There is a sense of excitement that builds in me whenever I come to Rio de Janeiro. There is some amazing food in Brazil…let’s be very clear about this. There are some fantastic sites to see. I also believe that some of the best coffee I have ever had in my life has been experienced here. But more than all these things, Rio excites me because of people.

I wonder sometimes when I hear other people talk about travel if they ever get tired of tourist sites. Just to be clear, I am not a hater of tourist sites. I go to them, I enjoy them and I take the Same iconic photos that everyone else takes. Guilty.

I just think that after awhile it gets tiresome to look at these tourist sites. The true beauty of any part of the world is people. I love getting the opportunity to get to know people as I travel. Many of these people are lifelong friends because I get the amazing opportunity to travel back to places I have been before.

In a little bit, I am going to grab my Uber and go see a friend that I have known since 2007. This guy is like a brother to me. His name is JP. When I know that I am going to be in Rio, I reach out to JP and try to start coordinating a time to meet up. We usually grab dinner and then sit at a cafe on Copacabana until late at night. Every time it seems as it time slows down and it always feels like we pick up where we left off. Early on in our relationship, we spent time trying to communicate in three languages between his Portuguese, my English and Spanish that we both ran to in an emergency. I love JP and I didn’t meet JP at a tourist site.

Every country is ultimately a collection of its people and their stories, rather than the physical borders of its geography. I love the opportunity to see the land and the amazing sites, I value even more the opportunity to get to know people. I wonder if I were to throw out a challenge of taking time to get to know someone the next time you travel, how many people would take the challenge. I understand that my personality makes it easier, but the challenge still remains.

Here’s my best thought as to how to take this leap.

Whatever housing you choose to stay at, whether a hostel, hotel or campsite, ask the host this question: Where should I go to see your country through the eyes of a local, and not just the tourist sites? Simple question, but it is effective and it communicates something to the person that you ask. It communicates that you want to experience people and not just sites. It lets then know that you want to go deeper than a normal travel guide will take you. You want to see this amazing place that you are visiting through the eyes of someone that this place is called “home.”

We all live in a pretty amazing world. Many of us take the plunge to go and explore so many amazing places. I want to see more than places; I am working to connect to the human narrative that is waiting to be discovered. I want to enjoy this journey with those that want to connect with this amazing side of travel in a community that sees the world not through the eyes of fear, but of opportunity. That’s a big part of the why of this blog: I want to inspire people to connect with the world beyond just the familiar they call home.

I read recently that the average person tends to view the internet through the filter of a few trusted sources that they will spend most of their time gathering and gaining information from. The decision of what sources to trust should be no surprise: referrals from someone they know and trust.

There are a lot of options out there, but I discovered as I began to dive into the travel world more internationally that there were a lot of travel blogs that were not relatable. I always look for one that helps people believe that travel is doable and not just something that people should live vicariously through the lives of others. So in the sea of options, I continue to come back home to two trusted sources that I always recommend to people who want to get out more with travel.

Nomadic Matt (www.nomadicmatt.com) is the top travel blog I recommend to everyone, every chance I get. Not only does he have great, practical tips, but he also has the filter of traveling on a budget. The greatest lie of travel is that it is too expensive. This lie drives me nuts, and Matt does a great job of creating a pathway to help people get out and start traveling.

The other trusted source for me is the Extra Pack of Peanuts podcast (www.extrapackofpeanuts.com). Once you’ve begun to consume Nomadic Matt’s content and you’re ready to add a layer, this is the go-to I direct people to. Travis Sherry is passionate about travel and helping people see the world, but I also value the fact that he goes one step further and challenges people to consider if t might be worth it to pursue a location independent life.