Wisconsin (USA) - After her beloved father died in December 2015 at the age of just 57, Ashley Kay's life changed abruptly. Overcoming the blow of fate took time, and today she emulates her dad Tom.

"The year after he died, so many friends and relatives called and told these wild, amazing stories about my father and his travels," said the now 36-year-old American in an interview with SWNS.

Ashley rethought her own life and made a decision that she still doesn't regret today: she sold her three-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin in 2023, took 44,000 US dollars (around 39,000 euros) in hand and bought a Toyota Tacoma instead.

From then on, the pick-up and Labrador Porter were to be her only constant companions. Under the motto "Life is for living!", Ashley set off to explore the world.

Since then, the adventurer has been particularly taken with South and Central America. Baja, a state in Mexico , became her favorite place: "The nature is beautiful, I love the ocean," said Ashley.

But the 36-year-old also has nothing but fond memories of Peru and Costa Rica - apart from tire blowouts in the middle of the desert. However, Ashley will never forget one incident that happened in Honduras.

While diving, she met another traveler - a man from Austria . Ashley wanted to know from him what the worst experience on his travels had been. "His answer was that he didn't leave early," said the American.

This sentence was confirmation for her that she was on the right path. The only uncertainty was when Labrador Porter went to dog heaven last year. From that moment on, Ashley was completely on her own.

"It's a lot of work to walk this path alone," she said. But she doesn't let it get her down: "On the whole, all problems can be solved. You just have to be patient."