Varanasi cityscape on the west bank of the Ganges River. The late afternoon sun cast shadows on Varanasi’s faded buildings. My college-aged son and I approached the Manikarnika Ghat, a holy cremation ground with bleacher-like steps leading to the west bank of the Ganges River. He stopped, but I walked ahead. “How would you like…

When traveling to countries where people didn’t speak or look like me, my teachers were tour guides. They steered me to places and people I will never forget. Many memories of my travels are directly linked to the guides who showed me the way to appreciate their culture, spiritual practices and political systems. Like many…