Security of character would be like a compass, you know? Other people may say that this way is north, or this way might be north. But the compass just says north. That’s what we count on. And I think writers have to count on something in themselves, that means if they’re not going to do it when they’re writing, then who is? They’ve got to make the decisions.
– William Stafford

This blog was a long time coming. I wish I had known I could track my journeys online when I originally left to study abroad in Northern Ireland back in January 2005. I can only account for my travels during that time if I piece together emails to friends and family, diary entries, pictures upon pictures, and even handwritten postcards and letters I sent people back at home.

I don’t know if it was truly a missed opportunity, though, for the same reason it took me so long to actually create this blog. Does anyone really care about my experiences?

I really didn’t want was to create ‘just another travel blog.’ 

My interest in travel began on the pages of books and morphed into my own experiences. Those accounts, documented by others, have and continue to inspire me to learn more about the world. At some point, however, I came to the realization that while there are infinite voices and resources, each one only represents a single outlook. It’s the accumulation of all these tales, experiences, tips, and epic failures that really start to paint a picture of this incredible world we live in. And, the more contributors, the more deep and colorful the painting will be.

And so I write on the off-chance that the experiences had by everyone else will not be the same for me. That my accounts will lend an additional accurate, authentic voice that contributes meaningfully to the bigger story. And that maybe, occasionally, those accounts will be inspiring.

Travelers will never stop recording their experiences and people will never stop consuming those armchair adventures. There will always be one more book, one more story, and one more blog.

This is just another travel blog. It’s just one more outlook on the world. And it’s mine.

– Heather Griesbach