In 2013, Jasmine took her best puppy friend, Fiji, a bicycle and her violin on a trek across the United States with less than $50 in her pocket. She was 24 at the time. It took six months. She didn’t know how to camp, and she did not have prior long distance cycling experience. She was a self proclaimed “chubby city girl” trying to regain self-confidence and recapture the person she thought she’d lost. When she was on the road, she experienced profound acts of kindness, strangers taking her and her dog into their homes, feeding, sheltering and looking out for them. With a renewed faith in humanity, she pressed on, reshaping much more than her body, but her mind.

Jasmine pedals about 40 miles a day on average; her longest day was 82 miles and 14 hours. Although, she keeps her days short for Fiji’s sake and her own “sanity.”

Jasmine’s dog Fiji is a cancer survivor. It was during Jasmine’s first journey that she thought their months on the road together would be their last. Four years later, Fiji is still with her. While she had surgery to remove the cancerous growth, there was no guarantee she’d make it this long. Jasmine truly believes the travel lifesty le saved her”

Living outside of the box opened up a world of opportunities, but it also taught Jasmine about the limitations society places on people. She finally realized that when you set your mind to something, free from fear, and with great sense of determination, anything is possible. She hopes to inspire others to throw out their excuses, face their fears, live outside the box and accomplish their goals — no matter how “unrealistic” it may seem.

“I want excuses to disappear, accountability to fall in their place, and the ability to knock down barriers with one punch,” she explains. “I live my life constantly seeking the answer to one question. How do I make what I am told is impossible possible?”

In March 2016, she began to bicycle around the world in order to fully explore the magnitude of living outside of the comfort zone in a musical context. She took her pup and violin with the intent to use music to bridge cultural and social gaps and learn as much as possible in pursuit of her own personal dream to become a professional violinist, despite starting later than most of her peers.

Jasmine seeks to inspire others to face their fears and pursue their dreams, giving talks in schools and other venues. Jasmine also gives house concerts. If you’d like to have Jasmine perform at your venue, click here.

So where is Jasmine now? Now, at 28 years old. She and Fiji just finished bicycling 14,000 miles around North America. They were on the road a little over a year, and are now planning their route for the rest of the world! “I can’t wait to see what the rest of the world has to offer” she proclaimed in a recent facebook post. “I never thought I would go off on a bicycle with less than $100 in my pocket, camping, staying in strangers homes, cycling 12 hours per day, hitchhiking in tornado weather, getting stuck in tarantula migrations, chased by 70 plus dogs in total (not all at once) and a rooster, etc”

She just completed mapping her upcoming bike route across Asia and has estimated it taking 2 1/2 years. After that, she plans to take another two years to bike across Europe, taking into account areas where her pup won’t need to be quarantined and any Visas she may need to acquire in advance. “It’s looking good, though”, she assured. Fiji will receive her USDA health certificate in July. As Jasmine travels on her upcoming adventure she has planned to volunteer in several countries and raise funding for organizations. “I am excited to work with refugees in the human realm and doggies in the animal realm – I am also going to be raising money for many non-profits” Jasmine shared “I am so happy to not just bicycle, but bicycle with purpose”.

“I am so happy to not just bicycle, but bicycle with purpose”

To follow Jasmines journey, visit her wonderful blog – Fijapaw.com. On her website you can also find ways to get involved by sponsoring her journey or donating (donation link near bottom of homepage). Jasmine is also saving funds from subscription fees to start a travel scholarship program for people like her who want to embark on an “epic adventure despite all the challenges that could have stopped them.” To donate to or sponsor this travel fund, contact Jasmine.