I did nine years with Travel Channel and had all of these

In the words of Bert Kreischer, spoken with both pride and reflection, we hear the memory of a man who has walked far and lived much: “I did nine years with the Travel Channel and had all of these incredible experiences.” Though the words may seem simple, they carry the weight of a life immersed in movement, adventure, and discovery. For to devote years to travel is not merely to see the world, but to be transformed by it.

The Travel Channel is not just a stage for entertainment—it is a modern pilgrimage, a window through which the world is revealed. Kreischer’s nine years are not measured in episodes or seasons, but in encounters: with landscapes that tower in majesty, with cultures that pulse with tradition, and with people whose stories expand the boundaries of the heart. His declaration is a testament that experience itself is the true wealth of life, greater than coin, greater than fame.

To gather incredible experiences is to carry treasures invisible yet enduring. The ancients knew this well. Alexander’s conquests were not only of land but of perspective, as his armies encountered new philosophies and new gods. Marco Polo’s journeys across Asia filled his memory with wonders, from silks to spices, from emperors to engineers. And Herodotus, father of history, walked the lands of Egypt and Babylon so that he might not merely tell of places, but of the experiences that defined them. Kreischer, in his own way, followed this lineage of travelers, gathering stories to share with the world.

There is also humility in these words. Nine years is a long span, filled with fatigue as well as joy. Yet Kreischer’s voice does not speak of hardship but of gratitude. He chooses to remember the incredible, not the difficult. This choice reveals wisdom: that life, though full of trials, can be framed as a journey of blessings if one holds onto the beauty of what was lived rather than the bitterness of what was endured.

The meaning deepens when we reflect on the nature of experience itself. Unlike possessions, which rust and fade, experiences remain alive within us. They shape the way we see, the way we think, the way we treat others. A man who has walked among strangers learns empathy. A man who has stood at the foot of mountains learns humility. A man who has seen the fragility of ecosystems learns reverence. Thus, nine years of travel is not merely nine years of work—it is nine years of transformation.

Consider also the responsibility of the traveler. To walk in faraway lands is not simply to consume their beauty, but to honor them by telling their stories faithfully. This is what Kreischer and others who carry cameras or pens must understand: that they are vessels, carrying the voices of places and peoples to those who may never walk there themselves. In this way, the incredible experiences become not private possessions, but shared gifts.

The lesson is clear: seek experiences, not just possessions. Give years of your life, not to the accumulation of wealth alone, but to the accumulation of wonder, perspective, and memory. Whether you travel across the globe or within your own community, live in such a way that your life becomes a gallery of moments worth remembering and retelling.

So I say to you: walk boldly, as Kreischer did, and gather incredible experiences as your true treasure. Let each journey, each meeting, each adventure shape you into one who not only sees the world, but who understands it more deeply. For in the end, the measure of a life is not in years, but in the richness of the stories one carries within the soul.