In this episode of Things That Matter, I welcomed the ever-curious traveler John McKenzie to reminisce about the meaning behind the things we keep. We dove into the stories tucked inside John’s five well-worn passports, each bursting with stamps and memories from across the globe.
As John said, “What better symbol to represent places and travel experience than a passport?” He shared how a “spur of the moment” college road trip to Canada kicked off his adventures, and how a special Peace Corps passport carried him to Uzbekistan—a transformative chapter that “would of course completely change my life.”
We explored John’s passion for being present where history is unfolding, like his recent trip to Syria, explaining, “I want to see history take place in a place like that…it’s rare that you have that opportunity.” For John, these passport stamps are “powerful storytelling tools,” connecting his childhood dreams of stamp collecting to real-life experiences around the world.
John’s travels have inspired his latest venture—CuriosiTrips—encouraging others to “just be more curious and take that little tiny step towards something that’s maybe not familiar or just outside of your comfort zone.”
Through it all, we reminded each other that the real value isn’t in the Things themselves, but the stories attached. As I shared, “It isn’t that things matter really, it’s the stories that get attached to them that often do.”
John McKenzie, aka John the Traveler, shares the stories behind the Thing that matter most to him —his passports and the transformation they represent. John shares how curiosity and collecting postage stamps led him to explore the world, one stamp at a time.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- The inspiration behind John’s lifelong passion for travel and curiosity
- Stories behind memorable passport stamps, from Canada to Syria
- How travel artifacts like passports can become powerful storytelling tools
- The impact of global events on travel decisions and collecting memories
- John’s latest project, CuriosiTrips, and how you can connect with his adventures
Don’t forget to subscribe for more thoughtful conversations about the things that shape our lives!
To find out more about this beautiful curious world wanderer visit: https://johnthetraveler.com/
Reach out directly to curious@johnthetraveler.com And follow on Facebook & Instagram @johnthecurioustraveler
Are you looking to build deeper connections, community & legacy with your employees, volunteers, donors, community, alumni, family, friends, residents, team or event participants? Hire me to host a unique story-sharing gathering, playshop, exhibition or retreat. Email me at martie at showandtales dot com
Have a story of a special item you’d love to share? Reach out to Martie McNabb at info at showandtales dot com and be part of a future episode with the Subject line: Podcast Guest✨
If you were asked “What Things would tell your life story?” What Things would you choose? Look around your home, office & even on yourself …. what Things do you surround yourself with & what stories would they tell? Grab my My Life in 30 Things playsheet to list your Things that matter here: https://www.showandtales.com/30-things-story/
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