In the fall of 2010, I traveled nearly 6,000 miles overland, through eight time zones, riding the Trans-Siberian Railroad. The journey spanned an entire month and allowed me to visit cities and towns across Russia – from the big-city hum of Moscow to the silent expanses of the Siberian tundra. To date, it’s one of the most memorable travel experiences of my life.

I was lucky enough to share the journey with my brother, Conor, and a whole host of wonderfully unique people whom we met along the way…