When I first imagined traveling the world from A to Z, I had visions of hopping on flights to every corner of the globe. Alphabetical order felt oddly liberating—Afghanistan at “A,” Zimbabwe at “Z”—precisely because it nudged me toward places I might never have considered otherwise.
In 2012, I reached out to an organization called American Voices because I knew they were doing artistic work in Afghanistan. My hope was to bring improvisational comedy or theater to their programming. Though they were pausing projects in Afghanistan at that time, they introduced me to something even more unique: the Hiplomacy tour featuring a crew of talented breakdancers from Iraq. While I had initially hoped to visit the Middle East, the Middle East instead came to me through these extraordinary artists.
What unfolded was a journey that was as logistically challenging as it was rewarding. Here’s the story:
The Hiplomacy tour was originally only visiting four U.S. cities—New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. But after being contacted by John from American Voices (who also organizes YES Academy), he asked if Boston could be added as a stop. The improviser in me couldn’t help but say “Yes!” on the spot, even though I had no idea how to pull it off.
That impulsive “Yes!” meant I had to scramble to find venues and funding. The first place I thought of was UTEC in Lowell, Massachusetts. Their mission to support and inspire young people perfectly aligned with what Hiplomacy was all about: cross-cultural engagement and youth empowerment. UTEC immediately came on board.
After weeks of planning, the Iraqi breakdancers—Ali, Haeder, Halwest, Shalaw, Husain, and Mustafa—arrived at Logan Airport along with their choreographer and coach, Michael, plus John and Spencer from American Voices. We put on three shows, with the largest taking place at UTEC in Lowell. The highlight there was watching local kids from Lowell breakdance side-by-side with these incredible performers from Iraq. Despite differences in culture, language, and lived experience, they found a common bond in music and dance.
Finding a second venue was trickier. My wife Maria, who has deep connections in Boston’s arts scene, reached out on my behalf. Within a day, we secured a show at Emmanuel College. They were in the midst of an initiative called “Education For Peace,” so hosting a troupe of Iraqi breakdancers fit right in.
Meanwhile, we needed to cover the costs of lodging, meals, and travel. Since this Boston stop was last-minute, the only option was to crowdsource. I set a modest goal of $1,200 and reached out on social media and via email. Although we didn’t reach the full target, we raised enough to help cover most of the essentials.
The second major show at Emmanuel College brought together about 100 audience members—impressive, given it clashed with the first two games of the World Series! Yet those who came were deeply engaged. They asked questions about life in Iraq and joined in the dancing that erupted both during and after the show.
A few days later, I found myself back at Logan Airport, saying goodbye to these new friends from Iraq and Kurdistan. I was amazed that something that started as a casual question—“Do you think we can add Boston to the tour?”—blossomed into an unforgettable exchange of culture, art, and friendship.
I will never forget the energy and excitement in those rooms, where hip-hop beats and shared smiles bridged the cultural gap. This is exactly what traveling from A to Z is meant to inspire: new perspectives, unforgettable moments, and unexpected connections. Sometimes, you end up traveling even if you never leave home.
So, here’s to continuing the journey—whether I’m physically on a flight or welcoming the world to my own backyard. “A” brought me Afghanistan (sort of), and who knows where “B,” “C,” or “D” might lead next?
