▁father ▁was ▁from ▁France . ▁T ap on ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁where ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁American ▁International ▁School ▁until ▁ 1 0 th ▁grade , ▁and ▁then ▁graduated ▁from ▁L ick - Wil mer ding ▁High ▁School . ▁ ▁He ▁earned ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁cum ▁la ude ▁in ▁Religion ▁from ▁Am her st ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁He ▁worked ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁for ▁Hit achi ▁Data ▁Systems . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁M BA ▁from ▁Harvard ▁Business ▁School . ▁ ▁After ▁Harvard , ▁he ▁co - f ounded ▁a ▁Sil icon ▁Valley ▁robot ic ▁vision ▁company ▁that ▁was ▁covered ▁by ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times . ▁Later , ▁he ▁consult ed ▁for ▁Microsoft ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁months . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁full - time ▁travel ▁writer . ▁ ▁Tra vel s ▁ ▁Below ▁is ▁a ▁chron ology ▁of ▁T ap on ' s ▁most ▁notable ▁travel ▁experiences , ▁which ▁inspired ▁his ▁two ▁books . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁he ▁h ik ed ▁the ▁App al ach ian ▁Tra il . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁he ▁visited ▁all ▁the ▁countries ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁back pack ed ▁the ▁Pacific ▁C rest ▁Tra il . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁to ▁walk ▁from ▁Mexico ▁to ▁Canada ▁and ▁back