Girl Gone Wild: Jessica Cramp

Jessica Cramp is brave, but not for the reasons you might think. Sure, she swims with sharks and has her pilot's license, but she's also done something that most people will always be too scared to do: She quit a well-paying job and stable future to chase her dream.

Cramp, a Pennsylvania native (like me!), was living in San Diego working as a scientist and running experiments in search of new medicines. She loved her job and the freedom it gave her to surf during lunch and take vacations, but still she felt a gaping hole in her life. That's when a stroke of luck changed her fate. "In a strange turn of events, I won a ridiculous game show with two of my best girlfriends," explains Cramp, "and it gave me the funds to pay off college." After her big win, Cramp quit her job and began volunteering with organizations and causes she believed in. Since then, she's been to Haiti, Costa Rica and Panama, sailing to Tahiti before decided to settle down in the Cook Islands. Now she manages the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative, an organization that runs a shark sanctuary, a turtle research effort and a conservation education project. 

"I learned to live simply in a very tight-knit community," she says of her new life. "It's been an emotional roller coaster, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it because I'm living true to the fire that burns in my guts." Studying sharks, swimming with turtles and making a difference? Jessica is a huge inspiration to me, so I caught up with her to give you guys a little more insight into what she's all about:

My name is Jess Cramp and I live in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. I'm originally from the Poconos, PA, where I grew up learning to climb trees, build fires, rock climb and play baseball.

I'm the founder of Destination Global Good, which I'm terrible at updating. It started over two and a half years ago when I decided that to leave my job and apartment in San Diego, CA to work on the ground with communities. I wanted to get out into the world and see if my hands could make a difference.

I admire women who stand up for themselves and think outside the box. I love women who take risks and who dream big. I love women who go out of their way for strangers and who sacrifice their dreams for their families-there is so much honor in that. I love women who can be strong, yet maintain their femininity.

When I have a weekend off from working, I usually spend it outside, diving, snorkeling, surfing, hiking, running with whoever wants to play!

My favorite outdoor activity is surfing and it has taught me that you don't always have control and that unsuspected, scary events will pop up that you have no choice but to deal with them.

One luxury item I always have with me is my Nivea lip gloss.

One thing I'd love to learn to do is fly airplanes in varied terrain, in most weather conditions because although I have my license, I lack the confidence and skills to disappear into the wildnerness with a partner in crime, go surfing, hiking, snowboarding--and then fly us out!

My favorite piece of advice for living a healthy and happy lifestyle is do what's in your heart. You may occasionally fall flat on your face, but you will never regret being true to yourself and drink lots of water. 

The more I work on this blog, the more I realize I'm SURROUNDED by outdoorsy ladies! Read the Q&A with my first Dirtbag Darling Ambassador here, and check in next week for a brand new installment.