Bend lady travels the planet on foot to struggle human trafficking

Angela Maxwell started a journey more than six decades in the past to vacation the environment on foot.

The 39-year-aged Bend female observed the world-wide excursion as a particular problem and a way to raise cash for a nonprofit corporation that supports sheltering and educating victims of sex trafficking.

This month, Maxwell is finishing her trek. She will return to Bend the week just before Xmas immediately after walking a lot more than 20,000 miles across four continents, a couple of islands and 13 nations around the world.

Along the way, she raised about $12,500 for Her Upcoming Coalition, an organization that supports sex trafficking victims about the entire world. She is however accepting donations on the web to attain her target of $20,000 for the coalition.

“It was a great journey,” Maxwell said in a cellular phone get in touch with. “But I also wished it to add in some way. To discover a way to give again was just the sweet spot.”

When Maxwell still left from Bend on May well 2, 2014, she also remaining her vocation as a life coach and business enterprise advisor. She marketed all of her possessions, besides what would match in a little bike trailer.

“I had to let go of every little thing,” she mentioned. “I just have a box of issues at my friend’s dwelling. Other than that, I really do not have a car. I do not have a property. Basically, anything I own fits on the cart.”

Maxwell felt compelled to encounter diverse cultures and aid females in nations around the world all around the planet. Through her daily life, Maxwell has supported gals empowerment results in. She formerly led an effort and hard work known as “Project SHE Thrives,” the place she traveled to unique metropolitan areas to job interview women of all ages about how they persevered in everyday living and how they created their desires occur accurate.

On her recent journey, Maxwell was reminded how quite a few ladies in the globe do not have the similar opportunities or freedoms as she does in the United States.

The believed of how other girls and ladies struggle inspired Maxwell to end her journey.

“I by no means believed of supplying up for the reason that I just couldn’t bear the imagined of failing at this,” she claimed.

But there have been several moments over the previous couple decades when Maxwell’s programs went awry.

In Vietnam, she experienced to stop for a thirty day period after having a fever from a mosquito bite. Her cart broke down in Mongolia. And a few instances she was caught in rain storms.

She always attempted to carry sufficient drinking water and food, like dried noodles or beans and rice. She wore out two to 3 pairs of footwear every single 12 months, strolling up to 20 miles a day.

Inspite of the issues, Maxwell built lifelong good friends during her journey. A lady she met in Italy requested if Maxwell could be her child’s godmother. And a sheep farmer on the island of Sardinia invited her to stay a thirty day period and taught her about the farming lifestyle.

“You just have that special connection that lasts a life time,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell put in Thanksgiving in Boise, Idaho, with a several mates and is preparing to walk the final stretch alongside U.S. Highway 20 into Bend.

For people who want to celebrate with Maxwell, she is inviting men and women to join her to wander the previous mile of her journey through Bend. Any person is welcome to meet Maxwell at noon on Dec. 20 exterior REI in the Aged Mill District and walk a mile to the Commons Cafe and Taproom by Drake Park.

Maxwell can not wait to fulfill with old friends when she reaches Bend. She designs to keep in town for a thirty day period or two to regroup just after the extensive journey.

Soon after that, she strategies to produce a e book about her journey. She also would like to pitch a Television show concept that focuses on women’s distinctive roles and careers all around the earth from ancient traditions to present day careers.

Over and above all those initiatives, she has no thought in which her existence will consider her next. And she’s fine with that.

“I continue to keep myself open up,” she said. “I’m all set for the next adventure.”