Are you looking for something more from your vacation? I’m Kristen, the author and writer behind Yonderlust Ramblings, and I used to be craving more from my travels too, until I found active travel, and it changed my lifestyle forever!
So how did I get here, and what is the story behind Yonderlust Ramblings?
My mother always taught me that travel is the best education, and I am a firm believer in that mantra. I have pursued travel my entire life, and have found that some of my deepest sources of personal growth have come from those travel experiences. I have seen culture and religion clash, mingle, and blend in Jerusalem. I have had my perspective on global politics change in Jordan. I have planned out my life goals and relationship goals with my sister on an empty beach in Costa Rica. I have felt the unconditional warmth of childrens’ hugs at an orphanage in Kenya. I have been blown away by the gratitude and perseverance of the peoples of the Ecuadorian mountains. I have conquered enormous physical challenges and personal goals with my husband on the Great Wall of China. I have been inspired by the intrepid and fearless divorcee over breakfast on a patio in Havana. I have had my own personal doubts and my faith confirmed on an lonely mountain in Utah. I have retraced the steps with my mother that my grandparents took when they immigrated in New York City. I have felt the enormous surge of pride running alongside veterans, amputees, and cancer survivors conquering their races through the streets of America’s cities. I have forged stronger bonds with family hiking beneath the waterfalls of Iceland.
Travel made all of these opportunities possible. My travels took on a new direction when I ran my first “runcation” in San Francisco a decade ago. The destination was no longer the goal, but instead it was the journey that got me there. The hours of grueling training and months of self-discipline, made running across the Golden Gate Bridge towards the finish line all the more rewarding. I realized then that I was hooked on this lifestyle, a lifestyle of active travel pursuits. I have found no greater source of growth, and no greater motivator, than marrying travel with my personal goals! If you are looking for a different kind of vacation, and want something more from your travels, than active travel is your answer! No matter what your goal is, big or small, there is a destination race, event, or challenge out there for you, whether that is running a half marathon, backpacking a trail, cycling a century ride, summitting a 14’er, stair climbing a tower run, or many other active pursuits! You are guaranteed not only to grow, but to have a more intimate, personal, and connected experience with your destination. There is no feeling like conquering yourself, your goals, and the world around you with your own two feet!
Your next step starts here…