Jaunted

Steves had an inspiring travel ethos: travel light, travel intelligently, and be a good ambassador of your home country. More importantly, he stressed the need to transcend any feelings of shyness and dive head-first into unfamiliar situations. Only then will you make meaningful connections with the places and people you visit. One example from memory: instead of fumbling awkwardly with an incomprehensible restaurant menu, politely make your way into the kitchen to see what's cooking. Then you can order what you really want, and make some friends along the way.

I'm glad to see that Steves is still in the travel business, with a successful tour company, TV series, and scores of books. A recent interview on Salon.com reminds me that he remains a wise and thoughtful traveler, steadfast in his belief that engaged travel is the best way to promote peace and understanding through the world.

Among many gems from the interview, Steves says that his recent trip to Iran was among the most amazing experiences of his life, where the locals were warm and friendly at every turn. But he's no naïf. Steve knows that Iranians lack freedom, but he says that they reluctantly traded it for the assurance that their country won't be corrupted by the baser influences of Western culture.

Also, he believes that travel is the antidote to small mindedness. We might think, for example, that our toilet habits are more evolved than others, but actually the people who sit on toilets are the odd ones. Most of the world squats. Such insularity is the product of living in a big country, but all it takes is some time in Asia and Africa to realize that there is no right or wrong, there is only different.

Here's hoping Steves continues to counter the stereotype of the Ugly American for years to come. He's got his work cut out for him, but he seems to know what he's doing.

[Photo: Rick Steves]

Related Stories:
· The Other Side of Rick Steves [Salon]
· Rick Steves Europe Through The Back Door [Official Site]
· Rick Steves Coverage [Jaunted]