I came across this old photo and a flood of memories came back: I was arm-wrestling with a Tibetan monk at a Buddhist monastery just outside of Lhasa. What started off as a joke turned into a serious arm-wrestling match. And when I lost (even after using both arms), I had to down a cup of yak butter tea, which was a strange concoction of bitter tea with a thick film of yak butter on top. Not too tasty. But I was glad to drink it because all the monks I met were so good-natured and generous. I found the Tibetans to have a wonderful sense of humor and a positive attitude, despite the hardships they often face. Moments like these remind me of how the best parts of traveling are not so much the places we see, but the rich and heartfelt experiences we share with the locals.