If I could summarize this conversation with one phrase, it would be something Shannon said: “When people meet each other they find out that the other is not so other.” Shannon Stowell is the CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, an organization for travel industry partners that believes travel can be a powerful force for good in the world. Shannon has spent over 30 years working in adventure travel, e-commerce, outdoor retail, and environmental science. Shannon and I met in person on a trip to Jordan this February, and we immediately connected around our shared belief about what travel could be.  In this conversation, Shannon takes us to Kurdistan, an autonomous region in Northern Iraq, where Shannon traveled with his son in 2017. You’ll learn about the meaning of the Kurdish saying “The Kurds have no friends but the mountains,” and what it feels like to visit the Yazidi sacred village of Lalish. We also discuss Shannon’s must-see places for people like me who have already traveled a lot, the Tomorrow’s Air initiative led by ATTA, why Shannon believes travel is a privilege, not a right, and what is a soft ambassador. What you’ll learn in this episode: How Shannon defines adventure travelShannon’s trip to Kurdistan in 2017What living off the grid in nature is likeWhat Maslow's hierarchy of needs has to do with modern depressionMust-see places for people who've already traveled a lotThe impact of media on destinationsMeeting the current moment: travelers' role in times of strifeThe story of “To kill a white person”What gives Shannon hope right now Featured on the show:Learn more about the Adventure Travel Trade AssociationCheck out Explore Mesopotamia tours in Iraqi KurdistanRead The New York Times story about KurdistanCheck out Shannon's book, Riding The Hula Hula to the Arctic OceanLearn more about the Tomorrow’s Air initiativeFollow ATTA on Instagram Get more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter! For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube! Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia! And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you! Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people