Watch Paul’s Interview!

Thank you to the students who wrote questions and watched the LIVE interview with Paul Salopek from Uzbekistan. If you missed the interview, you can watch it here! I feel fortunate that I was invited to be among a small group (five!) that was able to be on screen and to ask questions on behalf of you. There were many good questions for Paul, but I was able to ask two (at the beginning and near the end). Several of the questions that you asked and posted on our ‘wondering wall’ were among the questions asked by other students around the world.

I learned many new things about Paul, his guide (Aziz), and his journey: the power of storytelling, borders, why he walks, his role in helping others, schools he visits in other countries, what keeps him going, his family, plans for writing a book, the funniest moments on the trail, countries and regions he looks forward to visiting, crossing large bodies of water, and whether or not he listens to music while walking. There were several other topics he discussed. Watch the video and comment on something you learned or thought was interesting.

Some personal takeaways that I made connections to:

Some comments by Paul in his interview: The walk is his work. His workplace is the road, the trail, the mountain pass he must cross. Many strangers he meets have been kind. People are compassionate. Compassion erodes (or defeats) fear. It is important to be curious about the world. It is important to engage in the world and to learn it. Walking gives him a sense of confidence and he has become calmer and more peaceful. He will most remember the people he meets on his journey.

Mr. Martin

Tags: Out of Eden Learn, Out of Eden Walk