Sometime last year, I decided I wanted to take a hike. Get rid of my stuff, get out of the country, and get a different perspective for a while.

Like many things in life, this trip seemed to appear out of nowhere and manifested itself on its own. One day I was talking about how badly I wanted to see the tallest mountains in the world, and the next day I had a one-way flight into Kathmandu, Nepal. The big idea behind this trip initially included a working opportunity that would land me at Everest Base Camp for around a month and a half. When that fell through, I’d already promised friends travel plans and set my sights on spending spring in the heart of the Himalayas – and I knew there was no turning back.

The best and most surprising thing about this trip have been the people I’ll be able to meet along the way. When some of my friends heard about my initial idea, they insisted I make a side trip to wherever they’d be. That’s essentially how a 1.5 month long trip turned into an epic 6-month adventure, over a series of persuasions.

• Month of March: Annapurna Circuit Trek, Nepal
• Month of April: Three Passes Everest Base Camp trek, Nepal
• Month of May: Lhasa, Tibet and Leh-Ladakh, India
• Month of June: Beijing, China and Trans-siberian Railway through Russia
• Month of July: Tour du Mont Blanc trek through France, Italy, & Switzerland
• Month of August: Trekking and touring through Italy

I still don’t have a return plane ticket to the United States, an equally terrifying and thrilling idea. Now that I’m a week away from taking off, I feel prepared, confident, safe, and of course, overwhelmed. I’m scared, but more excited than ever to be embarking on such a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

It’s tough to leave San Francisco, and even harder to have to say goodbye to a great job, an amazing apartment, and the most incredible group of friends… but I know this goodbye is only temporary, and am already looking forward to returning home again.
Follow along on my adventures on my blog, and please get in touch if you or someone you know may cross paths with me across the world in the next half year!