In mid-1985, just after graduating from 3 years nursing accreditation, I set out on my first epic solo bicycle tour, beginning in Bali, Indonesia and finishing 18 months later in Nepal where i worked voluntarily for 6 months at Tansen Mission Hospital as a laboratory technician.  I was 24 years old at the time and I had no idea what the future would hold or how far I would go in my travels but it was my prolonged stay in Nepal that set me on a career path as a scientist specializing in tropical diseases.