What is it like leaving home, living on the road, out of a suitcase, and moving every 1-7 days? After 22 flights and visiting 10 countries, it is strangely feeling pretty normal. We are so good at airports. SO efficient at packing and (not) un-packing. It’s our life right now and honestly, I’m not missing the life we came from. There is definitely a hole in my heart that is usually filled by the embraces of family, the face to face conversations and support of dear friends, the smiles and appreciation of my precious patients and their families, and the comfort of climbing into the same bed every night. I knew this hole was inevitable. But what I didn’t expect was how this hole would be filled many times over.

In 2 months, the beauty of our planet has revealed itself to me in unbelievable and varied landscapes. Of course, I expected to be overwhelmed by Macchu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon rainforest, and Patagonia. Even the large cities have proved to be unique and offer a glimpse into the character and culture of each country. But it is more than the landscapes. It is the connections with the people that we are meeting on this journey that are leaving the biggest footprints on my American heart.

We have formed immediate and rich connections with so many people — from locals to tour guides to fellow travelers. It’s not unusual to watch our kids make fast friends and talk about them as if they’ve known them for years — that’s what kids do. But, what is a surprise is how quickly I feel a bond with these strangers and how hard it is to say good-bye. This travel bubble that we are in is a relationship accelerator. With each connection, I am trading in a little piece of my heart for a big chunk of someone else’s and carrying it with me. Each is making an ever-lasting impression on me. And my world view grows, one person at a time.

Not only have I learned from our tour guides, but I have learned more about most of them than I know about some life-long friends back at home. I will never forget Olivia — our Rio tour guide for a brief but unforgettable 6 hours — whose life story and love of her city, country, and job was infectious. The tears I had saying good-bye to her surprised me. In fact, embarrassed, I tried to shut them down. But as I thanked her for touching the lives of all 5 of us, she tearfully complimented me on my “beautiful family,” thanking us for sharing our lives with her. How does that happen in less than half a day? And this wasn’t just a fluke…it happens over and over and over. In city after city, country after country. We put our lives in the hands of strangers. They are paid to take care of us and share their knowledge of their country and culture. But somewhere along the way, they become our friends and we learn about their families, their personal struggles, their life ambitions. In the silences of long drives or hikes, we begin to ask. They begin to ask. We share pictures of home and they show us pictures of their families.

Why do these connections seem to form so quickly and so naturally? Is it because we are travelers, in the mindset of wanting to learn? Is it just the personality of tour guides and travelers to want to share the details of their lives? I think it is a perfect combination of many factors…the most important of which is that I am listening .