Recently, I was fortunate enough to be featured in the Crowdfire Spotlight on the Going Big blog. The Crowdfire Spotlight chronicles the stories of creators who they find to be inspiring. They dig deep to uncover the struggles and triumphs and get the real story behind success. It was such an honor to be asked to share my own story.

Ann contacted me by email and said, “I absolutely love your Instagram feed and your blog. I love your idea of exploring the world regardless of monetary restrictions and I think you’re a great source of inspiration and motivation to others who want to do what you do. Would you be up to sharing your story with us and be featured on the Crowdfire Blog? I’m really curious to get your full story and do your journey some justice, so please say yes? :)”

Wow, how could I say “no” to that?!

We got together over Skype video and instantly connected. We talked about EVERYTHING! She wanted to go deep! There was nothing off limits, and I couldn’t believe she wanted so much detail. It felt a little uncomfortable as there are some parts of my life that are not so Instagrammable. Yet she prodded along and I felt comfortable enough to share with her as if I were chatting with an old friend. We really went through it all, the good, the bad and the ugly, laughing and connecting all the way.

I was a little apprehensive as we ended the call and wasn’t sure how it would all come together. In the end, I came to the conclusion that this is my life and this is who I am, so be it. I chose to be fully authentic to inspire others with my real story so they can see what is possible in life, even when the odds are stacked against you. We all have a deeper story that isn’t usually told, and this is mine.

It’s crazy to see my whole life wrapped up into an article explaining how I got where I am today. It has been quite the road of ups and downs. I’m a person who rarely looks back at my life to see what I’ve accomplished because I’m always so focused on moving forward. This was a nice reminder of how far I’ve actually come. I hope that I can inspire you to live your adventure and let nothing stand in the way of doing what you love. Life is short; you have the power to make it amazing.