California

After graduating from college in Chicago, Sara jumped on a plane to the West Coast with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She landed in San Francisco, and today makes her home on the central California coast. She also spent three years living in Japan, after which she followed her wanderlust backpacking around Asia for almost a year before returning to the USA, where she has worked as a teacher, a journalist and a national park ranger. She is an all-seasons outdoor enthusiast.

The author of more than 30 travel and non-fiction books, Sara's writing has featured in national and international newspapers and magazines, including online content for the Los Angeles Times and National Geographic Traveler. Sara has written for travel guidebook publishers including Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Fodor's, Wilderness Press and Countryman Press.

Her top-three favorite countries (so far, that is) are Nepal, Morocco and Cambodia, but Iceland, Namibia and Russia are next on her must-see life list. Back in the USA, her favorite places to hang out include the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Big Island of Hawaii, New Orleans and Las Vegas. And her most memorable travel experience? Falling off a camel at the edge of the Sahara Desert.