Miriam Risager pictured in Montenegro.

IN 2006 Miriam Risager backpacked through Asia on an adventure that would change her perspective on life forever. She has since visited 45 countries and this week heads off to discover five more in Eastern Europe.

Miriam blogs about her cultural and travel experiences so visit www.adventurousmiriam.com where you can find all her views and thoughts on her many adventures around the world.

When did you realise you had a passion for travel and how did you find the means to hit the road and get going?

I guess I found out on my first trip abroad in 2006. Back then I took a sabbatical year from university and spent six months working and saving up money for my trip to South East Asia. Since then I’ve travelled at every chance I’ve had, especially these past years.

How many countries have you currently visited?

At this point I’ve been to 45 countries and I’m about to add five more.

A view of the beach in Indonesia.

What have been your highlights and some of your wildest experiences?

One of my highlights has been Uyuni in Boliva, and my wildest experience is joining the Kumbh Mela festival in India where I was blessed by a naked holy man and met a cow with five legs. Crazy stuff.

Where is next on your list?

Next up are Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Finland. I’m leaving this week.

What have been the been your best cultural experiences and where have you found the most diverse and interesting foods to try?

I’d have to say India again. This is such a fascinating country and so diverse. The most interesting foods I’ve had were in Croatia and Thailand.

The Chinese House in Singapore.

What memories do you hold dearest from your travels and do you hold any scars (or tattoos!) from your time abroad?

Sure, I got a tattoo in Hong Kong during my first trip to Asia. And I recently got a battle scar from falling on my face down a mountain in Slovenia. I’m so clumsy!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to travel but is wary about taking the first steps?

Well, there’s a saying that when you grow old, you’ll look back on your life and regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did. So I say: take chances and live life to the fullest. Travelling is the one thing that you’ll never regret doing, and it changes you in ways you didn’t think are possible.