Meet Hannah Salmond: From Little Explorer to Global Citizen

Some travelers leave a lasting mark—and for us, Hannah Salmond is definitely one of them. Hannah started traveling with us when she was just nine years old, a rambunctious bundle of energy cartwheeling at the foot of the Acropolis, befriending every stray dog in sight, and offering back massages and impromptu makeovers during long airport layovers. Her joy was infectious—just ask the countless waiters around the world who’ve been charmed into a photo or two!

All these years later, it’s been such a joy to watch Hannah grow into a confident young woman who has truly used the world as her classroom. From that spirited little traveler to the thoughtful global citizen she’s become, her story reminds us why travel is one of the greatest gifts we can give our kids. We recently sat down with Hannah to talk about how her adventures shaped her outlook on life, what she’s learned from seeing the world, and why she believes it’s worth showing your children the beauty—and challenges—of traveling beyond their comfort zone.

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L+S: You first traveled with Land + See when you were nine — how do you feel those early trips shaped the way you see the world today?

Hannah: Traveling with Land + See at nine years old really opened my eyes to how big and beautiful the world is. It taught me early on to be curious and to see things from other people’s perspectives. Those trips definitely helped me grow into someone who appreciates different cultures and loves new experiences.

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L+S: Over the years, which destination or travel memory has stood out as your favorite, and why does it stick with you?

Hannah: My favorite trip would have to be our Ireland or Iceland trip. Where I got to explore somewhere completely new and outside my comfort zone. I still remember the feeling of excitement and wonder seeing things I had only read about. It sticks with me because it showed me how travel can completely change the way you think and feel.

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L+S: How has sharing these travel experiences with your family influenced your relationship with them, or the way you experience new places together?

Hannah: Sharing these experiences with my family made our bond so much stronger. Traveling together gave us memories that we still talk and laugh about today. It also taught us how to work as a team, adapt, and enjoy every moment—no matter where we are.

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L+S: Traveling over the years, have you formed friendships with other travelers that have lasted beyond the trip? How have those connections impacted your experience?

Hannah: I’ve met people on trips who have become lifelong friends. It’s amazing how quickly you can connect with someone when you’re exploring new places together. Those friendships have made travel even more meaningful and remind me that kindness and connection exist everywhere.

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L+S: As you’ve grown older and continued traveling, how has your perspective on travel and different cultures changed compared to when you first started?

Hannah: As I’ve grown older, I see travel less as a vacation and more as an opportunity to learn. I’ve developed a deeper respect for different ways of life and the people who share their cultures with me. It’s made me more open-minded, patient, and grateful for the world around me.

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L+S: What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through your travels that you don’t think you could have learned any other way?

Hannah: Through traveling, I’ve learned that I’m more independent and adaptable than I thought. I’ve found confidence in handling new situations and a joy in embracing the unknown. It’s something I don’t think I could have discovered without stepping outside my everyday routine.

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5 Things Anthony Bourdain Taught Me About Traveling

1.       Get off the beaten path. Sure, the Eiffel Tour is beautiful, and you’d certainly be remiss if you didn’t acknowledge that the tourist traps are famous for a reason, but don’t make the mistake of hitting only the highlights. The real beauty of a place comes in the unexpected surprises that come with a little risk taking—crawling to the bottom of an Egyptian tomb, an evening of Bohemian Rhapsody under the stars with local Mykonians, playing in a local jazz club in the Parisian underground, rolling cigars with a German-speaking Cuban national, and scurrying through hidden passageways in Dubai to buy knock-off watches and handbags aren’t exactly what you had in mind when you were planning your trip, but these are grout that cement and shape your experience into place. Sure, these moments aren’t instagrammable, and your watch might say Bowflex instead of Rolex, but they aren’t cookie-cutter prefabricated dime a dozen experiences. No, these are the raw revelations that can show both a city’s charm and underbelly in ways that are hard to forget.

2.       People are generally the same. Sure, they may look different, speak different languages, and god-forbid, vote for a different political party than you, but deep down we all want the same things—to live peacefully, to provide for our families, to be proud of where we come from, and to belong to something. The more people you meet, the more undeniable it is that the barriers that separate us are figments of our imagination.

3.       Ask the hard questions. It was over a vegetarian meal in Munich, with a friend of a friend, and coincidentally a Green Party Politician, that we found ourselves tiptoeing around political correctness and thanking our hosts for the amazing meal when her husband blurts out, “Well, I didn’t really want you to come if we are being honest.” What followed was a surprisingly refreshing, albeit straightforward, discussion about misconceptions we all had of each other as Americans and Germans. We left with an incredibly different understanding of one another than we would’ve had without such an incredibly German conversation starter.

4.       Home is where the heart is, and no, not your own home. Anthony Bourdain taught us the importance of sharing a meal in someone’s home. When you’re home, your guard is down—conversation flows more naturally in a safe space. If you stick to restaurants, you miss spontaneous living room concerts, Icelandic local handicrafts, and cute little granddaughters teaching you “the floss.” Go out of your way to find opportunities to organically connect. You never know what you’ll uncover. I wouldn’t have found out about the award winning French film “Three Colors: Blue” if it hadn’t been for the movie poster hanging in Giampaolo’s tiny half-bath—I also wouldn’t have met the winner of Top Chef Sweden if it weren’t for taking a risk on an invitation to dinner with a new acquaintance in Milan. When an opportunity presents itself to meet people where they are their most comfortable—jump on it.

5.       Travel is not a luxury. There was a time that travel felt like a privilege for the elite. Maybe it feels that way for you still. But the truth the way I see it is, travel is a responsibility and a constant opportunity to learn. It’s an eye-opening lesson in empathy to be the foreigner for a change—to be required to cover your tattoos in a mosque or your shoulders in a cathedral, and to discover just how handicapping it feels to have to have the menu read to you like a child because not everyone caters to English speakers, are all humbling experiences—experiences that make you much more tolerant. Collect the beautiful things you see, learn from the struggles, and bring them all back home and put them into practice.