Why am I making this map? For fun? A client? A gift? To showcase my favorite places?
Just for myself and the love of my life. We made this trekking together in 2007. This part of the Cordillera lays just above the homeland of that love, my husband since 2007.
It's an incredible place. We walked 4 days and saw most spectacular views. 
If I see back those pictures it makes me more then melancholic but also I feel so proud that we did this! It's nothing difficult, just go there and experience yourself!

Why am I the expert to create this map?
I don't want to be the expert, it's only that of all places where I've been until now this is the most heavily loaded. I was in love with everything that surrounded me. And really, I am born in the most flat part of the world and never felt home here...if I am in the moutains then I feel complete and living! Some time ago I made kind of a map, also about the cordillera...for They Draw and Travel. It's more like a panoramic thing. Want to do it better then this!

Who is my target audience?
Anyone can be my audience. Want to make a map that attracts people to go there. To make them aware of the beauty of this planet and the danger and sadness that is waiting us with the changing climate :(

Do I want my final project to be printed or digital? How is going to be used/held? What other constraints do I need to keep in mind moving forward? (Note type can be smaller on printed maps than when viewed on web)  
Nothing better then nice things on beautiful paper. Both of them I guess...love to see nice digital things but once in my hands there is nothing more touching then feeling the paper, smelling the ink and touching that sheet. Mostly I'm working in watercolour, I scan my drawings and make some little changes with the help of photoshop...but colouring digital for example...I'm still not so crazy to do that although I love to see nice digital illustrations. May'be I'llhave to try it in this course with my map ;) 

What level of detail do I need to include? (Names, addresses, contact info, street names, website, hours, descriptions, color coding, etc.)
Love thos maps with silly details, like where we were camping and that I was toasting a heart shaped bread while a dog wanted to steal out of my frying pan...I believe that makes a map so unique. I was always mad of those old maps from discoveries...with all kind of details.

Dear class, I need your help/expertise/guidance on how to.....
This course looks like very inspiring. I really hope to gather around our maps and share ideas and tips to make them all one for one a kind of treasury map. I can loose myself in details so I really want to make a map that isn't so full of details or better, that doesn't look full. I like very purified maps but they feel so empty for me. May'be you can help me with that. Look my examples down there and you know what I mean ;)

Since I was a little child i always played co-pilote in the car of my dad...I wanted to hold the maps, read the signs on the road, watch the passing moutains and orientate me in the big world.
Still I have that fascination for maps. I was even very upset if my husband buyed me a gps for the car. That is so different. But happy that my house is full of boxes with maps and all kind of maps sticked on my walls. ;) 
Cannot live without them but have to make more by myself!

My MAP-pinterest
http://pinterest.com/kathydewit/maps-and-old-world/

One of my watercolours about climbing Mt. Vida...the moutain that is called Life.

My first map for this project :