I think my love for it has a bit to do with it reminding me of my grandfather as he shared with Dersu the philosophy that you leave the world better than you found it as you pass through it and his always warm hospitality to everyone he met. The scene early in the film where Dersu asks the captain for some rice, salt, and matches to leave in the hut they find in the forest (after Dersu has already gone to work repairing the roof) and the captain asks him why, and he tells him because other people will come this way and he wants to leave something for them...I love that scene. That was my grandfather. 

Plus when the men are sitting around fires and talking, this just reminded me of sitting in my grandparent's kitchen with different people from all over the world, chatting and eating together. My grandparents would put people up because they had a big place in Brookline and my grandmother went to church every Sunday, while my grandfather had a contract with the Boston Archdiocese so, I believe the church asked them to put these people up until they got them where they were going. I got to meet all kinds of people from all over the world and I always recall breakfast and how wonderful it was talking with these people and listening to them chat with my grandfather. I loved this and the same warm feelings I got then, I get watching this film. This feeling of meeting someone, that may be very different than you, but immediately becoming friends. Plus that feeling of wanting to leave the world better as you pass through it. 

When I have travelled to different places and countries, I always feel at home and welcomed and as if this is where I am supposed to be. I believe that just comes from how I grew up and the environment I was in. I definitely relate to the guy stuff, a bunch of guys going out in the forest to explore, sit around campfires, and having an adventure together...but there is a feeling to the film I really relate to as well.