In September of 2019, I embarked on a solo National Geographic Expedition in the Mongolian.

I was astounded by the unique culture and rich history of this country. I did not know much before I went, but with the tremendous knowledge of Sue, my translator and guide, one of the best kept secrets I have stumbled upon was revealed.

There are no roads and no cell service, so navigating to the Gobi desert by yourself is nearly impossible. You can either buy an expensive plane ticket or have a local drive you. Guess which one I did? These drivers are incredible in their knowledge of the way to the Gobi; they know the lay of the land from memory and landmarks so even with changing terrain from the extreme weather, they will always get you there.

Even more astonishing is the fact the visuals are constantly changing due to harsh weather and flash floods.

It took three days and many hours of bumping along to reach our destination.
In the end, every jostle and every sore muscle was worth it. Always take the adventure route.