In the first of our profiles of the superstar Ultimate Blog finalists, we catch up with Rachel, whose Ultimate Trip (http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/Rachel/posts/1187-My-Ultimate-Trip ) landed her a place in the top six!

Name?
Rachel Watson... but only when I'm naughty. It's Rach most of the time, and I also answer to Roo, Bob, Beej or Raquelle. It's probably best you don't ask why...

Age?
26, amazingly. I still feel 18 so my real age is a constant source of irritation, as it seems to imply I should behave like a grown up.

Where are you from?
Stourbridge, which is in the West Midlands, England. I have a love/hate relationship with "The 'Bridge" and have tried to escape on many occasions. I get very cross if anyone other than myself or fellow residents says mean things about the place though! Long Live The 'Bridge!

What do you do?
My background is administration and customer service, which I've been doing for the last 7 or 8 years. I left my last "proper" job because of the breakdown of a relationship which meant I had to relocate and move back in with my parents, and since then it's been difficult to find a full time job in the field I have experience in. Damn recession!! Right now I work part time for Clinton cards in one of their shops, and I do really enjoy it - the people I work with are lovely, and the job is varied and stress free. Ideally, I'd love a job that combines my two passions - travel and writing. If anyone knows of anything give me a call!

Name the top 5 places you’ve been to in the world:

1. Hanoi, Vietnam. I went through i-to-i and volunteered at the Phuc Tue Centre, which helps children with special needs. As well as being a fantastic city with lots of opportunities to see awesome places like Sapa and Halong Bay; Hanoi also gave me the opportunity to help the children at the centre which was emotional and challenging, but amazingly rewarding.

2. Sydney, Australia. This was the first place I went without parents, in 2002 with my best friend Polly. We were 18 and had just finished our A-Levels... we had no idea what to expect and were pretty terrified! Sydney helped me to grow into myself as an adult, accept who I am and like myself. It also allowed me to get ridiculously drunk a lot and meet some great people! I will treasure my time there always, and will love the city forever.

3. Medellin, Colombia. I have family who live here, and went to visit them in 2005. Many people don't consider Colombia as somewhere they could safely travel to, but my time there was happy, safe and fun filled. Everyone made us incredibly welcome, and I saw some beautiful places in Santa Fe, Cartaghena and Medellin itself.

4. Niagara Falls, Canada/USA. Visiting such an awe inspiring natural wonder at the age of 16 gave me the travel bug, big time. I remember standing at the front of the Maid of the Mist boat, drenched with spray thinking "wow, I have so much to see in the world." I was deliriously happy for the rest of the day, and even did a little dance when I got back on dry land! I always remember that trip as the one that started it all for me, and inspired me to want to see everything, everywhere.

5. Ibiza, Balearic Islands. The general impression of Ibiza is that it's cheesy and booze soaked, and to an extent that's true. However, there are also some very beautiful parts to this island and it holds a very special place in my heart. I feel at home in Ibiza, peaceful and happy. I will be going there until I die and will not hear a bad word said about it!

What's your ultimate blog about?
My blog is about the thoughts and feelings behind what actually makes an "Ultimate Trip" rather than me imagining my own personal ultimate adventure. It's about how it makes you feel, change and grow and what you take away rather than what you do or see or where you are.

Why should the lovely travellers of Campfire vote for you/your entry?
Campfire people should vote for me because they'd be creating a winner who’d really embrace the opportunity and squeeze as much out of the experience as possible. I've been active on campfire for a while, not just for this competition, really love i-to-i and what it stands for. Vote Rachel!

Are you offering people any particular incentives to vote?
I'm not in a good enough financial position to be able to offer charity donations or anything amazing like that unfortunately. I am baking cakes to give to my potential voters though - they get a cake and a leaflet and I hopefully get a vote! I also owe a ton of favours to various people... including babysitting duties, cooked meals, paperwork and lifts in my car!

Finally, what would winning this competition mean to you?
Without wanting to sound too cheesy here, everything. I've wanted to go to Tanzania since I was a tiny child and heard stories from my parents about their adventures there in the seventies. To do it like this, packing so much in and having the chance to volunteer while I'm there as well, would be a dream come true. It's difficult to explain how much I really do want and would appreciate this prize, but if you try and think of something you've wanted to do forever, and then imagine you could be given that chance (and for free!) and you might be somewhere close!

Think Rachel would be a deserving winner? Vote for her Ultimate Blog entry here! http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/Rachel/posts/1187-My-Ultimate-Trip

• ultimate blog
• adventure
• Tanzania