Thanks so much for talking with us, Cate! I love the ways you support others to live their global visions, and it will be great to learn more about your own experiences. Let’s dive right in. Tell us, what are the most profound ways that travel has impacted your life?
How much time do you have? Ha! I feel like I could spend hours unpacking this question. My short answer is that travel has made me more adventurous, independent, resilient, educated, open-minded…simply put, travel has made me who I am.
 
Share an aspect of traveling that felt like a struggle but that you learned to manage.
I used to really struggle with being present. I’d arrive in Paris and after a day I was itching to hop a train to Madrid. I wanted to consume as many new places as possible. Over time, I learned to slow down and focus on where I am. I’m now better at balancing appreciation for where I am with anticipating where I’m going next.
 
Tell us about the best journey you've taken as a solo traveler.
Just one? This is hard! They’re all the “best” in different ways. When I really think about it, I have to say my first one was the best because it set the stage for a life of travel. When I was 16 I moved to Germany to live with a host family and go to school for a year. That year was filled with so many firsts – first time flying alone, first time away from home, first time outside the US, first time making friends in another language, first time community to school via subway, etc. I always knew I loved travel but after that year abroad I knew without a doubt that I’d always live a global life. 

What's the most delicious food you've discovered in your travels?
It’s a toss-up between the cookies my German host mom made at Christmas, red lentil soup in Turkey, the chocolate torte I shared with a friend in Berlin (we really regretted only buying one slice), and the super fresh baguette I once bought at a bakery near my AirBnB apartment in Paris. Food is one of the best parts of travel, isn’t it?!
 
I’ve actually just launched the “Global Kitchen Project” on my blog. The first Monday of each month I’ll be sharing a delicious recipe from my travels. January’s recipe is Laugenbretzeln, tasty German soft pretzels. Get the recipe here: http://smallplanetstudio.com/global-kitchen-project-january-2016/

If people want to travel internationally, but feel afraid to do so, how would you encourage them?
Feel the fear and travel anyway! I’m often nervous before I hit the road but once I’m on the plane it turns into excitement. Don’t let fear hold you back from seeing the world!
 
What are you most proud of having contributed to others during your travels?
I’ve contributed to helping people see through stereotypes they have about other countries and learn about who they are as a cultural being. 

On your website it says, "Make going home the best part of going abroad." That idea of travel as a catalyst for a great life is essential to At Home in the World.  Talk to us more about it.
Most people don’t want to go home after living or traveling abroad! Home can seem boring compared to being abroad. Reverse culture shock can feel bewildering and unexpectedly hard. And sometimes it feels like nobody sees – or cares – how going abroad has changed you. Because of these challenges we often overlook the gift that going home gives us – the opportunity to intentionally create a meaningful, satisfying, and sustainable global life. 
 
Whereas travel is active, re-entry is reflective. Travel is a spark and re-entry is the opportunity to stoke the global fire growing within us. Going home isn’t the end, it’s simply the next phase of your global journey! If you use re-entry as an opportunity to explore who you are and what you want your global life to be like, now that you’ve been abroad, you’ll make going home the best part of going abroad.

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Cate! Your thoughts and your work are inspiring.

Connections
One of the most powerful interactions on our world trip was staying with a family in Ladkah, India for three weeks. Even though they didn't  speak too much English and we didn't speak Ladakian, we were still able to communicate for the most part. We had so many great laughs in the process. They took us in and made us feel like part of their family. We ate meals with this gracious family in their typical way, on the floor with a small table. It was a very rewarding and beneficial experience but more for us I'm sure. The mother of the house showed me how to milk a cow, and taught Connor how to cut the barley in the fields when it was ready. We learned how to make their typical food, momo's, filled  with meat and veggies. Overall, it was a very special and memorable time on our journey and made even more special because their village is where Connor proposed to me. 

Love + Wisdom
Connor and I learned a lot about each other over the course of the year. We learned that sometimes you just have to go with the flow. We also learned that you must pick your battles!  I think we also learned how to support one another but also how to allow one another to have personal space. Traveling is the best way to learn about a partner. We got engaged and then married on our trip! 

The Power of Place
New Zealand is one of my favorite places.  The lifestyle in New Zealand is more laid back and easy-going, and there is a great quality of life.  It's a paradise offering beautiful beaches and coves, and deep forested mountains, wonderful for trekking which we did a lot of. There are magnificent fjords on the Southern Island.

We also loved Nepal, a very magical and spiritual place. We spent 6 weeks here, where we spent one week volunteering in rural village, ten days trekking on the Annapurna and 10 days at a yoga and mediation center. The Nepalese are such kind and generous people. It's a country we will definitely get back to. 
 
We thoroughly enjoyed every country we visited--18 countries over the course of a year. We learned and gained so much! 

The Gifts of Travel
Once you start traveling you realize how many more countries spark your interest.  So you put them on your list and the list grows endless.  

Traveling has definitely opened my mind to the many thousands of different cultures, ethnicities, and customs the world has to offer, and to the diversity of our universe. There is always so much to learn and appreciate.