As her twenty-first birthday approached in 2008, Britt Kathryn May Lapthorne asked her parents for just one present – the biggest travel backpack she could carry. Britt was planning a solo backpacking trip through Europe for the middle of the year, taking the time off to explore the world, do a little soul searching, and find inspiration for her future career.

It came as absolutely no surprise to those who knew Britt Lapthorne that she had itchy feet and was seeking overseas adventure. Her passport read like an explorers autobiography, each stamp representing a wealth of stories and experiences she had earned around the world. By her early 20s, Britt Lapthorne had stepped foot on almost every continent on the planet, having travelled more in her twenty years than most would in a lifetime. She made it her mission to visit a new overseas destination every year.

As the departure date for Britt’s European backpacking adventure approached, she spent night after night on her computer researching all the places she wanted to visit. Although she had a general idea of her itinerary, she wanted the finer details to be spontaneous and unpredictable. She planned to keep friends and family back home updated through her Facebook page, which she used as a travelogue and virtual gallery, littered with status updates, quirky stories, and candid photos of her life abroad. As such, aside from her passport, her most valued travel companion was her Canon PowerShot G9 camera.

Although they would miss their daughter as she jet-setted across the globe, Britt’s parents Dale and Elke were proud of the headstrong, independent, ambitious woman their little girl had grown up to be. They looked forward to reuniting with their daughter in Paris to celebrate her twenty-first birthday the month after her departure. Before Britt headed off, Dale and Elke presented her with an early birthday present. It was the one thing she had been asking them for – an olive and black coloured BlackWolf brand backpack – the biggest one she could carry…