Travel guru rick steves, 69, on how to step outside your comfort zone | members only

Rick Steves, 69, is now a famous travel guru with an empire that includes loads of bestselling European guide books and a small-group tour company. But he wasn’t always so savvy: He was once

a scruffy young man with a thirst for adventure, no money and no clue what he was doing when he set off in 1978 with a friend to complete the legendary Hippie Trail, a trek through Turkey,

Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. His new book, _On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer_ (Feb. 4), is his edited journal from that heady,

rough trip — full of mishaps and excitement.  We talked to Steves about, among other things, his youthful journey and how he’s faring after his prostate cancer diagnosis last year.  _This

interview has been edited for length and clarity._ “On The Hippie Trail” by Rick Steves is out Feb. 4. Courtesy Rick Steves YOU HAD A PRETTY WILD TRIP BACK IN 1978. NOW YOU’VE TURNED YOUR

JOURNAL FROM THAT ADVENTURE INTO A BOOK, _ON THE HIPPIE TRAIL_. WHY NOW? Back then, when I was in my early 20s, I was a piano teacher, not a professional travel writer; I wanted to document

the trip just for myself. Then, when I looked at it a few years ago, I thought, _This could be a fun, historic, inspirational adventure tale for travelers_. WHAT MADE THAT TRIP SO SPECIAL? I

was green, I was afraid, I was thrilled. I was out after dark. I was beyond the reach of my parents. I had no money. There was no good guidebook information back then. There was no safety

net. It was truly an adventure, and it was endlessly entertaining. When you’re in Kabul or in Kathmandu — all you’ve got to do is walk, and it’s just a montage of memories and experiences

and characters. Today, I don’t leave home without having my accommodations all reserved and everything very carefully organized. But back then we were just going behind the dark side of the

moon. HOW DID THE JOURNEY LEAD YOU TOWARD A CAREER IN TRAVEL? I just thought, _This travel really has a value_. I came home with a strong feeling that the world is filled with good people.

It’s filled with joy, it’s filled with love, it’s filled with diversity that we should not be afraid of, but that we should embrace and celebrate. And you won’t know that unless you get out

there and see it for yourself.