"I like the opportunity to travel the world and work in close company with other people"

Marc Garneau distills a philosophy of vocation that marries adventure with solidarity. The appeal of “travel the world” isn’t escapist wandering; it signals a deliberate pursuit of widened perspective, the habit of encountering difference and letting it refine judgment. The word “opportunity” conveys gratitude rather than entitlement, recognizing that access to such experiences is earned through discipline and responsibility. For someone who has seen Earth from orbit, travel is both literal and transformational: to move across borders and cultures, and to perceive the planet as a single, fragile home.

“Work in close company with other people” shifts the emphasis from spectacle to substance. Achievement, especially in high-stakes environments, is a social art. It relies on trust, rehearsed interdependence, and communication that leaves little room for ego. Crews that function well cultivate psychological safety and candor; they learn to translate assumptions across languages, training regimes, and cultural norms. The proximity Garneau praises is not just physical; it is the disciplined closeness of shared purpose, where accountability and empathy keep one another safe and effective.

The sentence doubles as guidance for building a meaningful life. Seek pursuits that stretch your horizon while binding you to others in a common endeavor. In an age that often prizes solitary mastery or remote efficiency, it champions embodied collaboration, hands-on problem solving, eye contact, and the camaraderie forged under constraints. It reframes travel as service, not consumption: moving through the world to contribute knowledge, strengthen alliances, and elevate the public good. The balance is the lesson: broaden your view and deepen your ties. The wider your map, the tighter your circles of trust must become. Whether orbiting a planet or navigating everyday work, progress follows the same vector, go far, and go together.