My dad and me at Death Valley in May 2009. I blame him for my love of travel.

It’s hard to believe that only one year ago I called my dad on my way to work and asked him a question that has changed the course of my life. The question was this: Should I apply for the Digital Vagabonding Roads Scholarship?

Applying for the scholarship meant that, if I won, I would have to quit my full-time job to road trip for the whole summer, writing and photographing my journey as I went. The idea of applying for a scholarship that would force me to leave the confining, restricting and suffocating but comforting full-time job in a full-time crappy economy was a scary one.

My dad, who worked in Corporate America for the same company up until the day he was forced to retire, said one word in response to my question: Yes.

And so I applied.

I received a call from Pat the Digital Vagabond a few weeks later telling me I had been named an honorary Digital Vagabond Roads Scholar. I would not receive the full scholarship, which was sponsored by both Pat and Matador Network. Rather, I would receive a partial stipend and a ticket to Burning Man at the end of the summer.

It was a good middle ground for me. I had been hoping to escape the cubicle sooner than later, so I dropped my hours at work down to part time, began planning long weekends with my scholarship money and created Kaleidoscopic Wandering to record my travels. By the time I left Burning Man at the end of the summer, I had made the decision to try my hand at full-time freelance writing. So far, I’m doing okay, and Kaleidoscopic Wandering has stuck by me the whole way.

In celebration of my travel blog’s one-year anniversary, I wanted to look back on where I’ve gone over the course of the year, and share with you my travel plans for the coming year.

Travels June 2009-May 2010:

My Digital Vagabonding Roads Scholarship took me to:

• A little town called Rosamond in California, home to an awesome wild cat research center
• Sequoia National Park
• Kings Canyon National Park
• Yosemite National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Great Basin National Park

Hydrating at the top of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park.

Then I ventured out to Burning Man on my own, where I met some very cool people from Matador Network.

Shortly thereafter I got my first press trip to Honduras, where I swam with dolphins, went zip lining, learned about agritourism and learned the very important lesson of carrying two cameras when I travel. In early December, I went on my second press trip, this time to Huatulco, Mexico, where I ate amazing food and swung on a rope swing above a waterfall.

Over the holiday season, we traveled to the Seattle area. We took Seattle’s underground tour and visited Lake Quinault.

Within a week of returning home, I packed my bags for the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers’ Association conference at sea. While aboard the ship, I received my first spa treatment and learned a thing or two about cruising. Our boat stopped at Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas (though my sister and I spent the day hiking on St. John) and the Bahamas.

In late March, we took the train from Los Angeles to New Orleans, where I fell in love with the city’s cemeteries.

Within days of being home, I was packed up again for a girls weekend in Joshua Tree National Park (again with other awesome folk from Matador). Last weekend, my husband and I rounded out the amazing year with one more final (itty bitty) road trip, this time through Mojave National Preserve.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year, and I have my dad to thank for giving me a confident YES when I asked him that question 12 months ago. I knew then that I should pursue my dreams, but hearing it from someone who took me on my very first plane ride helped me take that final leap, which led me to create Kaleidoscopic Wandering so that I could share my travels with you.

Travels June 2010-May 2011

Munching on crickets in Huatulco, Mexico.

The coming year is a little hazy, but there are a few trips in the works. At the end of June, I’m going to New York City for the first time for Travel Blog Exchange, where I’ll finally get to rub elbows with many of the friends I’ve made over the past year online.

We’re definitely taking a road trip through Arizona and another one to Canyonlands National Park. We’ll spend a few days in San Diego, and then I’m going to Vietnam for two weeks on my own (thank you Wanderlust and Lipstick). There’s a pretty snazzy trip I hope to take in September but don’t want to jinx my chances, so suffice to say it involves lots of wine. Over the holiday season, we’ll probably hook up with my sister, her husband and my parents for a rental home getaway (we’re thinking Sedona).

And in 2011, my husband and I both turn 30. We decided long ago that we could both choose a trip to celebrate the milestone. It’s hard to say now where we’ll end up … we’ve tossed around Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Morocco, Costa Rica. Really, though, the year is young. I’ll just let the open road take me wherever it winds.

I’d like to hear from you … Where have you been the past year and where are you going in the coming one? And what would you like to see from Kaleidoscopic Wandering during the next year?

