Not many teenagers can say they have been to India and gotten their camera stolen by a monkey, have had an Indian guru tell them how many days they had left to live for $20, or have witnessed 300 cremations on the riverbanks of the Ganges River. However, at age 18, senior Bradley Bixler has already checked these off his list and traveled much of the world, mostly within Asia.

His insatiable love for traveling began in the summer of 10th grade when his uncle invited him to go to Thailand for a month. Ever since, journeys have become an ongoing passion.

“Traveling allows me to gain exposure to other cultures to make me more open-minded and understand about how other cultures live,” Bixler said.

For the past eight years, Bixler has picked destinations at random and travels about every three months. His last trip was to Guatemala in August, but he is ready for Nepal and Tibet in June. At every stop, Bixler collects hats and money. He also photographs people, landscapes, and nature, as well as tries exotic foods and attempts to learn the language.

“I tried to speak Thai, but I kind of failed,” he said. “I also like to know leaders, history, and currency exchange.”

Although travelers end up in typical tourist attractions, Bixler prefers getting lost.

“I like to go to countries where other tourists don’t go, mostly Asian countries like India and Pakistan,” Bixler said. “I go out of the way and play it by ear. I like being lost, like Indiana Jones.”

During a trip to India, Bixler recalls the scary aspects of being lost.

“Once I went to Varanasi, near the Ganges River,” Bixler said. ”I was on the way to the airport for Bombay and [locals] were having elections. The elections seemed like riots. The bus overheated, and I was stuck in a village.”

Out of all the places Bixler has traveled so far, India is his favorite.

“India is the total opposite of the U.S.,” he said. “It’s total chaos!”

Bixler remembers India’s massive and hectic population and recollects hundreds of people everywhere he turned.

“The traffic [in India] is the biggest thing. There are no street laws or lines,” he said, “You can be in a car on the road with a bike in one lane, a bus with 30 people behind you, and an elephant on the other side. They all share the road.”

For travel, Bixler prefers Asia over the more popular Europe.

“Europe is kind of a backyard. You could just take a plane over the Atlantic and go everywhere by train, not in Asia,” Bilxer said.

In the future, Bixler hopes to reach Egypt, his number one destination. When he’s older, he hopes to settle down on a beach in Thailand or the British Virgin Islands.

As for his advice to all hoping to travel:

“Always respect other cultures no matter how diverse you might find them.”