I read somewhere that "a journey is best measured in friends rather than miles" (Tim Cahill), and it's so true for me. I've traveled quite a lot since high school, for various reasons, but mostly as a cultural ambassador of music. As such, I had the opportunity of meeting people from all over the world at competitions, festivals, and concert tours; there is absolutely no greater souvenir from those trips than all the people that I've met and kept in touch with. Somehow, it has made the world feel both bigger and sm[...]