Why I Travel

Matt Prater

Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to be Indiana Jones. To explore impenetrable jungles, remote temples, exotic bazaars. To experience the unfamiliar customs of faraway cultures. I even hate snakes. So I proceeded to obtain a degree in archaeology, art history, and ancient civilizations. After graduation, the real world suddenly set in, and I got a job in marketing. Besides … I'm far too clumsy to use a whip, and the Nazis aren't really too much of a nuisance these days. In the five years since college, I've developed an ever-increasing passion for travel photography. Inspired by the need to expand my portfolio and those action-packed dreams from childhood that kept gnawing away at me, I knew I had to satisfy my wanderlust. And not with a two week vacation. A true escape from the monotony of modern life. I knew that if I became too complacent, I would always wonder … what if? So, forcing myself to step way outside my comfort zone, I've planned an adventure worthy of Dr. Jones himself. For over a year, I'll be following in the footsteps of the great explorers – David Livingstone, Marco Polo, James Cook. Five continents. Thirty countries. One backpack.