“I don’t think a vacation is complete unless you come back with a new friend in a different country.”
– Bill Weir, host of The Wonder List
We had the distinct pleasure of meeting Bill Weir when he was speaking at the 2018 Travel and Adventure Show. There is no way to deny that we are fans. We loved him on the weekend edition of Good Morning America, and through his time at Nightline. When he moved to CNN, we followed along, and were excited when he was given free reign on his latest project, The Wonder List. So you can imagine that it was hard to contain ourselves when we got to shake his hand, look him in the eye, and say, “We love you, man!”
Listening to him, it’s immediately apparent that Bill Weir is a master storyteller with insatiable curiosity. He can (and did) regale you with tales of adventure, intrigue, and yes, wonder. While he was on stage for an hour, we sense that he could have been there for several, and that, even then, he’d just be getting started.
He spoke about the genesis of The Wonder List, and the places they have visited. Places that are teetering on the brink of change. As he put it, the Garden of Eden just before they bit into the apple. He spoke about Blue Zones, and Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index. He spoke about the need to find and explore these places before they’re gone, not just as scientists and reporters, but as people.
Professional Level Travel Tips!
Of course, Bill had some travel tips for us, too. Our favorite? ”Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we can take a nap!” In other words, don’t miss a moment. Don’t be afraid to wonder (or wander). His advice resonated with us: “When you go out there with a little more curiosity, and a little less fear, you would be surprised what you can find.”
His best advice, though, related to making friends with the locals. Sure, you can find monuments and mountains in guide books, but there is so much more. We believe there are times when a local guide or tour is the best, if not only, way to go. Their knowledge can make a special trip extraordinary. Bill drove that point home: “Without a local, without a guide, a local fixture, we’re just a bunch of dorks with cameras taking pictures.”
One thing we’ve always admired about Bill Weir is his ability to befriend people. Whether he’s reporting on an invention that could change the world, or the devastation of a hurricane, at the heart of each story is a person. Bill has the ability to make friends with that person, almost instantly, it seems. As viewers, we feel the connection, and suddenly his new friends are our new friends.
Which takes us back to our travel quote from Bill Weir:
“I don’t think a vacation is complete unless you come back with a new friend in a different country.”
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