I hail from a sleepy Midwest town that only comes alive once a year during the annual Azalea festival: tractor pull and funnel cakes included of course. Brushing the powdered sugar off my fingers, I headed to the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism where I snagged a degree in advertising.

Upon graduation, I caught the travel bug, and resolved to spend my 20s conquering as much of the globe as I possibly could. I accepted a job teaching English in South Korea, and that’s when it all started to click. I loved going to work, and every day was a new adventure. The past few years have been a whirlwind of travel with all sorts of crazy new experiences, like whizzing around Bali’s rice patty fields on a motorbike, and hiking to the top of Mt Fuji for sunrise.

Throughout my travels, I’d like to think I’ve stayed true to myself. Regardless of whether I was shoveling horse manure on an organic farm in Australia, or frantically trying to pack New Zealand golden kiwis into boxes faster than the conveyer belt would shoot them out, every job I’ve taken has been chosen purposely, and as a result I’ve gained a unique and vast set of life experiences and skills.

We spend so much of our lives in the work force (especially Americans), why not enjoy the efforts of our labor? I hope to always carry a sense of wanderlust, and exude passion no matter what the task might entail. Life slips by too quickly. Enjoy it.