People who know me personally and those who follow my publications online or have read my book are aware that I travel a lot. They see that I visit some of the most beautiful places on our planet. I am often asked where paradise on Earth is, what place is ideal, the best for living. First, I want to clarify that there are people who travel more than I do and over a broader geographic range.
In recent years, with rare exceptions, I have been traveling mainly through Latin America, so I can’t speak for the entire planet. But I must admit that Latin America is extraordinarily rich. There are many places in various climate zones here that could claim the title of a natural paradise.
As someone born and raised in Siberia, known for its harsh beauty, for a long time, I believed that paradise must certainly be tropical. I needed to warm up and restore balance in my impressions! I still prefer warmth over cold, but I have learned to see the beauty in a wide variety of places more objectively.
I visit the Andes, the mountains of South America, and Mexico, in the Sierra Madre mountains, including high-altitude areas with snow-capped peaks and vast altiplanos. I often travel in the foothills where tropical forests meet the mountains. This is one of my favorite climate zones. It’s where the most beautiful waterfalls are found. I spend a lot of time in the Amazon jungle, which is undoubtedly the most biologically rich environment on our planet. I also explore deserts, from the driest like Nasca to those teeming with diverse plant and animal life like Wirikuta. I visit islands in the vast high-altitude Lake Titicaca, the Caribbean Sea, the Pacific Ocean, including my beloved Galapagos. Of course, I sometimes spend time on excellent beaches, both on islands and the mainland. And I do feel the need to live near large bodies of water for a while. Not so much to swim (I’ve long forgotten the point of sunbathing!) but more to feel the element of water.
In my deep conviction, water has the power to cleanse and calm us. That’s why I love visiting Lima, even when it’s cold, windy, and damp, and I stay close to the ocean. I was also captivated by Patagonia, that cold region at the southern tip of South America. Although it’s called the land of fire, winter there is harsh. And that’s no surprise, given that Patagonia is close to Antarctica. But in the summer, it’s a true paradise with incredibly beautiful landscapes combining massive glaciers and green-red forests.
So, sometimes I wonder, like many others, where I would like to settle down and live out the rest of my life. Let’s imagine a situation where I’m fabulously wealthy. I don’t need to think about income and expenses, and I simply want to spend my time in the best place. I try to picture or recall such an ideal place, considering what I’ve seen and know. But no image comes to mind. I realize that, at least at this stage of my life, what’s best and most interesting for me is to keep traveling!
The immense beauty lies precisely in moving around, living in different natural settings, various cities with their unique atmospheres, in different climate zones, seeing as much of the planet’s beauty as possible. Perhaps it’s like this just for me. Surely, someone can find their special paradise. Maybe I’m spoiled by travel. But I think all travelers I know would agree with this opinion. Of course, not everyone can be a professional traveler. But almost anyone can get away from home once or twice a year. It’s simply a matter of prioritizing expenses. It’s curious that when people talk about their dreams, they always include travel to distant countries. But many prefer to keep these dreams unfulfilled. However, not everyone does.
A new formation of people has emerged who consider the whole planet their home. And it’s not just about the opportunity to explore diverse wild nature. Though nature alone can teach and heal us. It’s also about learning to understand other people better, diving deeper into other cultures, and embracing their uniqueness as you travel. You discover unique, invaluable things created and preserved by people in different countries. You heal from arrogance and a sense of self-importance. This lifestyle fosters natural humanism and an understanding of the value of human life.
I would like this way of life to become accessible to as many people as possible. Such people are less inclined to war, isolation, or seeing themselves as opposed to others. On the contrary, they respect others, take an interest in different cultures and traditions. It’s much harder to drag them into conflicts or convince them they live surrounded by enemies. They’re more difficult to manipulate or use as cannon fodder. They are truly people of the world in every sense of the word!
