I was probably 11 or 12 years old the first time I saw a map of my hometown. And I had this rush of excitement when I understood for the first time that those red and blue squiggly lines were the roads and rivers around my house. Even now, every time I look at a map, my whole world opens up. I see the connections between where I am and everything else, and I suddenly I feel both grounded and ready for adventure at the same time.

My love of maps probably has something do with why I worked for National Geographic for more than a decade. And It also explains why I’m both excited and scared about the next stage of my life.

Because, for the journey I’m on, there are no roadmaps.