Ali and I had just one thing planned when we landed in Ecuador to meet a guy
when we landed in Ecuador to meet a guy
when we landed in Ecuador to meet a guy for coffee we needed a thousand meters
for coffee we needed a thousand meters
for coffee we needed a thousand meters of traditional Ecuadorian fabric and we
of traditional Ecuadorian fabric and we
of traditional Ecuadorian fabric and we had received an email from an Ecuadorian
had received an email from an Ecuadorian
had received an email from an Ecuadorian man saying he knew of a place so we flew
man saying he knew of a place so we flew
man saying he knew of a place so we flew to Ecuador’s capital and met him at a
to Ecuador’s capital and met him at a
to Ecuador’s capital and met him at a coffee shop he told us about a fabric
coffee shop he told us about a fabric
coffee shop he told us about a fabric town several hours away and got us on a
town several hours away and got us on a
town several hours away and got us on a bus headed in the right direction in the
bus headed in the right direction in the
bus headed in the right direction in the fabric town we asked a local how to get
fabric town we asked a local how to get
fabric town we asked a local how to get to the town’s market and from the market
to the town’s market and from the market
to the town’s market and from the market we followed a vendor to her cousin’s
we followed a vendor to her cousin’s
we followed a vendor to her cousin’s fabric shop the cousin then got us a cab
fabric shop the cousin then got us a cab
fabric shop the cousin then got us a cab to take us to her shops out of town
to take us to her shops out of town
to take us to her shops out of town warehouse and the cab driver stopped to
warehouse and the cab driver stopped to
warehouse and the cab driver stopped to ask directions from a couple of friends
ask directions from a couple of friends
ask directions from a couple of friends along the way from the warehouse
along the way from the warehouse
along the way from the warehouse a worker walked to sound train tracks to
a worker walked to sound train tracks to
a worker walked to sound train tracks to a home where we finally followed the
a home where we finally followed the
a home where we finally followed the owners of the home to their factory
owners of the home to their factory
owners of the home to their factory behind the house
behind the house
behind the house this is Ronaldo and Maria Elena on the
this is Ronaldo and Maria Elena on the
this is Ronaldo and Maria Elena on the day we showed up totally unannounced at
day we showed up totally unannounced at
day we showed up totally unannounced at their fabric factory hidden high up in
their fabric factory hidden high up in
their fabric factory hidden high up in the Andes Mountains and this is how we
the Andes Mountains and this is how we
the Andes Mountains and this is how we find fabric ally and I have spent the
find fabric ally and I have spent the
find fabric ally and I have spent the last four years traveling the world in
last four years traveling the world in
last four years traveling the world in search of its funkiest traditional
search of its funkiest traditional
search of its funkiest traditional fabrics and for every country we’ve been
fabrics and for every country we’ve been
fabrics and for every country we’ve been to there’s been one reliable trick that
to there’s been one reliable trick that
to there’s been one reliable trick that helps us find what we’re looking for
helps us find what we’re looking for
helps us find what we’re looking for here it is plan nothing so backing up a
here it is plan nothing so backing up a
here it is plan nothing so backing up a bit why is it that we look for fabric in
bit why is it that we look for fabric in
bit why is it that we look for fabric in the first place
the first place
the first place the short answer is that we run a
the short answer is that we run a
the short answer is that we run a business making backpacks out of these
business making backpacks out of these
business making backpacks out of these fabrics we get fabric from a country
fabrics we get fabric from a country
fabrics we get fabric from a country like Thailand for example and our
like Thailand for example and our
like Thailand for example and our rockstar team of seamstresses here in
rockstar team of seamstresses here in
rockstar team of seamstresses here in Virginia sewed the fabrics in the
Virginia sewed the fabrics in the
Virginia sewed the fabrics in the backpacks once each backpack is sold we
backpacks once each backpack is sold we
backpacks once each backpack is sold we microloan part of the profits to a
microloan part of the profits to a
microloan part of the profits to a farmer or a small business owner in the
farmer or a small business owner in the
farmer or a small business owner in the country where the fabric came from
country where the fabric came from
country where the fabric came from connecting the world in our own small
connecting the world in our own small
connecting the world in our own small way with Google and guidebooks at our
way with Google and guidebooks at our
way with Google and guidebooks at our fingertips we used to try and plan our
fingertips we used to try and plan our
fingertips we used to try and plan our whole trip from home before even setting
whole trip from home before even setting
whole trip from home before even setting foot in the country but it never worked
foot in the country but it never worked
foot in the country but it never worked we just never found fabric that way
we just never found fabric that way
we just never found fabric that way there aren’t very many people out there
there aren’t very many people out there
there aren’t very many people out there traveling to find large amounts of
traveling to find large amounts of
traveling to find large amounts of traditional fabric so the advice we
traditional fabric so the advice we
