Personal Goal Pursuit
Career Break
I took a year off to backpack around the world by myself. Starting in South Africa, I made my way through Mozambique, Swaziland, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Thailand, Australia, then back to the US. My goals were to challenge myself to get by with only the items I can carry on my back, be free, have an adventure, stoke my curiosity, learn from and interact with people of different cultures and customs, and pursue my passion of being out in the natural world.I consider myself extremely fortunate to not only have had the experience, but to be in the position to do so as well. I learned a few things about the world and myself along the journey. First, we all share a common bond of humanity and it is special. Second, when you can live with nothing you lose some of your fear of loss and embolden yourself to taking risks. Third, resilience and fourth gratitude. I now know how to say hello, good-bye, and thank you in at least 20 different languages. My favorite being "Thank You" in Bhutan, Koozoozempoela