Throughout history there have been those particular individuals who were larger than life and who inspired fascination and wonder. Among these have been the numerous explorers of our world, who devoted their lives to pushing out past the boundaries of our understanding and past the dark borders of what we know to bring back tales of high adventure and intrigue, their lives reading like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. One such very special, courageous, and unique individual was a woman who lived a life that seems almost unreal, trotting about the world in a whirlwind of adventure, discovery, romance, and at times tragedy.