Mapping Far Lands: Travel, Tolkien, and the Stories We Live

For Kevin, maps have never been just tools for navigation. They have been invitations into stories, windows into distant places, and companions on a lifelong journey of discovery. What began as a childhood fascination has grown into a unique blend of cartography, history, travel, faith, and imagination.

From tracing the ancient Silk Roads with his young family to bringing Tolkien's legendary worlds to life through mapmaking, Kevin's work is rooted in a deep curiosity about the places we inhabit and the stories that shape us.

A Lifelong Fascination with Maps

Kevin's fascination with maps began long before he ever imagined creating them professionally.

"Sure it sounds cliche, but as young as I can remember I poured over maps of any kind, collecting and hoarding them, drawing my own, and dreaming of visiting the far off lands they point to. I even still have a hand-drawn atlas of all the states and counties (not countries) I visited when a wee child (all eight states or something like that!) Looking back, I’m not all too different. But where I once counted counties, I’m now blessed to have visited over 60 countries.

Maps have always just been a hobby, and the transition of such to what is now a moderate source of income was a natural and unintended transition. Three years ago my family and I, with our kids aged 3 years old and 6 months, traversed the entire continent of Asia by land following the ancient Silk Road, totaling 5 months. During those long train rides and quiet nights in hostels, I began creating my own map of the Silk Roads. It easily evolved into my most intensive map ever, taking a year to complete. I had the idea to print the map on a silk scroll - the ultimate nod to the ancient routes that map traces - and the idea to sell it was born. I created a Kickstarter initially and have now sold the map all around the world. So I would say this is when I realized it could be something much more."

That journey across Asia became a turning point, connecting Kevin's love of travel with his love of cartography in a way that continues to shape his work today.

Mapping the Places He Loves

For Kevin, travel and mapmaking are inseparable.

"Every map I make is born out of a deep passion to the lands I draw, and where I choose to travel is born out of that same deep passion. So in a sense, being at these ancient lands in person and the maps I draw go hand in hand and dependent on each other (except of course my maps of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, but I will expand on that later).

From traversing over 60,000 miles of the Silk Roads to retracing nearly all of the apostle Paul’s travels from 1st century Roman roads, my maps point to the ancient routes yet also our story. Every single map of history I’ve created is a reflection of our own travels and our stories marked into the very ink of the paper."

That perspective has also shaped the way Kevin thinks about exploration itself.

Is There Still Anything Left to Discover?

Many people assume the age of exploration is over. Kevin isn't so sure.

"People often assume the age of exploration is over with the advent of Google Earth and the fact we can hop on a plane to any country we want. And I initially believed it as well, until I started going beyond the usual routes to truly off the beaten path.

Two years ago my family moved to Armenia, a tiny country in the crossroads of powerful nations, sandwiched between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. It’s a long story why we are even here, but quite simply, we felt a tug from God to move here. So in simple obedience that’s what we did. The first six months we based ourselves in Yerevan. Last year we moved to a town called Ashtarak, and now this year we are in a tiny village on the slopes of a volcano called Byurakan. It’s incredibly beautiful, with some of the best views I’ve ever seen. I often laugh when I think about where we are, truly in the 'middle of nowhere,' as the only foreigners, living so simply.

But going back to the question, I’m realizing its not the 'middle of nowhere,' but perhaps one of the true cradles of civilizations in the entire world. There are numerous mysteries and sites stretching back more than 5,000 years pretty much in our backyard. No one is talking about them, but the pieces of the puzzle are there. I’ve made it my quest to attempt to assemble these pieces this summer, though this is all I will talk of this right now.

But I will say this: there are new things to discover everywhere, and all it takes is pondering things in a new light and using the gifts that our Creator has bestowed on each one of us. Sure not everyone will uncover lost cities, but it could be other discoveries like a deeper understanding of our neighbor or friend, or simply renewed purpose and meaning in our lives."

That same sense of wonder and discovery eventually found another outlet: the fictional worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tolkien, Creativity, and Deeper Truths

"Tolkien is absolutely fundamental in the trajectory of my life during the past six years. At the advent of Covid, and when my son was born in early 2020, I picked up the Silmarillion and decided to give it a read. I was absolutely enthralled in this world. And it unlocked in me a creativity that was dormant for many years.