traditional fabric so the advice we found was
found was
found was pretty bad once we were then in the
pretty bad once we were then in the
pretty bad once we were then in the country we spent all of our time
country we spent all of our time
country we spent all of our time following this bad advice and to focus
following this bad advice and to focus
following this bad advice and to focus on our plans to recognize the real
on our plans to recognize the real
on our plans to recognize the real opportunities when they presented
opportunities when they presented
opportunities when they presented themselves so we cut the plans and had
themselves so we cut the plans and had
themselves so we cut the plans and had opened so many doors
opened so many doors
opened so many doors we found that plans can actually be
we found that plans can actually be
we found that plans can actually be blinders blocking out the real
blinders blocking out the real
blinders blocking out the real opportunities in our periphery and with
opportunities in our periphery and with
opportunities in our periphery and with no plans our senses come alive we’re so
no plans our senses come alive we’re so
no plans our senses come alive we’re so much more observant of our surroundings
much more observant of our surroundings
much more observant of our surroundings because we’re looking for clues like
because we’re looking for clues like
because we’re looking for clues like this woman in Peru using fabric to carry
this woman in Peru using fabric to carry
this woman in Peru using fabric to carry her baby and once we find these clues we
her baby and once we find these clues we
her baby and once we find these clues we actually interact with local people like
actually interact with local people like
actually interact with local people like her to ask where we can find that fabric
her to ask where we can find that fabric
her to ask where we can find that fabric to eventually this mentality of
to eventually this mentality of
to eventually this mentality of traveling with no plans drifted from our
traveling with no plans drifted from our
traveling with no plans drifted from our fabric travels into our leisure travels
fabric travels into our leisure travels
fabric travels into our leisure travels to with no plans we allowed ourselves to
to with no plans we allowed ourselves to
to with no plans we allowed ourselves to wander down our own path and follow
wander down our own path and follow
wander down our own path and follow Indian music we could hear in the
Indian music we could hear in the
Indian music we could hear in the distance to find a tiny Ecuadorian
distance to find a tiny Ecuadorian
distance to find a tiny Ecuadorian festival filled with dancing live music
festival filled with dancing live music
festival filled with dancing live music and costumes and no schedule means no
and costumes and no schedule means no
and costumes and no schedule means no fear of falling behind on that schedule
fear of falling behind on that schedule
fear of falling behind on that schedule so when we cross paths with these monks
so when we cross paths with these monks
so when we cross paths with these monks and Laos we could spend all afternoon
and Laos we could spend all afternoon
and Laos we could spend all afternoon skipping rocks with them on the Mekong
skipping rocks with them on the Mekong
skipping rocks with them on the Mekong River we quickly realized that these
River we quickly realized that these
River we quickly realized that these days we traveled without a plan actually
days we traveled without a plan actually
days we traveled without a plan actually turned out to be the days that we
turned out to be the days that we
turned out to be the days that we remembered the most these were the days
remembered the most these were the days
remembered the most these were the days we caught a tiny glimpse of everyday
we caught a tiny glimpse of everyday
we caught a tiny glimpse of everyday life in the new culture and those are
life in the new culture and those are
life in the new culture and those are the experiences that really stuck but
the experiences that really stuck but
the experiences that really stuck but the idea of traveling without a plan
the idea of traveling without a plan
the idea of traveling without a plan startles most people when we told other
startles most people when we told other
startles most people when we told other travelers that we met in Cusco Peru that
travelers that we met in Cusco Peru that
travelers that we met in Cusco Peru that we did not have plans to go to Machu
we did not have plans to go to Machu
we did not have plans to go to Machu Picchu they were appalled how could you
Picchu they were appalled how could you
Picchu they were appalled how could you come all the way to Cusco and not see
come all the way to Cusco and not see
come all the way to Cusco and not see Machu Picchu and I admit I understand
Machu Picchu and I admit I understand
Machu Picchu and I admit I understand their skepticism but as we talked more
their skepticism but as we talked more
their skepticism but as we talked more about our plan free way of traveling and
about our plan free way of traveling and
about our plan free way of traveling and the places we stumbled upon the people
the places we stumbled upon the people
the places we stumbled upon the people we met many of these travelers went from
we met many of these travelers went from
we met many of these travelers went from appalled to just surprised and finally
appalled to just surprised and finally
appalled to just surprised and finally intrigued so we invited them to join us
intrigued so we invited them to join us
intrigued so we invited them to join us to put their plans down for a day
to put their plans down for a day
to put their plans down for a day find fabric during their travels too we
find fabric during their travels too we
