I've loved the times in my life when I hadn't showered in several days, was eating dehydrated food, and had cuts and scrapes on my arms and legs.

The Australian bush is a formidable and dangerous place, but I credit my father for my love of its beauty. Over the past 28 years I have spent countless nights in the wilderness, dangled off many a rope, paddled remote rivers, and scrambled through craggy canyons — often with my father, and later with my friends. And in hindsight, I have loved every minute of these adventures.

However, in the moment, it was challenging, uncomfortable, confronting, and scary. I've had falls. I have scars. I've been lost, short of food and water, and thoroughly exhausted. But it's these moments that made me who I am — a tomboy. I love the simplicity of being in the wild, the focus on basic necessities, and the bonds that it creates between companions. In my grubbiness I have found strength; in the challenges, tenacity; in exhaustion, perseverance; and in the scars, great stories. And when I have been lost, I have always found my way home.

It is these memories, and the role of adventure in the development of one's self that I never want to lose sight of. Even as a professional life calls me to the city, I will keep having dangerous adventures, both in the familiar bush and in new locations. I want to share this very spirit of adventure with everyone I touch — to inspire them to take risks, be challenged, enjoy the beauty of God's creation, and create defining memories for themselves.