Ride the Camel: Exploring the Path Less Traveled

Ride the Camel: Exploring the Path Less Traveled

A Transformational Travel Memoir of Adventure, Courage, and Personal Growth From the mountains of Nepal to the streets of Bogotá, Ride the Camel follows Air Force veteran and global traveler Tauni Crefeld on a remarkable journey across more than 75 countries. Part travel memoir, part personal development story, this inspiring book combines adventure, cultural insight, and real-world lessons in courage, leadership, and resilience. Tauni’s story begins in Bolivia, where a shocking ritual sacrifice changes her life and launches decades of exploration. Through dangerous border towns, solo backpacking, military assignments, medical missions, and cross-continental road trips, she learns how travel shapes identity—and why stepping outside your comfort zone changes everything. Along the way, she faces altitude sickness in Bolivia, discrimination in Saudi Arabia, the chaos of India, the eerie silence of Milan during the start of COVID-19, and the beauty of returning to Nepal twenty years later with her family. Each journey reveals what it means to be brave, adaptable, compassionate, and curious in an unpredictable world. Perfect for readers who love: • Travel memoirs and adventure stories • Solo female travel and women’s empowerment • Military life and global cultural experiences • Personal growth, leadership, and resilience • True stories from around the world Ride the Camel is an uplifting reminder that the world is bigger, more complicated, and more beautiful than we ever imagine—and that travel has the power to change us from the inside out. Tauni Crefeld, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, served as a Security Police Officer, leading troops and learning leadership lessons. After her military service, Tauni joined a major consulting firm, where she spent 25 years, rising from entry level to Managing Director. As a consultant, she was known as a fixer for leading large teams and turning around underperforming projects. Throughout her career, she applied the same solution-orientation, to uncover the hidden obstacles holding women back, and helping them advance into leadership positions.Tauni and her husband have one son and a cat and live in New Jersey. An avid traveler, she has visited over 75 countries and enjoys outdoor adventures with her family, including hiking, paddle boarding, rock climbing, and bikepacking.