Hometown: Verona, Wisconsin (then) and Los Angeles, California (now).

Favorite Food: My parents’ homemade pesto, ripe-from-the-garden summertime tomatoes, warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, s’mores cooked over a campfire.

One musician I’m really into right now: Lately, it’s been an eclectic mix of Calvin Harris, Chromeo, and Best Coast.

Places I’d really like to visit: I dream of a trip that takes me through Lebanon, Syria, and into Turkey from the south all the way to Istanbul. Also, Bhutan seems like it would be a magical experience.

One thing I can’t travel without: A language phrase book. I think it’s important to at least attempt to speak the language of wherever I happen to be, even if it’s just for comic relief.

Things I miss most when travelling: High heels.

One thing that really scares me: Being so caught up in where I’m going that I forget to appreciate where I am.

The most daring thing I’ve ever done: Going off on my own. I’ve left so many wonderful places full of wonderful people to explore new territory, usually with nothing more than a feeling that it was the right decision. It has taught me that life really is full of possibilities.

ProjectExplorer.org Expeditions:Central America, Mauritius, Azerbaijan, and the 2013 British Empire project.