Ashley Meeder

nomad

When I was 20 I made a spontaneous, instinctive decision that changed my outlook on life.   From that experience I realized the value in taking risks and living in the moment.  During the past 10 years, I have made an effort to be open to new opportunities.  I think the more uncomfortable a situation is, the more beneficial it can be to help one learn and grow! Whether spending 12 days crossing the rough ocean, removing myself from cultural comforts in Southern Sudan, jumping in the cold South African water with Great White Sharks, or accepting an invitation to a stranger's home in a foreign country - each adventure had moments of uncertainty, but that's when you gotta Give'r!  There are many instances when I have cried from being scared, but that is the time when you are evolving as a person.  And isn't that what the journey is all about? Forget about the pressures that hold you back from taking chances.  Accept the vulnerability of living in the moment.  There is possibility of adventure anywhere, it is up to us to create it. 

People joke that I am a gypsy because I haven't had a permanent address for the past six years.  As a consequence of my gypsy lifestyle, I am blessed to have friends all over the world.  I lived in the Caribbean for six years working on boats, a few summers living in a tent in the Sierra Mountains, bartended and flyfished in Idaho,  backpacked through four countries in Africa, and have worked in a fish market in Montauk.  I have left part of my heart in each of these places with the friendships I created on each of these adventures.  Meeting people, hearing their story and sharing a passion for life is the ultimate reward.