What inspired you to work for Wanderers Club Inc?
Travel has shaped my life and I want to create opportunities for others to travel in the way that I have by immersing themselves in a community to better understand a place. By focusing on the people that one meets when traveling, rather than the places, we can create dynamic and unique opportunities for every individual traveler. We can begin to distinguish travel as a practice of understanding while participating in tourism as a practice of observing.
Teamwork time. This was a chart study I had with some students during the program.
What are some current projects you are working on?
We are currently working on creating trips across Cuba, focused on fashion, farming, dancing, and conservation. All trips are complex and unique, however, Cuba presents a singular challenge in that there is simply not as much information about it as in other places. From Cuba, we will expand to The Bahamas and then across the Atlantic and Mediterranean to Egypt.
Just practicing my cage diving skills on land while in Cape Town, South Africa.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Aside from making sure I have plenty of socks and underwear, and a good pair of walking shoes, I always remind myself that when I approach the world with openness, I receive openness. Lean into the not-knowing and be comfortable there so that you can absorb as much as possible from the experience you're in.
What makes Wanderers Club special?
The Wanderers Club is special for a number of reasons. It is female founded, female operated, and female owned. We focus on inclusivity rather than exclusivity, and while we aim to create unforgettable adventures, our main goal is to create a conscious community keen to be travelers rather than tourists.
Why should someone choose the Wanderers Club over competitors?
Travelers looking to experience the world in a unique way should work with us over competitors because we are there with you. We are not held up in an office in a big city in the United States, our team is all over the world going on trips, creating relationships, and building the community that makes it all possible. These personal connections mean that everyone traveling with us is an individual not a number and we care what you think, feel, and experience.
Furthermore, we don't ditch you at the airport once you get home. Wanderers Club wants to hear your stories of past trips and help you plan the next ones too.
This is me with some friends boating on the water in the beautiful land of Cuba!
What is the Wanderers Club's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
In a world that is more interconnected than ever before, we firmly believe that learning is the foundation for any progress, and travel is a fundamental component of how we learn. It allows us the opportunity to change our perspective, experience different ways of life, and understand the planet from a natural standpoint.
These experiences make us more empathetic and understanding, and allow change-makers and thought leaders to recognize gaps and inequity in social and environmental issues. The Wanderers Club intends to equip the next generation of leaders with a more nuanced, empathetic view of the world around them through immersive travel.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
My hope is that participants walk away from our programs with friends in new places with whom they can share lasting relationships. We spend a lot of time selecting the local communities in which we work so that our participants have the opportunity to create bonds with incredible people doing good work all over the world.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
The simple answer is that it creates a greater sense of empathy for the unknown. By stepping out of our own comfort zone and into someone else's we open ourselves up to learning and that openness creates reciprocal openness allowing people to connect beyond cultural or language barriers. Those connections last lifetimes, even if just in our own memory.
Relaxing by a Banyan Tree with a friend in the Bahamas, Eleuthera to be exact.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
All travel is meaningful in that it is a skill which one can improve through practice. That said, meaningful travel for me is travel in which a human connection is made in a way that sticks with me. A late night conversation with young Cuban professionals about the state of their society, or a game of pick-up soccer with Haitian kids in The Bahamas.
What hopes do you have for the future of international education?
My hope is that international education becomes more cognizant of where their money is being spent. Many locations known for tourism struggle to keep any of the money spent in their countries in the communities as it is easier for travel providers to book large multinational companies to work with.
In The Bahamas, for example, 85 cents of every dollar spent here leaves the country. We are working to make travel local and to keep the majority of every dollar spent in a place in that community.