Unlocking the Explorer Within: A Guide to Finding Your Spark
At the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, we believe in the power of spark moments — something that unlocks a lifelong love or passion, setting us on a path we never imagined. This moment can come from anywhere and happen anytime, whether it’s a challenging situation, a childhood pet or even an unexpected discovery.
Photo Credit: David L. Arnold
Washington DC, July 09, 2026 -
It might be subtle, something you didn’t realize ignited your spark when it happened, or it might be a life-changing moment. But, no matter the form it takes, it has the potential to change your life, and to change the world for the better.
So, we might often think of National Geographic Explorers as iconic figures on daring expeditions or pushing the boundaries of discovery — individuals who just innately were always bound to become Explorers. But at the Museum of Exploration, the Spark exhibits in Rolex Explorers Landing tell a different story.
We're sharing a few of our featured spark stories to illustrate how the Explorers we know and love today got started in their love of exploring the wonder of the world. Each story is unique, yet they all share a common thread — a single moment that changed everything.
What It Looks Like to “Ignite Your Spark”
Now, after reading so far, you might be wondering, “Have I already had a spark moment? How would I know?”
To give you some inspiration, here is how a few of our Explorers’ journeys began — who knows, maybe it's how yours started, or is going to begin, too.
Your Childhood Pet
A spark moment can simply be a deep love for someone or something in your life.
Explorer Martina Panisi is a snail scientist who, as a child, had a pet snail herself. Her pet wasn’t just a childhood companion — it was a window into a hidden world. That tiny creature inspired a love for mollusks of all sizes that is the driving force behind her work today.
Photo Credit: Enric Sala
Conquering a Fear
Sometimes the thing that scares us most is exactly what we are meant to explore.
Explorer and science educator Kavita Gupta loves sharing the wonder of the ocean with others, but she actually used to be terrified of water. When she was selected for a trip to the Galápagos with the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, she conquered that fear and learned to swim, and with the help of her handy snorkel mask, she explored the magnificence of underwater biodiversity. The rest is history.
Photo Credit: Darryl MacDonald
The Art of Noticing
A spark can simply be noticing a problem and deciding to do something about it.
When Explorer and ocean entrepreneur Agustina “Tati” Besada went swimming over 200 miles off the coast of Brazil in a marine protected area, she found a weathered plastic bottle with Chinese characters that didn't belong in the home of the turtles and fish she met. That swim inspired her to start Unplastify, an organization dedicated to preventing plastic pollution.
Photo Credit: National Geographic Society
Your First “Big Kid Purchase”
Exploration doesn’t always require a grand expedition — sometimes, it just requires the right tool.
With his very first paycheck, Explorer Carlos Velazco bought a flea-market camera — a small investment that developed into a life as a field biologist.
Photo Credit: Markus Martinez Burman
Your Family & Heritage
Your spark might be hidden in your history, waiting to be reclaimed and shared with the next generation.
Explorer and visual storyteller Markus Martinez Burman’s grandfather was a poet, but as a child in Mexico, Markus was not allowed to learn Zapotec, a group of Indigenous languages. He found his spark in studying the language, inspired by his grandfather’s poetry. and began writing in it in affirmation of his identity. Today, that spark illuminates the path for Indigenous youth to connect with their own roots and nature.
Your Spark is Waiting at the MOE
Every world-renowned National Geographic Explorer started in the exact same place as all of us — with a spark moment.
These spark displays remind us that a lifelong passion isn't always a big milestone. Sometimes, it’s just a quiet realization that you’ve found a lifelong love, passion or calling in the midst of living daily life.
These stories in the Museum of Exploration aren't meant to just be admired. They are there to inspire what's next for you and every other visitor. Your spark might not be a plastic bottle in the ocean or a flea-market camera. It might be a book you can’t put down, a problem in your neighborhood you feel driven to solve or a hobby that makes you lose track of time.
Keep your eyes open. Your spark might be closer than you think — like at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, for example.
Now that we're open, we can’t wait to keep helping visitors ignite their spark at the museum. See you soon!
Yellow Borders – Nat Geo’s Iconic Symbol for More Than a Century – Pop Up at Key Locations Around the City Including Union Station, National Harbor, Union Market, Georgetown and More.
The Museum’s CRITTERCAM also on Display at the National Mall as Part of an Activation at The Freedom 250 Great American State Fair.
The weather is finally warming up, which means it’s officially “go play outside” season. When we were younger, the concept of “playing outside” and exploring were one in the same. Our backyards, neighborhood parks, playgrounds and local nature felt like an entire world waiting to be discovered.
When you first walk into the National Geographic Museum of Exploration (MOE), you might be in a rush to start looking around the Pavilion. How could you not?
