Some journeys begin with a plane ticket. Others begin with a question that refuses to go away.
In January 1997, a bicycle ride through Vientiane, Laos, led me to the North Korean Embassy. I arrived with a letter, an interest in exploring medical and humanitarian exchanges, and no certainty about how I would be received.
What followed was not a scene from a spy thriller, but the beginning of an unexpected connection that would eventually bring a North Korean diplomat to Alaska. Sometimes, the most interesting journeys begin when curiosity takes us somewhere few people would think to go.
Imagine standing in the courtyard of North Korea’s embassy, a letter in your hands, wondering whether anyone will come out to meet you. That was my situation in Vientiane. The embassy’s propaganda displays, unusual antennas, and quiet courtyard made for an unsettling first impression. Still, I had come with a genuine purpose: to explore the possibility of medical and humanitarian exchanges.
Eventually, a woman came outside. A brief greeting in Korean and a conversation in Russian helped open the door to a friendly discussion with a diplomat named Mr. Jon. We talked about flooding and famine in North Korea, and before long, I was encouraged to contact the country’s United Nations mission in New York.
An uncertain visit had become a real opportunity.
More than a year later, that initial contact led to a meeting with Counselor Kim Myong Gil in New York City. I invited him to Alaska and worked with the Alaska World Affairs Council to arrange his visit. Counselor Kim eventually spoke publicly in Anchorage and answered questions from the audience.
It was an unusual opportunity for Alaskans to hear directly from a North Korean diplomat. The journey had crossed more than geographical distance. It had moved from a tentative conversation behind embassy walls to a public exchange of ideas in an American city.
Not every connection leads somewhere so unexpected. But this one began with a simple decision to introduce myself.
The visit also produced a moment of unexpected comedy. While driving Counselor Kim and a colleague through downtown Anchorage, I suddenly braked as a man in a business suit hurried across the road and ran toward the mall. I explained to my passengers that the man was Rick Mystrom, Anchorage’s mayor.
Later that evening, at a potluck reception, Mayor Mystrom joined the food line and introduced himself to Counselor Kim.
“I know,” the diplomat replied. “We saw you running down the sidewalk this afternoon.”
The mayor was briefly caught off guard before laughing and explaining his hurried errand.
After the formality of diplomatic meetings and international affairs, the encounter offered something refreshingly ordinary: a shared laugh over a familiar face caught in an unexpected moment.
Sometimes, that is how people begin to understand one another. Not through speeches or official statements, but through the small, human details that make us recognizable to each other.
Looking back, the experience reminds me that curiosity can open doors we might otherwise pass by. A bicycle ride, a letter, and a willingness to introduce myself led to conversations that crossed cultures and continents. I could not have predicted where that first visit would lead, and that was part of the adventure.
When visiting a new country, learn a few phrases in the local language and take time to understand its history. If an opportunity for a respectful conversation arises, be curious, be courteous, and be clear about why you’re there. You never know where a simple introduction might lead.
As the saying often attributed to Laozi goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Have you ever started a conversation that led somewhere you never expected? Maybe it was a chance meeting, an introduction, or a simple decision to ask a question. I’d enjoy hearing how that first connection changed your experience.
If you’d like to read more stories about my travels through unexpected places and encounters with people from different backgrounds, explore my book, My Pursuit of the Axis of Evil: https://billcoxbooks.com/axis/
Editor’s Note: Some blog posts are original pieces created by Dr. Cox’s social media manager with the assistance of AI, inspired by stories and themes from his book.