to—that’s the point!).

Maybe you think I’m overreacting, but I challenge you: if you don’t already have a passport, go get one. See how it feels once it’s in your hands. You’re no longer bound to your place of birth. You’ve officially become a Citizen of the World.

So, you want to go to Africa and slap a lion on the bum to see if you can outrun it? (Not recommended, by the way.) Hop on a plane and go.

You want to dive in Australia to find wobbegongs? Grab your gear and go.

As for me, I’m on my way to Fiji—to dive with bull sharks.

The world is your playground.

Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?

…end of the 2005 newsletter.

In search of anacondas, Rio Formoso, Brazil.

20 Years LateR…
What That First Passport Taught Me About the World

In Churchill, Canada… photographing polar bears.

On April 20, 2005, I wrote that newsletter called “An Embarrassing Confession.” In it, I admitted something kind of ridiculous:

I had never owned a passport.

Back then, I had just received my first one. It felt like a golden ticket. A small booklet that somehow made the world feel bigger, wilder, and full of possibility. I wrote with excitement about the places I could go—the animals I could photograph, the remote jungles I could wander (or get lost in), and the unknowns waiting for me in far-off oceans.

Now, 20 years later, I’ve filled that passport—and a few more after it.

And here’s what I’ve learned:

In search of snow leopards, Himalayas, India.

The Passport Was Never the Point.

The document opens the door, but it’s what you do with it that matters. It’s the early mornings in muddy riverbanks. It’s jumping into the ocean and swimming next to an orca. It’s standing in the snow at 14,000 feet hoping a snow leopard will show up.

The passport lets you leave. But the stories are what bring you back.

Photographing black bears, North Carolina.

The Wild Will Change You.

You think you're going out there to photograph something wild, to cross something off the list. But if you’re lucky, the wild ends up photographing you. It holds up a mirror. It reveals your patience, your fear, your awe.

I’ve watched people—myself included—return from a trip not just with images, but a completely different person with a deeper understanding of what it means to be alive.

Photograhing mountain gorillas, Impenetrable Forest Reserve, Uganda.

It’s Not Just About Where You Go, But Who You Become

That first passport stamped a beginning. But over the years, I’ve learned it’s not about how many countries you visit. It’s about how deeply you experience each one. How present you are. How much you’re willing to listen. To learn. To care.

And maybe, if you're lucky, to use your camera and your voice to help protect what you’ve witnessed.

Photographing humpback whales, Ha’apai, Tonga.

In 2005, I asked:
"Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?"

A little older, a lot more weathered… but still chasing the wild.

In 2025, I’d ask something different:
"What kind of story do you want your life to tell?"

Because whether it’s your first passport or your tenth, it’s never just about where you go—it’s about what you’re willing to chase, what you’re ready to feel, and who you become along the way.

Now go hit the road… and make your life the best story ever told.