International travel would be challenging without a passport, and would require breaking laws as you illegally cross borders or bribe officials. International travel would also be challenging without feet. It would require more patience, and would limit much of what you might like to do.

Having traveled alone so much, I often find myself photographing my feet, and I've been inspired by the handful of travelers I've met who were missing a limb or whose legs were otherwise not fuctioning well. The pictures below were all taken in Asia, and they celebrate the gift of our feet, the shoes or sandals we wear, and the places our limbs -- with the crucial help of buses, trains, and boats -- take us. 

Lying down at Everest Base Camp, Tibet

On a train near Varanasi, India

At a guesthouse in Pakbeng, Laos

On a bus in Chiang Mai, Thailand

At a restaurant in Medan, Indonesia

On a bus in Vientianne, Laos

Shoe repair in Dharamsala, India

On a bus in Deqin, China

On a boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Joel Carillet, chief editor of wanderingeducators, is a freelance writer and photographer based in Tennessee. He is the author of 30 Reasons to Travel: Photographs and Reflections from Southeast Asia. To learn more about him or purchase images, visit www.joelcarillet.com