I was first bitten by the travel bug during my high school trip to Europe and have not wanted to stop exploring the world ever since. I love experiencing different cultures and observing how people live and interact with eachother. Another favorite is anything nature related.. (i.e. hiking, kayaking) but my jaw also drops with different styles of architecture - the opposite side of the spectrum. I'm a big foodie as well!!

During this adventure I will be traveling with a close friend of mine, Samantha, through Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia), Australia, and New Zealand. I will only have a 53L backpack with me for the duration of the trip, which I'm a little too excited about. Cannot wait to live the simple life! I know this trip will be life-changing in some way (I always return from my travels with a different perspective on life and human nature/society) but I am not sure what I will discover this time.

I've decided to blog during this journey because it is my longest trip yet (I don't have an exact time limit but I keep telling everyone 6 - 8 months) and since I won't have many means of communication this provides some relief to my friends and family back home. I encourage comments and posts, as well as emails! Would love to hear from you :)

Email: [email protected]

One of my favorite travel quotes:

Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – allows you to have first-hand encounters with the world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. You will grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever be black and white.
-Mark Jenkins