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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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Ahi – A Hawaiian Legacy

In the channels that separate Maui from Lana’i, you can find them – aku – otherwise known as bonito, a variety of Hawaiian tuna. Is…

Turtle Soup

We arrive at Polihua Beach after a long, dirty off-roading drive. We get out of the jeep, slam the creaky door, dust ourselves off, and…

The Purrfect Cat Sanctuary in Lanai

We use the expression “herding cats” to refer to an attempt to control or organize a group that is uncontrollable or chaotic.  It depicts something…

Wandering Through Cemeteries

Yes – I know the obvious choice for a Halloween post is cemeteries – but I don’t actually find cemeteries creepy or scary.  Instead, I…

We Met, Planned, and Went

1 idea – A Career Break on every resume 3 people – Michael Bontempi, Michaela Potter, Sherry Ott 10 hosts around the country 25 sponsors…

Hawaiian Lei Culture

While in New York City for a month, I’m dreaming about my next destination, the Hawaiian island of Lanai. One of the things that struck…

Berlin’s Graffiti Art

You don’t have to walk more than a few blocks in Berlin, and you will find graffiti.  This form of art has me confused  –…