It is from a deep wellspring of gratitude that I write this letter. Despite some hard moments and a seemingly devastating news cycle at every turn, the ATTA has had a fantastic year. From connecting with new and longtime members at a series of successful events, to seeing growth of our climate action through Tomorrow’s Air, to a thriving partnership with the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, the adventure travel community has demonstrated unbelievable heart and commitment to one another this past year. Hopefully, amid the busiest times of the year, at some point you had the opportunity to stop and soak it all in.
Have you had one of “those” moments lately? The kind that reminds you of why you started your career in travel and maybe even more poignantly – why you have stayed? I don’t know anyone that got into adventure travel because of the paycheck. Colleagues from other industries – such as speakers who come to our events and are new to ATTA – are always blown away by the energy, enthusiasm, joy, and sheer love they experience. I remind them that everyone who enters this space does it because of a passion.
I had one of those moments in Mongolia last November. It was actually a day of moments in Khan Khentii National Park, the reputed burial ground of the great Chinggis Khan. It was wolves howling from a misty mountainside midday, face-freezing walks and rides in the uber-chilled Mongolian wind, sharing tales and a warm mug of milk tea with locals in a ger, and sitting up talking with the park rangers in our fire-warmed cabin until 2 am. Sampling new-to-you food and drink, talking and exchanging ideas about both humorous and serious subjects – those moments make you feel truly present and embodied.
That day reminded me that this is why I travel. I admit – and many of you can probably relate – sometimes it is possible to forget: like when trips take you away from home for too long or the schedule is too rushed to ever catch your breath, let alone catch up with the time zone. I don’t have a bucket list, but I do love the quiet places on this planet, and meeting the people who live there and offer the gift of sharing their stories. It makes the world feel smaller, in a good way, to have our perspective broadened.
That day in Khan Kentii National Park, I gave the rangers some knit hats as thank you gifts – a small token of appreciation for their hospitality as hosts. The head ranger quietly disappeared for a moment, and returned with a large, framed oil painting. Created by an artist from Ulaanbaatar, the gorgeous work was gifted to me as a way to remember Khan Kentii and the winding river by our cabin. Now that the painting is home with me in the United States, when I look at it I am instantly taken right back to Mongolia’s rugged, beautiful landscapes and the huge-hearted people that inhabit it. This is how a place embeds itself in your soul.
As the world grows ever more digital, artificially informed, and electronically leashed, I believe the real heart of adventure travel – the full bodied immersion into a place – is an antidote to what has certainly become a stressor in every person’s life: a disconnection from the land and from each other.
I am also reminded that caring for a place means caring for its people. I recently saw a study by Pew that surveyed thousands of people worldwide about the impact travel has on their global engagement, and the results are not surprising. People who travel to five countries a year or more have a higher degree of international affairs knowledge and feel much closer in community to people around the world. Travel has the power to bring us together, build peace, and deepen empathy. It also gives us a chance to understand what it means to act with responsibility on the ground.
And this is what we collectively do. I’m incredibly grateful for this community that inspires, supports, advises, and powers each other and us here at the ATTA. We have a Slack channel dedicated to sharing amazing stories with each other about you, our members. It is filled with delight and awe at the things you do and we are thrilled to be a part of so many of your stories.
Thank you for another fantastic year and cheers to all we have in store for 2024. May peace and love fill your households, may the spirit of adventure fill your days, and may one of “those” moments be just around the next corner.
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