…..Five years later, the 29-year-old with the curious inability to sit still is preparing to depart on her next daring expedition: She will attempt to become the first documented woman to travel the length of the Americas — from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Barrow, Alaska — entirely by non-motorized means. The 20,000-mile trek will begin in December and take an estimated five years to complete.
Along the way, Hughes plans to spend time in local villages and bear witness to their way of life, promoting education, opportunities for women and other social issues.
"I really want to inspire others to pursue their own audacious goals," she said, twirling in her fingers a small silver pendant of a woman hiking.
"Our world is only as big as the information that we allow to come into it," Hughes continued, "so I believe being able to share what's going on to the opposite side of the world, and that they're not so different than us, we're going to make it a lot further."
Hughes traces her wandering spirit to her parents, Nazarene missionaries who spent time in Chile, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic during her childhood. Along with spreading the gospel, they instilled in her a passion for the outdoors. Hughes remembers her father going on hikes in the mountains, and she would hide in the back of the family car, popping out when he was far enough that there was no other recourse but to take her along.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20151004/out-walking-the-americas-39db841dcd.html
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