Setting off on a new adventure...

Life is too short to not have adventures — and now is a perfect time to have one!

My childhood dream was to be an explorer, and to see beautiful places all over the world. I used to go bush-whacking through the forest or scramble up a talus slope and imagine that I was the first person to throw pebbles into a particular stream or walk through a hidden canyon. Now, whenever I perch myself on a boulder next to a winding river, or sit with my legs dangling over the edge of my favorite cliff and watch birds play in the updraft, it rekindles my dreams of visiting far-off places to see exotic lands.

I have always wished that I could visit some deep, dark jungle of Africa, explore the banks of the Amazon River, and ski the glorious Swiss Alps. I shed a tear in awe the first time I saw photographs of the dramatic Karst mountains of southern China, emerald green and shrouded in mist. These are the types of images that inspire me, and this passion for discovery is what drives me.

Utah has 27 people per square mile, and India has 960 people per square mile! So as my dad pointed out, there won't be anywhere left to explore for the first time. But I don't need to see any places that have never been seen before; I want to see places that I have never seen before, since any travel brings me feelings of discovery and awe.

In 2010 I decided it was time to create a new adventure for myself. So, after a year of working hard and carefully saving, as well as doing a mind-blowing amount of research and planning, I am heading out to fulfill one of my life-long dreams — exploring India!

I'll be gone for 4 months, and I am very nervous about this trip, hoping I can survive. But I am also more excited for this than anything I have ever done. I'll update this blog every week or two, since it's an easy way to let people know that I am still alive (stop worrying, I'll be safe, promise). And if you'd like to contact me (I would love to hear from my friends!) I'll be checking my email sometimes as well. I hope that all of you have a wonderful spring, enjoy every day, and remember Helen Keller's words that "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."