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Starting a New Journey
• Why Travel Has Made Me Thankful
• 100 Ways Travel Has Changed My Life

The Man in an evening dust storm, just hours before being burned.

Beauty in all walks of life.

Black Rock City and its spectacular art.

Burning Man culminates with a fantastic temple fire, signifying the release of dreams, wishes and rememberances and marking the start of a new tomorrow.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Burning Man: A Life-Changing, Magical Experience
• Burning the Midnight Hour
• To Be a Vagabond – Words from a Master
  

Nonetheless, I worked myself up over what I would eat for a week (since I’m far from being a cook). What would I do all day? Would I be lonely? Did my costumes stand up to Burning Man standards? If the things in my mind’s eye really did define Burning Man, how was it possible that perfectly “normal” and incredibly friendly people I had met online were so enthusiastic about this gathering of 50,000 humans centered on the notion of radical self-reliance?

I arrived in Black Rock City late Monday night in the middle of a dust storm. I cursed myself for driving 500 miles to this makeshift city just so I could be torn and tattered by the dirty gales of wind pushing me around on the playa. I felt bulky with my goggles and dust mask on. I struggled with my tent. I tried to stay clean with a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pants. I was upset about being me in this place at this moment in time.

Tuesday morning dawned with a sunny sky, minimal wind and a crowd of people smiling and comfortable in their skin. I wiped the dust out from between my toes and wandered around the playa, wide-eyed at simplistic art sculptures and awed by the fact that only days ago, this fully functioning city had been nothing but a wide expanse of desolate land. By Tuesday afternoon, I’d set my insecurities aside and mingled at a happy hour of active and aspiring nomads. They welcomed me. They talked to me. They smiled and seemed interested in what I had to say. Being social at Burning Man was easy compared to the roaming eyes and distracted conversations I stumbled through in the “real world.”

From there, the week tumbled out like a series of wildly scattered dominoes. Every encounter, every conversation, every colorful vision around me left me excited about what the next moment might bring. Within 24 hours I made friends that far surpassed most relationships I’d made in high school. By mid-week I’d been convinced by a complete stranger to look at the world in ways I’d never even imagined. In an early morning walk across the playa, I was struck by the singular beauty of someone curled up, asleep at the base of a large rabbit sculpture. Even with unrestrained miles to cross, I discovered details that reflected the raw creations in Black Rock City. I spun in circles, entranced by the neon lights, carnival-like sounds and smell of organic dust. I stayed up all night and watched the sun welcome the desert like a tray of spilled watercolors. I discovered a wild array of emotions as I danced, smiled, laughed, cried and celebrated new beginnings.

When the Man burned on Saturday night, a glitch in the system left him standing for a significant amount of time, though he was little more than a broken skeleton balancing on his rickety platform. Frustrated, I voiced my anger that he still stood, dominating the playa like he had all week. “I was upset about that too,” one of my new friends said, “but then I realized it’s not the same man. This man is different. He is transformed. We can make this man be anyone we want him to be.”

While I can’t quite put my finger on the defining moment of my Burning Man experience, I think the very idea that we define who we are in relation to the rest of the world is a significant key in this mad creation of a city in the desert. Who cares that I can’t cook? Someone else can and happily helped me when I needed it most. No worries about not having someone to talk to; interesting and dynamic personalities surrounded me. Schedules don’t need to be made when things happen the way they are supposed to happen. My costumes, though fun, were irrelevant in the face of made-up Burning Man standards. Before arriving, someone told me that you could parachute naked into Burning Man and the playa would provide. After a week living among the most open and genuine people I’ve ever met, I believe this to be the truth. My highs were high and my lows were low, but every emotion and moment I experienced was real.

When I tore down camp on Sunday, I was again on my own. Three others were left in camp but were busy packing their own cars. A dust storm blew in. Like an old habit, I pulled my goggles and face mask on without a second thought. I laughed as the wind covered my skin with dirt. I let my tent put up a fight when it threatened to blow away, but eased it into the stuff sack when the moment was right. I shrugged at the playa-caked collection of bags and plastic containers that I stuffed into the trunk of my car. I reapplied sunscreen and readjusted my goggles and face mask.

I was empowered to be me in this place at this moment in time.

All pictures taken by me except for the final photo, which is courtesy of Technomadia.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Burning the Midnight Hour
• The Digital Vagabond and the 2009 Roads Scholars
• Images from Day One: Roads Scholars Road Trip