(NOTE: BLOG ARCHIVE LINKS TO THE LEFT DO NOT WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S OVER 100 POSTS FROM MY TIME HELPING CHARITIES AND TRAVELING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST UNDER THE BLOG TAB)

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I was a New Yorker, not a camper (those two things are diametrically opposite). Still, those two worlds collided during an unplanned, wondrous, 328-day adventure across America alone with my dog in 2010.

When I created my Girl Reinvented blog, it defined a snapshot in time. It was a small diary for family and friends, documenting my reinvention: quitting my life running a successful publishing business in NYC (managing and producing travel sections for the New York Times and the Boston Globe) and embarking on a 30-day road trip across America. Before this upheaval, I had visited more foreign countries than states. Travel publishing took me to spectacular destinations, but I'd never been to Montana and always dreamed of visiting Big Sky Country. I didn't know our own country, and that needed to change. 

My blog was equal parts a beacon to let my family and friends know I was alive, reassurance, so they knew I hadn't gone completely mad, and a transitional project, as I didn't have an off switch.

Most readers know my "30-day" journey took a very unexpected turn once I started camping in Michigan. I had never intended to camp, as I was too afraid to camp alone. Still, an illuminating idea popped into my head while driving from Ann Arbor to Sleeping Bear Lakeshore: "I'll set up two tents because someone is less likely to murder a group of people!" My idea was so brilliant I grinned with delight. To my surprise, I fell madly in love with camping. I went from existing on the surface, figuratively and literally, to weaving myself into the fabric of America, trusting in humanity, and truly living. My 30-day road trip turned into the most incredible 328 days of my life. And yes, that's including the day I fought off my attacker in Steamboat Springs, CO.

After six weeks on the road, with 3 of those weeks camping, I decided to upgrade my tent. While in Michigan, I purchased a retro teardrop camper, famous in the 1930s. I traded in my Audi All-Road for a Jeep Liberty – the rest is history. I lived in my tiny bed on wheels for 328 days, exploring the northwest alone with my dog through every element, even buried under two feet of snow. The picture in my banner is my little nest on wheels sitting on the bank of Lake Superior – waterfront lodging for only $20 per night! As my odyssey evolved organically, so did my blog. But my adventure was never about self-promotion, as that would've negated the importance of my journey. In 2010, blogs were less about monetizing, and taking selfies wasn't a thing yet. It was a diary, and I'm so glad I had one.

My journey was personal. It's the story of one girl who realized, more than anything, how much she needed to let go and find exhale. I didn't know how much I needed to be alone until I was. 

THE CATALYST(S)

During my last few years living in the city, I met three incredible young men living in a deplorable nursing home in the Bronx – paralyzed, struggling financially, and full of hope #boysofbethabe. These boys were angels. Sure, I helped them with material things, but I should because I could; it's my moral and ethical responsibility. What they did for me, however, was the actual gift. They gave me a new perspective and purpose. I began to see the world through their bright, vulnerable, grateful eyes. I had many more opportunities than these boys, yet something inexplicable was holding me back, which needed to change. 

Those boys gave me the courage to throw conformity out the window, quit my company and pursue this life-changing adventure. They taught me to be fearless, deeply thankful, and follow my heart no matter where it leads me. I love the photo of us below. I flew back from California to take them to the Brooklyn Open Studios Art Show. We named this piece (picture) "Never Take Your Legs for Granted." ;)

So, in 2010 I quit my company, gave up my apartment, and somehow found myself living in a teardrop camper with barely enough room to sit up for the better part of a year. I was anonymous, free from expectations, judgment, pressure, and responsibility. I didn't have a role to play. I found comfort in my vulnerability, and I learned to let go and forgive myself. I slowed down. I opened my mind, tested my assumptions, challenged my beliefs, and evaluated my prejudices. I learned how very little I needed to be happy. I barely looked in the mirror (so liberating), and slowly, my fingers began to release my tight grip on my life. The life I worked hard to build and protect was vanishing right before my eyes. I felt reborn.

After an incredible year living on the land AND an incredible chapter on the west coast (living in Laguna Beach, teaching yoga, racing for an outrigger racing team, consulting for Blue Ice Vodka and Three Arch Advisors), I moved back east with a lifetime of new experiences and a new company. My dad died very unexpectedly – hence my move back east. Everyone I've met, everything I've learned, everything I've experienced is now shaping my new life.

Blaze your own trail, be fearless, and never doubt yourself.