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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…

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10 Travel moments I’m most proud of

1

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

2

Living in Vietnam for a year solo

3

Finishing the 9,000-mile Mongol Rally

4

Having no home and being nomadic for 11 years

5

Taking my Dad to Antarctica

6

Completing the Camino de Santiago solo

7

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

8

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

9

Launching my first small group tours

10

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).

  • Niece Project Travels

    The Niece Project

    2012 begins a project for me that has been in the making for a long time. But first, let me back up a few years…
  • camino de santiago questions

    Camino de Santiago: 23 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions

    You have made the decision to hike the Camino de Santiago, Camino Frances – what next? I bet you have a bunch of questions you need…
  • Nepal Annapurna Circuit

    The Beginnings of a Nepal Trekking Plan – Annapurna Circuit

    Tiger Balm Tales Volume 1 Why? Such a simple question, yet it resonated in my head many, many times on my most recent trip to…
  • Mongol Rally

    It’s Real Now – Starting the Mongol Rally

    Have you ever worked so long and hard on something that you forgot what you were doing or why you were doing it? The idea…

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All Blog Articles

Roughing it in the Outback

I heard the howling as soon as I lay down to go to sleep. Dingoes. The sound came from my left; it felt as if…

Australia from Above

The first time I ever went up in a hot air balloon we had a crash landing. Ok – maybe that’s a bit melodramatic but…

Luxury in Nowhere

I found myself wandering around the aisles glancing at magazines while trying to listen to the announcements on the airport PA system. As my eyes…

Pioneering the Scenic Rim Trail

I waited at the edge of the road as the big truck passed by in low gear, slowly climbing up Cunningham Gap, otherwise known as…

Life’s a Gold Beach

My favorite thing to do while at Room753 was to go for a walk on the beach. Broad Beach and Surfers Paradise beach were some…

Home Sweet #Room 753

It has sunk in this morning, hitting me like the big waves that I’ve been staring at on the beach. This is the first time…

Rickshaw Run Thrills and Agony

I can still see the poor skier lose his balance and slide down the mountain with skis criss-crossed and pointed in every direction. He seemed…

The View Inside My Rickshaw

I already showed you the view outside my rickshaw during the Rickshaw Run; now it’s time to get a little glimpse of inside our rickshaw…

Eat With Locals While Traveling

“Beautiful things happen when you bring people together over food,” said Hila. We all sat at a long table with vases of fresh flowers, Billie…