While others her age are just getting used to life after high school, Erin Nelson is taking on the world on her bicycle.

At 18, she left her home in Turlock, California, in November 2010 and pedaled across the US, Europe and Asia on an around-the-world bicycle trip that now finds her in China. [See her video below.]

Why an around-the-world bike tour? She wrote an early blog about some many people living lives of contentment:

"I don't want to be happy being content. I want to be happy because I'm making the most out of my short life so when I die I don't have regrets ....