The story of AcrossAfrica.com and AcrossAsia.com

I lived in Nanyuki, Kenya, from 1995 to 1997 while serving as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. It was the beginning of the Internet era, and I was fascinated by both the places I was experiencing and the possibilities of this new technology.

Looking through my old Peace Corps journals recently, I found an entry from January 17, 1996 that now feels like one of the earliest roots of The Across Project.

That day I had been working at the water intake for Nanyuki's water supply on Mount Kenya.

I wrote about the mountain, wildlife tracks, an airstrip belonging to the Mount Kenya Safari Club, and even a biplane offering flights over the area.

Then, on the same page, I wrote:
“I'm very worried about not keeping up with technology while I'm here. Particularly when I read about the Internet in Newsweek. I've sent out many letters asking about information of all sorts during the past weeks in an attempt to stay informed.”

Those two interests — places and technology — would eventually come together.

During that era I bought AcrossAfrica.com and AcrossAsia.com with the dream of someday developing a website about travel, culture, and the experiences that make places meaningful.

The domains stayed with me for nearly 30 years while the idea waited.

Now, after all that time, The Across Project is finally coming together.

Across is becoming a place to discover journeys, communities, stories, food, language, traditions, local knowledge, and the people connected to them — all organized around the geography where those experiences belong.

I hope you enjoy exploring the site, and I hope you'll contribute your own stories, photographs, knowledge, and experiences along the way.