find fabric during their travels too we told them our story about connecting the
told them our story about connecting the
told them our story about connecting the world through these backpacks made of
world through these backpacks made of
world through these backpacks made of traditional fabric and if they would
traditional fabric and if they would
traditional fabric and if they would find fabric during their travels
find fabric during their travels
find fabric during their travels we’d make backpacks from their fabric
we’d make backpacks from their fabric
we’d make backpacks from their fabric too we’d give the traveller the first
too we’d give the traveller the first
too we’d give the traveller the first backpack to remember their trip by and
backpack to remember their trip by and
backpack to remember their trip by and the remaining backpacks would be used to
the remaining backpacks would be used to
the remaining backpacks would be used to share a bit of their destinations
share a bit of their destinations
share a bit of their destinations culture with others so now hundreds of
culture with others so now hundreds of
culture with others so now hundreds of travelers are hunting for fabric around
travelers are hunting for fabric around
travelers are hunting for fabric around the world and they’re each having their
the world and they’re each having their
the world and they’re each having their own unique raw experiences – like Alex
own unique raw experiences – like Alex
own unique raw experiences – like Alex who walked past this Moroccan fabric
who walked past this Moroccan fabric
who walked past this Moroccan fabric shop every single day on her way into
shop every single day on her way into
shop every single day on her way into town and while most other people just
town and while most other people just
town and while most other people just breezed past without a second look the
breezed past without a second look the
breezed past without a second look the fabric hunt removed Alex’s blinders and
fabric hunt removed Alex’s blinders and
fabric hunt removed Alex’s blinders and she came to really appreciate the art
she came to really appreciate the art
she came to really appreciate the art being made there each day so she brought
being made there each day so she brought
being made there each day so she brought back fabric from the shop to put on her
back fabric from the shop to put on her
back fabric from the shop to put on her line of totes and share it with others
line of totes and share it with others
line of totes and share it with others brandy while studying abroad in China
brandy while studying abroad in China
brandy while studying abroad in China had Chinese classmates help her find a
had Chinese classmates help her find a
had Chinese classmates help her find a local fabric these classmates took
local fabric these classmates took
local fabric these classmates took Brandi off the beaten path in search of
Brandi off the beaten path in search of
Brandi off the beaten path in search of fabric and gave Brandi her own lesson on
fabric and gave Brandi her own lesson on
fabric and gave Brandi her own lesson on the role of peonies in Chinese culture a
the role of peonies in Chinese culture a
the role of peonies in Chinese culture a lesson she then shared with others
lesson she then shared with others
lesson she then shared with others through her line of china totes and in
through her line of china totes and in
through her line of china totes and in Rwanda Michael noticed something during
Rwanda Michael noticed something during
Rwanda Michael noticed something during his walks and bus rides around town that
his walks and bus rides around town that
his walks and bus rides around town that he never noticed before
he never noticed before
he never noticed before clothing women’s clothing even he was so
clothing women’s clothing even he was so
clothing women’s clothing even he was so much more observant of the colorful
much more observant of the colorful
much more observant of the colorful culture around him because of his
culture around him because of his
culture around him because of his mission to find this fabric for his line
mission to find this fabric for his line
mission to find this fabric for his line of Rwanda totes during our fabric on in
of Rwanda totes during our fabric on in
of Rwanda totes during our fabric on in Ecuador no plans meant we relied heavily
Ecuador no plans meant we relied heavily
Ecuador no plans meant we relied heavily on the local people to show us the way
on the local people to show us the way
on the local people to show us the way and we became a part of their community
and we became a part of their community
and we became a part of their community for the day they got us to a fabric
for the day they got us to a fabric
for the day they got us to a fabric factory that Google Maps didn’t even
factory that Google Maps didn’t even
factory that Google Maps didn’t even know existed and in doing so taught us
know existed and in doing so taught us
know existed and in doing so taught us the power of community and that is what
the power of community and that is what
the power of community and that is what Travel is all about experiencing
Travel is all about experiencing
Travel is all about experiencing firsthand a new way of living no matter
firsthand a new way of living no matter
firsthand a new way of living no matter how you travel new people are there to
how you travel new people are there to
how you travel new people are there to learn from but when you travel without
learn from but when you travel without
learn from but when you travel without plans
plans
plans that’s when you free yourself to
that’s when you free yourself to
that’s when you free yourself to experience all that they have to teach
experience all that they have to teach
experience all that they have to teach thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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