The more I read Tolkien’s stories, I became so invested in his world. It didn’t turn off the switch to the real world, but rather opened my eyes to its wonders in a new way. Tolkien famously said that fantasy isn’t about escaping reality or fabricating lies; it is an act of 'sub-creation.' He believed that our desire to create worlds and maps is a reflection of the Creator who made us. For him, the ultimate human stories and myths are glimpses of a deeper reality, which is of the ‘True Myth' that ultimately entered history and physical reality in the form of Jesus.

That same year I founded Into Far Lands, my website where I write stories from our travels and created an interactive journey that anyone can step into and get lost in. Everything I write I want it to point to a deeper truth, and I look for those moments when I travel.

Now that’s the background of the question, but why I decided to create maps of Tolkien’s legendarium was also a natural transition. It started when I noticed lack of a good map of Númenor, a legendary island that received an ill fate, so I decided to draw one myself! I put it for sale and I realized people loved it and wanted more! As a dream come true, I can now combine my passions in Cartography and Tolkien to create some sweet maps!"

Of course, mapping a fictional world presents its own challenges—or perhaps not as many as you might expect.

"Some would say it is much more difficult to map out fantasy than the real world - but have you read Tolkien? He describes every place in so much detail, from the geography of the land to the soil type and plant life, along with overarching stories that span thousands of years upon those created lands. In many ways, creating maps of Tolkien is easier than that of ancient history. Much of the Silk Road routes have been lost to time, so that creates challenges. Mapping out what Rome may have looked like in detail 2,000 years ago is also tricky, as there are pretty much just the ruins under the city and historical accounts to go by.

With Tolkien, I am trying to breathe life into a myth that often feels real. With ancient history, I am trying to breathe life into a reality that has often become a myth."

Explorer and Artist

Whether he is mapping ancient trade routes or legendary kingdoms, Kevin sees exploration and creativity as inseparable.

"Like I touched upon earlier, I think they go hand in hand for me. I wouldn’t have been able to enter into the history of these lands and imagine what it was like to live there if I didn’t explore them myself. But it also takes the eye of the artist to translate it into a map that is visually pleasing and unique. So I would say without the explorer aspect, the map lacks real-world truth, and without the artist the map lacks a soul."

Traveling as a Family

Of course, these journeys have not been taken alone.

"I’ve heard many such comments that my way of travel is reckless with such little ones, especially in remote places that typically have some sort of travel advisories. But to be honest, I’ve found the opposite to be true.

You see, traveling with a family opens doors. In many remote corners of the world, a solo male traveler can be viewed with suspicion, but traveling with my wife and two little children is recognized universally as a family. It opens new connections, and folk are quick to help. They may not understand why we are there, but they know we are a family just like them. Traveling with a family also forces me to slow down. We sit in places longer, interact with locals, and of course always scouring at the dirt for rocks to fill my pockets."

Traveling with children has also changed the way Kevin experiences the places he visits.

"I have one story in mind that I haven’t stopped thinking about for the past three months. We were in Jerusalem, on the southern steps leading up to the ancient temple - the very same steps that Jesus taught and shared parables. Many people were here seemingly contemplating the deep meaning, all the while my children kicked off their shoes and started running around, followed by playing hide and seek. The boring adult parent side came out of me first, demanding them to put their shoes back on and respect the people around them at this 'holy' place. Then it struck me.

At these very steps, Jesus, encountering the money-changers, was consumed with anger. He had found people using this space for their own profit, turning the 'House of Prayer' into a 'Den of Thieves.' His reaction was fierce: 'Is that how you treat your Father’s house?'

My kids treated the place as if it were the living room of their grandparents house. I understood deeper what Jesus meant when he said 'unless you become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.' So many times my children have opened my eyes to the joys of the world that we often take for granted. Sure there is chaos, but they turn the mundane moments into new experiences."

Part of a Larger Story

When asked what exploring, documenting, and creating mean to him today, Kevin's answer brings together many of the themes that run throughout his work.

"Sitting here as I write this, in our little village in Armenia, I realize that exploring, documenting and creating is my simple way of expressing gratitude to my Creator. I want to use my specific gifts I’ve been given, such as geology, cartography, and love for stories, and use them to uncover echoes of truth left on Earth.

Initially I thought traveling was about the destination or checking off the numbers of countries I visited. But through the eyes of my children and the stories of Tolkien, I realize it is so much more. We are not just bystanders, watching the world go by, but rather characters in the grand narrative of the world, a part of history. And that is to say it is really His story. We are all a part of His story, and I encourage everyone to find your part in it!"