The journey begins!

Lace up your hiking boots, grab you backpack (or learning toolbox) and join me, Karen the Kiwi Wannabe, as I venture forth on a jouney of discovery. It promises to be adventurous!

Any well-prepared traveller takes along all the necessary equipment to get the most out of their trip. I'm packing the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Learners and a little bear spray.

I always find it easiest to visualize the end result. Beginning by thinking about what the project will look like when it's completed really motivates me. It could be a neatly shelved cart of books, a cosy new house, a familiarity with blogs and all their accessories, an awesome view at the top of the mountain or a cold beer back at the campsite.

There's always a few obstacles along the way. The hardest thing for me is to view those problems as challenges. My first instinct is to turn and run rather than face the beast. If I stick with it, I usually find out it wasn't so scary after all. And if worse comes to worse I've got the bear spray.

So hang on, here we go....