Lemondrop

This is a new feature that will profile fabulous women who are making brave changes -- it could be switching careers, following a lifelong dream or pursuing something new. To nominate someone, email lgfrits@yahoo.com

Name: Lauren Himiak

Age: 26

Her Adventure: On June 29, Lauren left for Uganda to work with children who've lost their parents to AIDS.

Her Main Gig: Lauren quit her full-time job in New York City as an editor at WebMD on June 19. When she returns from Uganda, she will continue her side job as the guide to National & State Parks for About.com, and also write freelance.

Her Inspiration: Always having worked in writing or editing, Lauren grew dissatisfied with her job this year.

"I was working extremely hard but wasn't feeling like I was gaining much out of it," she told Lemondrop. "I know I have a lot to offer, and I needed to find a field that let me express that. The unhappier and less fulfilled I began to feel at work, the more I started to think about what I wanted in a career and even out of life. When it came down to it, I knew that making a difference was what mattered most to me."

Her Bold Move: Lauren started considering humanitarian work and honed in on the AIDS epidemic in Africa. She started reading books and going to lectures about the topic and decided she wanted to help African women or children.

But Lauren didn't want a "Westernized" experience in Africa. Many programs offered modern amenities, but Lauren wanted to live in an actual village with Africans.

"I wanted to sleep where they sleep. I wanted to experience their hardships," she said.

So she searched for programs that would allow her to live in an actual village, deciding on the Global Volunteer Network. Lauren applied online to their Village Placement program, got accepted and was placed in the House of Hope Orphan Care and Globalize Primary School in Uganda working with children 3-12 years old who have all lost their parents to AIDS.

Click here to keep reading and learn how Lauren made her adventure a reality.

Her Funding: Lauren decided to go to Uganda for two months with the help of fund-raising from family, friends and co-workers. She had to pay for the program fee, airfare, travel insurance and vaccinations, among other costs -- in all over $5,000. Even though she's footing most of her own bill and will return to uber-expensive New York after her trip, Lauren made the brave decision to quit her job. When she returns, she wants to pursue humanitarian work as a career.

"I can't say it is the most level-headed thing I have ever done," she admitted. "But sometimes you have to take big risks in life."

Her Challenge: Not everyone was supportive of Lauren's venture. "Boy, did I hear the repercussions of that decision. 'Are you crazy?' was something I heard a lot. 'In this economy?' was another one. Yes, I understand the economy is in a difficult time, that many are unemployed and struggling ... But this is my life, and I know I am here to make a difference. I don't have kids, I don't own a house, I am young, I am healthy. I know how fortunate I am. So to me, this was the perfect time to do it."

Her Fears: She tries not to focus on them. Lauren says she's 100 percent prepared for a brand-new life, absent of electricity, clean drinking water and her native language.

"It will literally feel like a new world. And I love that! I want to feel completely out of my element. I am kind of excited to be in a situation so far removed from what I am used to. I really hope this is the first trip of many."

For more information on Lauren's trip or to donate money, visit laurenhimiak.com