Dear Young Explorer | Jesse Woods

Dear Young Explorer,

I’m like a lot of other human beings out there in that I often don’t realize how valuable something is until I no longer have it. Right now that thing I’m missing the most is the ability to travel and experience the world. 

Thankfully, throughout my 33 years here on Earth, which started in Texas and currently have me placed in Germany, I’ve had the great privilege and fortune to visit a lot of really interesting places. I’ve gotten the chance to get to know different people, cultures, and ways of life — and all of these experiences have played a major role in molding me into the person I am today. 

I’ve fallen in love in Berlin, experienced art in Paris, had mint tea with new friends by campfire in the Sahara Desert, hiked and traveled by horseback through beautiful valleys in Cuba, got engaged in Tokyo, and got married in Barcelona. These are just some of the unforgettable experiences I have been blessed with during my travels. 

I come from humble beginnings; my parents didn’t come from wealth and made a lot of sacrifices for my sister and I to be able to have the opportunity to grow up and really get to know the world. And these sacrifices weren’t just for us — my mom and dad were both soldiers in the United States Armed Forces who left their homes for the very first time as young adults to serve their country. In doing so, they got to live in and get to know many new places in the world, from South Korea to Germany. 

Visiting a brand new place with a different culture and even different language is an exhilarating experience, and I don’t take for granted that it’s easier for my sister and I to have these experiences because our parents had us globetrotting from a young age. I understand it can be difficult at first to leave all that you know to try out something new, but I promise you: it’s worth it. 

Traveling to a new place is thrilling. It’s fun, it’s humbling, it’s educating. And now more than ever, it’s important that we venture out of our comfort zones and social network bubbles into the rest of the world — where we can observe just how interconnected our species really is. 

The experiences and people I have gotten to know from my travels have made me into a person I’d describe as consistently happy and optimistic in life. Why? Because I’ve seen societies where easy access to quality health care and fulfilling work is normal and expected. I’ve enjoyed community cultures where people from all different races, backgrounds, and beliefs live in harmony and people don’t fear for their safety. I’ve lived in cities where protecting our environment and our planet is not just something people talk about, but all practice as part of their daily lives. 

Sometimes learning what’s possible in life is as simple as visiting a new place and witnessing how other people overcome life’s challenges. When we travel, we enrich ourselves with the different customs and cultures we encounter. These incredibly valuable experiences help us to break down borders and truly see how much more there is that unites us as human beings than divides us.

I can’t wait to have many more of these travel experiences. Most importantly, I’m excited for you to have the opportunity to see more of the world as well, and enjoy all it has to offer you. Because I know that we will get there soon. 

Sincerely, 

Jesse (Not-so-young Explorer) 

Managing Director, KAYAK Germany