What does it mean to do something that genuinely matters—and what happens to you when you do?

Ruksana spent a year living in Samochima, a village of 1,600 people in Botswana’s Okavango Panhandle—no coffee shops, no theaters, a fan that had its own opinions about when to work, water that showed up when it felt like it, and heat that considered 90°F a cool day.

As a Peace Corps Response volunteer, she partnered with two NGOs: one supporting women basket weavers building an ecotourism cooperative, the other working at the messy, fascinating intersection of sustainable agriculture and human-wildlife conflict. She went with a plan, Botswana had other ideas.

What she didn’t expect was how much she’d receive—deep friendships, a thriving garden, a humbling dose of humility, and adventures she’s still processing. There were wild animals, wilder landscapes, border crossings, and moments of pure joy she never could have planned. And quiet evenings with neighbors that turned into the best conversations of her life.

She’s bringing pictures and videos. But more than that, she’s bringing questions—because it’s not just about purpose and travel—it’s about what pulls us forward, what surprises us, and what we’re still brave enough to try. She’s planning a conversation, not a lecture. Come ready to share, because the most interesting questions don’t have one answer.

Ruksana Azhu Valappil, PhD, is a neuroscientist, social entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for a fairer world. When she’s not working at the intersection of healthcare, ethics, and equity, she can be found hiking, baking, curled up with a good book, engaged with her friends and TMD sisters, or apparently, navigating the African bush.