I had a beautiful journey from Sofia, Bulgaria through the mountainous region into Skopje, Macedonia. I also had the privilege of meeting a fellow traveler by the name of Danforth Oghigian, aka Dan.

Conversation of the Day:

Dan is a mix of Canadian, Armenian and has lived all over the world. We met shortly after getting settled on the bus and come to find out, we actually have a mutual friend he met while living in Japan years ago; it’s funny how small the world really is. Every day, he wakes up and is grateful for the wonderful reality of being alive. To appreciate the little things in life and to find the silver lining in any given situation, whether good or bad, is what brings him happiness. He's also an avid cook and finds the culinary arts to be his own personal creative outlet. I asked him if he had any final remarks to leave me with and he said: "to not judge others." I find this to be one of the most challenging things for us human beings to accomplish and the ability to break free of that mindset, can be liberating. For him to live with that intent of heart is amazing, because his current reality is if he were to enter Azerbaijan, he would be killed since he's Armenian and they are currently at war.

The beauty of traveling for me, is that you see an unbiased opinion for yourself that isn’t plagued by political, social or another persons opinion. You actually see in any place in the world it’s just people trying to live their lives the best they can. I feel that everyone on this earth, wants to be happy; to feel loved and give love. If we were to live our lives un-tainted by the news or what other people might think about another culture, how different things would be.

Quote's of the Day

“It is too easy to forget that we are just one of over seven billion people. Know this life is shared, know this life is precious.”

“As we see ourselves more clearly, we start to see others more clearly too. Seeing them as they are, rather than how we thought they were.”

“No two people are alike. By embracing and celebrating these differences, we discover both peace in our mind and in the world around us.”