My Ecological Odyssey

Have you ever experienced something that completely shifted how you see the world? For most people, the answer is yes. It might have been the loss of a loved one, a life-altering injury, or even a major career change. We are constantly exposed to moments that have the power to reshape our mindset.

For me, my worldview has evolved naturally over time, shaped by the experiences and challenges that come with growing up. But nothing has been as transformative as traveling. As cliché as it may sound, travel expands your perspective. There is simply no way to immerse yourself in a new country—its culture, language, and food—and walk away unchanged. Whether it instills a new sense of gratitude or even sparks jealousy, travel leaves a mark on you.

Through my experiences, travel opened my eyes to the vastness of our world and, in contrast, my own smallness within it. Things I once held as important started to feel insignificant, while ideas I had never considered took on profound meaning.

I studied science, always understood climate change, and was privileged enough to feel “safe” from its direct effects. Learning about biology, chemistry, and the intricate systems of life gave me a deep appreciation for the complexity of our planet. But it was all theoretical.

A catalyst for perspective shift

Then I started traveling, and those scientific understandings became something else entirely. It’s difficult to explain the shift I felt, but I’ll try.

I’ve never been religious—in fact, as a scientist, I have conflicting thoughts on the subject. But the best way I can describe my new understanding of the world is that it felt like a religious experience. It was emotional, overwhelming, and expansive. I remember standing on a desolate beach on a remote Greek island or hiking through the misty mountains of Northern Thailand, and suddenly, I grasped how big life truly is. The emotions I felt in those moments were too immense to put into words. A fundamental shift in my philosophy changed how I see everything—my choices, relationships, future, and even the world itself. It deepened my understanding of our place in the universe, our connection to nature, and the fragile balance of life on Earth.

It became impossible for me to witness these places and not feel a profound connection to the environment. It ingrained in me a sense of personal responsibility. I had always cared about combating climate change, but seeing the world firsthand brought out something deeper. Not a savior complex—just a need to give back in a way that felt right.

A wake-up call for climate action

For those who deny climate change, my first prescription (after a basic Science 101 course) would be simple: travel. I don’t know how someone could stand in front of a melting glacier, see bleached coral reefs, or witness deforestation in action and still deny science, evolution, and the urgent need for environmental action.

Of course, not all travel is transformative. If you visit a new place only to stay in a luxury resort, never interact with locals, and keep yourself in a tourist bubble, you might as well have stayed home. Real travel—the kind that forces you to step outside your comfort zone—has the power to challenge your assumptions, open your heart, and turn you into an advocate for the planet.

Travel is more than just seeing new places. It’s a gateway to understanding. It teaches you to care in a way that books and lectures never could. And in a time when the world needs more voices fighting for its future, that kind of transformation is invaluable.