My name is Leah, your average 20-something working professional with a travel itch and a profound interest in how our world works. Leah vs. The World was born before backpacking trip in Europe in 2014. Since then, it has followed me on many other travels – a semester of studying and traveling through China, a 2-week trek in Nepal, a 3-week stint in Indonesia, 6 weeks of work in Argentina, and many other adventures both big and small.

But enough about me – let’s talk about what really brought you here: our great big world!

Our world is grand.

It’s this enormous place full of culture, food, mountains, lakes, rivers, moats, streams, boats, and life. There is life everywhere–from the Galapagos Islands to the bustling streets of Manhattan. And the beauty of this? There are no two places on our planet where life is lived exactly the same.

Think about how different this guy painting Chinese characters is from you. Think about how different his life is from yours. Think about how different it is from the people who live in the mountainous regions of Nepal. And how different that is from a restaurant owner in Athens.

This world is full of diversity–diversity that stretches far beyond the borders of your state, your country, your continent, and even your hemisphere. When you expose yourself to this diversity, you gain a better understanding of our world and our small, small place in it. You return home and begin to see your country from a different, more open-minded perspective. You enjoy this feeling, and so you decide to venture out again. It’s a beautiful cycle, and once it starts, it never really ends.

Maybe you’re fascinated by international cuisine. Maybe you love architecture, maybe beaches, or maybe nature (I’m a mountain gal myself). Whatever it is that may draw you, I ask you to run towards it. Run quickly and run often because our world 30 years from now may not be the same world that we know today. I have been so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to see so much of our world, but these opportunities didn’t hand themselves to me. A plunge is necessary, and a plunge will never be something that you regret.

Be bold, be adventurous, follow your dreams, and do not be afraid. The world is kinder than you think it is.