Yemen

Yemen is not a country you can simply book a flight to and explore on your own. Traveling there requires trusted local contacts and careful planning. When a last-minute cancellation opened a spot on an expedition led by Álvaro Rojas, a famous traveler on Instagram whom I’d long admired, I jumped at the opportunity. Our group met at the airport in Cairo, where, before boarding, Álvaro gathered us together and explained that, to minimize the risk of kidnapping, if anyone asked, we were a group from Türkiye. Each of us chose a fake name. Mine was Mehmet, after a university friend.

Exploring Yemen felt like stepping back in time. We wandered through ancient cities of towering mud-brick skyscrapers, explored bustling markets that seemed unchanged for centuries, and even stumbled upon a traditional camel race. But it was impossible to ignore the country’s ongoing conflict. Whenever we traveled between cities, our convoy was accompanied by a police escort, and our local fixer, Kais, had lost a finger after being shot years earlier. Despite everything the country has endured, though, the Yemenis we met were incredibly warm and welcoming.

Their hospitality wasn’t the only thing that made the journey so memorable. Within our group, I met Claire, an unassuming blonde woman who turned out to be an absolute badass adventurer. I also met Barry, who, in his sixties, stood out from our mostly younger group. A humanitarian and founder of Caravan to Class, he’d built 17 schools in the fabled city of Timbuktu while expanding educational opportunities for girls across Mali. After losing his wife in a tragic elephant attack in Botswana, he set out to visit every country in the world in search of meaning and healing.

Listening to Barry’s story reminded me that we were all carrying something. I was still trying to heal from the effects of severe OCD and the strain it had placed on my relationships, while Barry was learning to live with unimaginable loss. Sometimes travel isn’t about escaping what’s behind us. It’s about finding the people who help us move forward. I’m grateful Yemen brought Barry into my life when it did.