Around the World in 365 Days

I spent a few days last week in New York City at the Fitness Magazine Meet and Tweet event. Fitness Magazine knows how to put on a party. The Mercedes Club made for a lovely escape from the city's roar, Britney and Katy filled the airwaves in between panels of fabulous speakers, and America's finest fitness, health, and nutrition bloggers graced the balcony. I attended as sponsor (this was a first) to represent Marmot and talk about my upcoming year, a tour around the world. MeetandTweet1 MeetandTweet5

Jon Glassberg photos

In less than a month, I'm hopping on a plane to South Africa with Jon Glassberg, and we won't return until June of the following year. Twelve months - one in each location and no returning home in between, which really isn't so tragic since in a few weeks I won't have a home anymore. I'm packing my belongings into my Grandma's garage and saying goodbye to Boulder.Lead Now is a concept Jon and I created in which an athlete (me) teams up with a production company (Louder Than 11) for a massive adventure alongside Marmot and Fitness. I'll have a new climbing objective every month and will use that as motivation to raise money for 12 different non profits, specific to the regions we'll visit. These non profits are part of Half the Sky Movement, an organization that works to 'turn oppression into opportunity for women worldwide'.Each month, Louder Than 11 will release a new video webisode. We've chosen locations with very unique and diverse cultures, which will be at the heart of each webisode. I can't wait to learn about the world through the eyes of the people who call each country their home. What does a typical day look like? What do they eat? Is coffee so important first thing in the morning? What do kids do for fun? What are the true needs of the local people? Are fanny packs dorky across the entire globe? These are the questions that need answers.This is an adventure we want to share with everyone - family, friends, those associated with our non profit partners, and people we don't even know. The biggest way you can take part in the Lead Now Tour is through our Crowdrise page. Crowdrise is an online fundraising platform where Seth Rogan, Victoria's Secret models, moms and dads, and random climbers like me can host an event or donate their birthday to charity. The options are vast, but let's keep it simple. Our Crowdrise event is called Lead Now Tour. Under the event, we have twelve teams, one for each non profit in the twelve countries we're visiting.My goal is big - $120,000 - but here's how you can take part:1. Create a team! It couldn’t be easier. Spend 5 minutes creating a page on the Crowdrise site, then share with friends via social media. You can donate your birthday to a cause, run a marathon, or maybe you just want to help our team! It’s all online based, so you don’t have to host an event, talk to people, or even get off your couch. Need a perk? Create a team under Lead Now and raise $100 or more to be automatically entered in a monthly raffle for a Marmot gear package!2. Donate! Maybe you love the outdoors, you have a special connection to India, or you’re just interested in our tour. It’s as simple as visiting our Crowdrise page, choosing one of our twelve partner organizations, and donating online.3. Spread the word! We want to create one big network. You tell two people, they each tell two people, and suddenly seven people know about our objective! Share on twitter, facebook, pinterest, or send out an email blast to your friends and followers!I'm sure between traveling for a year, trying to climb at my limit, and raising $120,000 for women and children around the world, I'm in over my head. But what else is time right after college better for than big adventures, taking risks, and the opportunity to learn from the incredible people who make up our world. Lead Now!