Kenyan author Deborah Auko has shared insights from what she describes as a life-changing journey across 88 countries, saying global travel has shaped her understanding of society, education, religion, and human behaviour more than formal schooling ever did.
In a detailed reflection on her experiences, Auko noted that exposure to different cultures has expanded her perspective far beyond academic institutions, despite acknowledging that she has studied in reputable schools.
“Travel as the ultimate educator,” she said, adding that movement across borders challenges fixed thinking and broadens intellectual capacity.
“Our minds are elastic and only expand as far and wide we go from our natural environments or through reading books.”
Auko pointed to historical sites such as the Pyramids of Giza as examples of how travel instils humility by reminding individuals of the scale of human history.
She also referenced memorials and historical landmarks, saying they confront visitors with the extremes of human behaviour, from resilience to atrocities.
According to her, travel exposes both the strengths and contradictions of humanity.
She cited experiences in different parts of the world to argue that religion, morality, and social norms vary widely, suggesting that belief systems are often a matter of perspective rather than superiority.
Auko known for her bestseller, Rough Silk, also highlighted how exposure to diverse societies challenges assumptions about identity and governance.
She pointed to countries with advanced academic systems still facing political choices influenced by ethnicity or emotion, which she said reveals gaps between education and reasoning.
Beyond politics and religion, she said travel influences personal relationships and decision-making.
“Before you marry anyone, travel with them,” she noted, arguing that shared journeys reveal deeper character traits than routine environments.
She further emphasized that travel does not necessarily require wealth or international flights, urging people to explore their own countries and regions as a starting point for broader understanding.
Auko also raised concerns about global mobility and access, arguing that borders and visa systems are often tied to control rather than protection, and that access to information through the internet is gradually breaking such barriers.
She concluded by encouraging curiosity and reading as tools for personal liberation, stating that individuals who do not travel or read widely risk remaining confined to limited perspectives.
“Ignorance is not the absence of a degree, but the absence of exposure,” she said, adding that her extensive travels have been driven by work, relationships, and a deliberate pursuit of knowledge.
Auko ended by inviting public reflection on whether her experiences resonate with broader truths about travel, learning, and global understanding.