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Travel and Life Experiences of a Corporate American Runaway

I’m Sherry. I’ve been traveling around the world and writing about it on Ottsworld since 2006. Yes, that makes me one of the first travel bloggers! I started out as a novice middle-aged traveler and have transformed into a world explorer and travel industry expert! I share my adventures, tips, and advice on how to conquer your fear of traveling or traveling alone so that you, too, can have epic adventures to intriguing places!

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Where I’ve traveled…

10 Travel moments I’m most proud of

Traveling with each of my six nieces as part of the Niece Project

Living in Vietnam for a year solo

Finishing the 9,000-mile Mongol Rally

Having no home and being nomadic for 11 years

Taking my Dad to Antarctica

Completing the Camino de Santiago solo

Driving a rickshaw 2,000 miles across India and raising money for charity:water

Taking over my Father’s Capitol Quest and cycling from Capitol to Capitol in the US

Launching my first small group tours

Getting my first passport when I was 30

The one thing they all have in common is overcoming fear and trusting in the world to take care of you.

Travel Series

I’ve done a number of long-term travel ‘projects’ (I might call them Epic Trips) that I’ve written about. These are best read like a book with chapters. Some of these have taken place over weeks (like the Mongol Rally or Camino de Santiago), some over months (the Motorbike Diaries), and some over years (like the Niece Project).

The Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage
My Camino de Santiago experience When I set off from Pamplona in 2012, I knew almost nothing about the Camino de Santiago—and that was intentional. I skipped the guidebooks and detailed planning because I wanted to experience the pilgrimage with fresh eyes. Looking back, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend my approach, but it led to one…
The Niece Project
In 2012, I finally launched a project that had been quietly growing in my heart for years.But before I tell you about it, let me rewind a bit and start with something you don’t often hear: “I don’t want to have kids.” For some, that statement feels like a deep breath of truth. For others,…
How I Learned to Ride a Motorbike in Vietnam
The Motorbike Diaries The Motorbike Diaries kicked off in 2008 when I was living and working in Vietnam. This chronicles my epic journey to become a part of Vietnamese culture and drive among the locals. My attempt to blend in, rev up, and somehow survive the madness of Vietnamese traffic while inching my way into…
The Mongol Rally – The Ultimate Road Trip Across Europe and Asia
What is the Mongol Rally? The Mongol Rally is an unsupported road rally from London, England, to Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. In July 2011, four well-traveled, and some may say crazy, travel bloggers set out on a 10,000-mile journey to Mongolia. This was no fluff press trip…this was us against the open road, in a car…

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