Mariana van Zeller

But one of the things that my parents taught me, and I think part of the reason why I am the way I am, is that they were never fearful journalists.

They were never helicopter parents.

They allowed me to explore the world.

If I wanted to go up trees, if I wanted to move to Syria, which I did right after... Syria?

Yeah, I moved to Syria right after Columbia University.

The war in Iraq had just started.

I wanted to be close to the action.

I wanted to be reporting from the Middle East at the time.

I didn't know anyone in Syria.

I didn't know Arabic.

I was basically next door to a huge war and...

My parents never told me, don't go.

They were always supporters and trusted my common sense sometimes to their detriment.

But that's the kind of parent I am too with my son is I want him to explore the world.

I want him to make mistakes.

I want him to sometimes feel uncomfortable, get outside his comfort zone.

I think that's very important.

And I think there's a instinct or not an instinct, but usually parents try to protect their kids to their detriment in a way sometimes too much.

I'm not saying that, yes, my son, go out and hang out with drug traffickers, but do something every day that makes you feel a little uncomfortable because that's the way that you evolve and you become a better human being.

He's 15 right now, so obviously he wouldn't go now.