I love international travel. Some people like to bring home magnets or shot glasses from a trip, but I prefer to buy a small piece of local art. Those pieces are now displayed throughout my home. They serve as great talking points with guests and as a reminder to myself that I want to be a global citizen.

On my last trip, I found a piece I really loved. It was painted on a small 7-by-9 canvas and wrapped around and stapled to a simple pine stretcher frame. If you’ve traveled much, you know this setup well. Smaller pieces of art stay on the frame and fit neatly into a carry-on bag. With larger ones, you remove the staples, remove the frame, and roll up the canvas for easy transport home.

Our group was spending about a month on a cross-cultural immersion trip in the Republic of Georgia. We tried new foods, visited cultural landmarks, learned about Georgia's history, and, somewhere along the way, strangers became friends.

One of those new friends was a delightful Georgian named Malkhaz.

Picture a man with white hair and a long white beard. Imagine infectious laughter. Sense what it feels like to be in the presence of someone who is very wise.