Sarah O'Brien

Home: Dillingham, Alaska

Age: 26

Job: "I'm a commercial fisherman. I grew up fishing with my family in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The majority of my income comes from working as a deckhand on salmon boats, though I've also fished for herring. A typical year means I spend April through July working in Alaska. Between the herring and salmon seasons, I also substitute teach and find occasional odd jobs, i.e. last spring I was cleaning lady for a few weeks."

Longest trip: Five months

Places visited: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Belize, Cuba, New Zealand, Australia, England, Holland, Ireland, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos.

Favorite country and/or place to visit: "It seems like every place I've visited becomes 'a favorite.' However, in choosing places to go, I've definitely been motivated by my borderline obsession with Latino culture and Spanish. Guatemala, is high on the list. Also, I recently made a trip to Cuba and found it fascinating. It's difficult to exclude some Asian countries from a list of favorites. I loved Laos and Nepal enough that I'm currently planning return trips to both countries this winter."

Inspiration for travel: "I attribute my interest in traveling to my parents, who were constantly planning trips to show my sister and I something more than the six mile stretch of dirt road in our town."

Biggest challenge on the road: "The biggest challenge for me is getting over my fears while being a single woman traveler. I think women have different fears when traveling compared to men. However, I enjoy traveling alone because I like to be able to make my own decisions about trips. In regard to this, my personal challenges have always come during moments when I'm feeling vulnerable because I am alone. I should add that, as of yet, I have yet to encounter any situations where I was seriously threatened."

Biggest sacrifice of the vagabonding lifestyle: "Lately I've been feeling as if my life of constant wandering is getting rather aimless... the feeling like maybe I should be doing something more in life is buzzing around my head. So what do I think I've sacrificed? The stereotypical idea of a normal lifestyle... I do not have a home or a job to be at tomorrow... And I kind of miss all the little things that go with having a home... I haven't slept in the same place for more than a few weeks in almost three years."

Biggest reward of the vagabonding lifestyle: "Rewards? The 1st of the month does not signify that rent is due."

Travel advice: "Before one of my first trips overseas I recall some advice that was given to me by an uncle. He told me: don't ask questions. After some experience traveling, my advice is exactly the opposite: always ask questions. Ask the locals, ask the travelers. I know it sounds like some sort of airy-fairy affirmation, but asking a question can be the beginning of learning something new, making friendships, the start of adventures. Also, don't rush yourself on the road, and don't make too many commitments to schedules."