Trekking from France to Austria (Using Hand-Drawn Maps from Locals) + Advocating for Torture Prevention Around the World with Ben Buckland

What happens when you allow curiosity to drive your work and travels?

Ben Buckland is an adventurer, photographer, and human rights advocate whose life has been shaped by curiosity. As a senior advisor on torture prevention for the Association for the Prevention of Torture, his work has taken him to over 100 countries, including war zones, logging camps, and some of the worst prisons on earth. 

In 2023, on a quest for novelty, Ben trekked across France, Switzerland, and Austria, relying only on hand-drawn maps from people he met along the way.

In the first part of this episode, Ben shares the profound lessons he learned from his no-tech journey, including how technology and convenience have changed the way we travel. Then, we talk about his work in human rights, uncovering how curiosity and compassion can drive incremental change, even in the darkest places.

You'll learn practical ways to infuse your travels with curiosity and meaningful connections (and get out of your comfort zone), hear stories of resilience and human connection from Ben’s photography and human rights work, and learn valuable lessons on embracing uncertainty and the unknown.

How has curiosity driven your travels or work? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Tune In To Learn:

• Ben’s deeper intention around traveling without a phone or modern conveniences
• How hand-drawn maps tell as much about the creators as they do about the terrain
• Why even a broken leg couldn’t stop him and the surprising lessons it taught him
• Why money and technology reduce your human connection
• How to get over the fears around traveling without a phone
• The toll of documenting humanity’s darkest stories and how Ben found himself in war zones, prisons, and other challenging places
• Insights on making systemic change in disastrous environments and finding progress in the impossible
• What trauma-informed photography can teach us about connecting with strangers (and capturing their stories)
• Insight into his work in trauma-informed photography and what that can teach us connection
• Ben’s simple yet powerful approach to engaging with strangers 
• And so much more

Resources:

• Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport
• Sign up for our FREE newsletter
• Check out Ben’s website
• Follow Ben on Instagram
• New York Times article

Want More?

• Reading a Book from Every Country in the World: A Year-Long Quest of Understanding with Ann Morgan
• Exploring A Single Map: A Travel Adventure For Everyone With Alastair Humphreys
• Unplugged Travel: Practical and Mindset Advice to Reinvent How You Discover a Destination with Lisa Abend

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