Establishing a human connection is the base of the most important things in this world. Hayden shares what he believes to be the three things that best cultivate these connections between separate human beings before he welcomes Travis Merrigan, one of the founders of Grayl, creator of the infamous Grayl Ultralight Purifier Bottle. Travis Merrigan visits to talk about how excited he is about life and being alive, and how his travels have made him that way. He discusses solo trips, and how awesome that can be for the traveler and their experience. He believes in turning away from what you know and embracing what you do not know. He also thinks that one can enjoy genuine moments of human closeness by learning a new language or immersing oneself. in a new culture. He and Hayden talk about vulnerability and gaining human closeness through one’s willingness to be open when they travel. Did you know that people like to share, so it is not too hard to connect to people when you’re traveling? Sharing food is one of the easiest ways to make that connection. Travis shares his story, named, “River to the Deepest Amazon,” which he considers his single most powerful travel experience. He traveled to Latin America, to Brazil, and took a boat up the Amazon. On the trip, he and his fellow travelers on the boat formed a community of neighbors. He believes that if you just say yes when you are offered a piece of kindness by a local, you might just experience the most powerful ten days of your life. Travis also talks about how he cultivated his open mindset and his own vulnerability. He also talks about Grayl and the Grayl Ultralight Purifier Bottle. He even offers up the offer code TS25 - if you use it at the Grayl website in the links below, you can get 25% off through the end of November and get hooked up with a purifier. Human connections are all around you, if you just think to look around and seek them out. Offer a place to say, or a meal to share. You might be surprised by the friends you make.   0:44 - Hayden introduces the concept of human connection, the base of the most important things in the world. He talks about what three things that best cultivate the connection between two separate human beings. 2:02 - Hayden presents Travis Merrigan, one of the founders of Grayl, who is excited about life and about being alive, and talks about why his travels have made him that way. 8:58 - Travis and Hayden talk about vulnerability and gaining human closeness through one’s willingness to be open when they travel. 13:53 - Travis introduces his story, which he considers his single most powerful travel experience, and which he has named, “River to the Deepest Amazon.” When Travis was in Latin America, he visited Brazil and took a boat up the Amazon. On the trip, he and his fellow travelers on the boat formed a community of neighbors. They became rather close; some even became Travis’ lifelong friends. One of these friends invited Travis to her remote village, and her family taught him a great deal about their culture. He learned more with these people than he could have learned in any other way, and the entire experience fostered deeper connections with people than he had ever had before. 22:27 - Hayden and Travis break down Travis’ story, discussing how his vulnerability led him to having this experience in Brazil. Travis shares how he cultivated his open mindset, and offers advice on how, exactly, he pulls it off. 29:06 - Hayden asks Travis about the Grayl Ultralight Purifier Bottle. Travis talks about the inspiration behind Grayl and how recycling, size, and health played a big part in the creation of the purifier bottle.   Check out our website at: Travel Stories Podcast Online Email Hayden (he’ll answer everything) at: hayden@travelstoriespodcast.com Follow Hayden on Twitter and send him a Tweet (he’ll really answer everything) at: @travelstoriesuk on Twitter All musical composition and arrangement for story scores by Cody Crabb, who c