Mongolia Rally. Photo by: Leon Logothetis

THE TRUTH IS, I probably shouldn’t be here. Events happened last year that conspired to nearly rob me of my life. Inches I tell you. Inches. Things happened. Bad things. I had signed up for the famed Mongol Rally; an arduous trek across 10,000 miles of desert, treacherous mountain ranges, and inhospitable territory. All attempted in a car that only your granny would be proud of.

At the hospital. Photo by: Leon Logothetis

The aim was to drive from England to Mongolia. The reality was that I found myself lying on a hospital bed in a distant land. A broken collarbone and bruised ego in tow. Violent car crashes can do that to you. I never did reach Mongolia. My adventure ended on a Romanian road. My life, did not.

This year I’m trying again. Something inside just won’t give up. I guess I’m still chasing the sense of adventure lost on that dusty Romanian road. The sense of accomplishment. The daring. The cultures. The people. Life awaits. Adventure awaits. Mongolia awaits.

The 2012 Mongol Rally will see me visit 18 countries. Connect with hundreds of diverse people and drive thousands of miles. I’ve teamed up with Firstbook, and for every mile I drive I’ll be donating a book to an underprivileged child. Every mile is a book. Every book is a window into hope. Hope that a child will be inspired to live a full life. Hope that a child can grow up one day and yearn to see the world. Experiencing life. Experiencing adventure. Living outside of their box.

Rally car. Photo by Leon Logothetis

As I make my trek across a third of the world’s surface, I’ll be blogging and sending back videos daily. When (not if) I reach my destination of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, this man’s life will be changed for the better in some small way. And hopefully the 10,000 books will have a powerful effect on 10,000 kids. Here’s to hope, my friends.

You can follow my adventure starting July 14th here at Matador Network, on Facebook, and on Twitter.