THAT WAS THEN
As a child, I didn’t travel much, aside from the occasional family trip within the U.S. I enjoyed trying and discovering new things, but my family was focused more on making ends meet than seeking out the next great adventure. Then at 19, during the summer after my first year in college, I decided to take a solo backpacking trip around the country to challenge myself and see what I could see.
No one told me that there was an entire backpacking culture out there with its own set of gear and conventions, so I took the word ‘backpacking’ as I understood it literally at the time, and off I went with my small JanSport complete with wheels and a handle. Luckily, I was (and continue to be) a proficient packer and managed to squeeze in a full wardrobe while still leaving room to accommodate a jar of peanut butter and jelly mix, a foot long piece of flatbread, a t-shirt that I designed all by myself, and an entire set of hot rollers to ensure that I could maintain my perfectly set curls each day. (It didn’t occur to me until many years later that this was all incredibly strange, but no one ever gave me a hard time and I made friends much more easily than I did in “real life” when I was trying to fit in. Socially awkward much? But I digress..)
What emerged from the trip were all of the clichés travelers wax poetic about. Though painfully shy and fearful of everything, I emerged from the trip with a an incredible set of stories, a roster of new friends, a renewed sense of self, a greater confidence, and an intense desire to continue along this incredible journey.
THIS IS NOW
Now, over a decade later, with 30 states and nearly 30 countries under my belt (and a “for real” backpacker’s pack), I’m still obsessively looking for opportunities and experiences to satiate my curiosity for life- around the world, within the country, and in my own proverbial New York City backyard.
I fully embrace the concept that “every day is an adventure” and an opportunity to grow, add another story to my repertoire, learn more about life and other people, and by extension, continue to discover who I am and who I’m not.
And next up.. a round-the-world trip beginning July 2012!!
