The adventure begins.....

As I head out on the start of this trip, I thought it would be best to start with a post about how I got here...

I have always loved travel. I was lucky enough to have parents who were divorced and I got to travel back and forth between North Carolina and Illinois. As I got older, I actively sought out unique travel destinations - my first foreign trip was to Morocco!

Sometime, a few years ago, I subscribed to a periodic email from Zozi - an adventure travel website. They would show all kinds of exciting travel opportunities... the kind dreams are made of... and one article was about the Mongol Rally. I was hooked from the moment I read that article; I was going to do this! The Adventurists (the crazy Brits who run the Rally) run all sorts of races, including the Mongol Derby (an insanity inducing horse race across Mongolia) and the Rickshaw Run (a short race in India that is still on my bucket list - maybe 2016?), but the Mongol Rally was what I wanted to do.   

The Rally is during the same time as Burning Man and since I've spent a good part of the last 7 years engaged in that, I couldn't find time for the Rally. Last year's Burn was such a disappointment, don't get me wrong, I had a great time and certainly am not leaving my BM family, but I suspect that it was simply too many people for my introverted self. When I got back, I was able to say clearly - next year... the Rally!

I recently found the email that I had sent to my then-boyfriend stating that I was going to do it (and asking him to come with, of course). It's been an amazing year to get this point - finding partners, losing partners, planning countries, changing plans, and finally it's all coming together.

I'm on a plane! Leaving for the Rally. Right Now!   YEAH!