The Guiding Traveler

Travel… it might just be the most dangerous thing you’ll ever do.

I’m not talking about sketchy neighborhoods, getting lost in a foreign city, or boarding that unpredictable Spirit Flight 951 headed to Haiti. I’m talking about a far more dangerous threat: the internal shift that happens when you truly begin to see the world.

Travel kills the old you.

The version of you that thought being a good manager meant doing all the work yourself instead of empowering others. The version of you that believed the man mowing your lawn is barely scraping by because he couldn’t find “better work,” instead of realizing he might be supporting a family across borders with more dignity and sacrifice than you’ve ever considered.

Travel forces you to question what you’ve been taught—by your parents, your culture, your surroundings. It cracks your worldview wide open and demands that you rebuild it with new pieces.

Walking the streets of Mexico City doesn’t look anything like walking the streets of San Antonio, Texas. And I can hear my own parents’ voices echoing in my mind—my dad muttering something about how dirty the city looks, my mom nervously clutching her purse, saying she feels unsafe. But here’s what I’ve learned: different doesn’t mean dangerous.

Of course, be smart. Keep your head on a swivel. Stay aware. But don’t let your assumptions blind you. Just because a place doesn’t match the comfort of home doesn’t mean it’s a threat. What might look like a red flag in your hometown might just be normal life somewhere else. That doesn’t make it wrong—it makes it real.

Travel isn’t just about new places. It’s about new perspectives.
And that’s the most dangerous—and most beautiful—part of all.