By Emma Abbott   September 3, 2010

Emma, at her best, serves to inspire individuals by saying fun things on the internets and giving great advice like “if you have to smell it, don’t eat it.” She unites cultures by having many interesting friends from different backgrounds and inviting said friends places together and making them chat over chips and cheap wine. She is very green-friendly and hates BP lots.

I am Emma. Should I win this fabulous prize I will make people laugh, cry and feel inspired to quit their jobs and take off across the world, because life’s too short.

Traveling makes you think your life isn’t condensed into a gray-blue colored cube and a parking garage, or a subway ride and a time clock. Traveling reminds you that not only does your life not suck, but that there are so many other possibilities of life as we know it that we haven’t even thought of yet.

When I was in eighth grade I went to England with my church. It was neat and I saw a lot of churches, but the main thing I remember about it was the feeling I had. At 12, you think your life is as big as you can see; your house, your parent’s car, your friends circle, your family. You think the drama in your life is the number one story on ABC news- or at least should be. But I remember really realizing, that life was much bigger than me, and that there were so many possibilities out there. I wanted to taste everything, meet everyone, and see as much as my eyes could take in. I wanted to pack up all my loved ones with me and stick them in my backpack with peep holes so they could see everything I was seeing and feel the same things.

Traveling gives you hope. That’s what it’s all about. You’re never trapped. This isn’t it, life doesn’t end here. Hang in there little guy- there’s a great big world waiting for you. Just.go.

I want to go to remind people there’s a world past your safety zone. Something as good as you’ve dreamed, but better than you could have even imagined, and I will blog the crap out of it.

Thanks.