Pete

As you can probably tell by this page, one of my favorite parts of traveling is meeting awesome people. And while this aspect is great, there's one thing that's slightly better: reuniting with awesome people from past travels. I first met Pete in my initial visit to Georgia two years ago when we traveled together from Tbilisi to Kazbegi to hike the mountain, which, to this day, remains one of my favorite trips ever. When that ended, we both went our separate ways and saw different parts of the world, but now, in July 2017, our paths have once again crossed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. So, with that said, let me introduce Pete.

For some people, travel is their leisure. For others, it may be work. But for Pete, travel is his life and his art. Upon our first meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, Pete came across as another friendly, relaxed, interesting traveler, but with one notable exception: his video camera. This device he carried wasn't a cheap tourist camera, nor was it a small one for making a few keepsake photos. Instead, Pete had a full, modern, up to date camera like the type you would see in a film studio. He said it was for making travel videos about the places he went, which at first I thought was pretty interesting. However, then I saw some and they completely blew my mind.

I don't how how it is possible, but with his camera, Pete is able to capture the essence and feeling of a place better than any travel agency or tourist company could ever dream of. I can try to describe these films, but words cannot give them justice. Each film I saw, though, made me feel almost as if I was there and as if I was interacting and exploring the environment portrayed. He was able to capture the natural beauty, urban energy, vibrant culture and unique subtitles all together at once. Each one amplified my desire to see and go to these places.

All to often, people go places and they just take. They consume, indulge, and leave a huge mess behind. But Pete is different. Pete always puts in the effort to make friends, learn about his new surroundings, and always gives something back. He creates an builds projects, highlighting the best of every place. Anyway though, I could go on, but I think giving you the link to his videos will do far more than my words.

Be like Pete: Make something from your travels. Give something back and use your full creativity.