Meet 8 Women Changing the World of Travel

What I love most about the world of travel are the people. The movers, the shakers, the explorers, the ones changing how we get to experience the inspiring cities, places, and adventures. The travel tribe has the same heartbeat — we all love to jump on a plane and go on an adventure. So when you get to connect and share this passion, something magical happens.

With the ever-growing and transformative world we play in, it is great to meet the people who are a part of the movement. I want to introduce a few of those special people. These women are avidly seeking their dreams. Sharing their love of travel — all in different ways. They are inspiring. They are doing something different.

I want to introduce to you 8 women in travel to aspire to. I did a brief interview to have these gals share about themselves, take a peak…

Meet Nastasia Yakoub of Dame Traveler

My name is Nastasia and I am the founder of Dame Traveler, a women’s travel community. What started as a hobby, blossomed into a wonderful venture, turning my life’s work into what I love doing most, traveling. I am currently working on ways to expand the blog and I hope to plan a women’s world Instameet soon, stay tuned!

(Also if you love the ‘gram, head over to our popular Instagram page, @dametraveler and feel free to submit your photos via hashtag #dametraveler for a chance to be featured in our collection of curated travel portraits!)

How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? My husband Johnny is the one who introduced me to this beautiful world of travel. He had traveled a bit internationally before we met, whereas I had never traveled further than Mexico! I asked him if he had ever visited Ireland, a place that I had always dreamed of visiting because of my love for Irish people! He surprised me with a trip to Ireland a month later. Needless to say, I caught the travel bug and never looked back. I have traveled to 15 countries since and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon!

What do you love about the travel community? THEY ARE THE MOST AMAZING, INTERESTING AND INSPIRING HUMANS ON EARTH. No, but seriously, what’s cooler than being able to say you’ve climbed Mt. Everest? Or that you’ve sipped chai with a local in Istanbul? Or that you’ve taken a selfie with a kangaroo in Australia? Nothing else really!
Anytime I meet someone and they reveal that they travel, I InstaLove them. It takes guts, courage and the realization that our time here on earth is short. Travelers understand this and this is why I love them so much. They don’t believe in living ordinary lives. Whether they’re visiting their hometown or traveling overseas, everyday is an adventure for them.

Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? South America! I’ve always dreamed of visiting that corner of the world. I plan on seeing as much of it as I can.

+ Follow her journey on Instagram @Dametraveler or on Facebook 

Meet Sarah Gerber of Twenty Twenty Studios 

Hi! I’m Sarah. I am a visual story-teller and documenter with a passion for travel and culture.

How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? My love for travel sparked when I was 13 and my grandparents invited me on a two week trip to London. I was completely captivated by the thrill of exploring a new place. And being the nerd that I am, I even carried a mini English history book as we wandered the city.

What do you love about the travel community? I love the sharing nature of the travel community. When someone finds a neat spot or has a tip, there is a culture of sharing that with others, which I love.

Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? Right now it’s probably a tie with Greece and Kenya (specifically a luxury safari trip).

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @twentytwentystudios and Facebook

Meet Stephanie Be of Travel Break

I am a full time traveler who meets people through social media. Yes, that means I don’t have a car, or apartment and am always on the road. As a digital nomad, I work remotely consulting in online marketing. Sometimes, I tell stories; but I mostly snap away with my Canon or Snapchat.

+ How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? As early as nine-teen, I knew there had to be more.

“Would you want to come to study abroad in Barcelona for the summer?”

Without hesitation, I packed up my bags, I traded thirty-page papers and fraternal shenanigans for sangria sensations. What a ball! Will Smith obviously hadn’t been to Barcelona when he wrote “Welcome to Miami.” My first time living abroad changed my perspective in its entirely, but it was only a decimal in the vagabond lifestyle it would lead up to.
Read: Travel: A Break of Life

+ What do you love about the travel community? People. I’m fascinated by how we can connect with unfamiliar faces. Reality is that people will hurt us (and we hurt people); but no matter how much destruction and pain there is in the world, it is people — those at home whom we trust — those that are there for us whom we’ve never met (cheers to social media) — and those that are passing by, only temporarily in our life, but forever in our memory.

+ Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? You can catch me celebrating the 150 Year Anniversary of the American Civil War next week in New York and Pennsylvania, and I’ll be volcano hiking at sunrise in Guatemala the week after. Let me know when I’m coming to your city, and we can meet up!

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @StephBeTravel and on Twitter

Meet Anne Elizabeth of Part Time Traveler

I’m a travel writer and photographer living in San Francisco! I’m here after a year of traveling full-time made me realize two things: one, I need a home base, and two, life is too short to not do what you love. I discovered this desire for balance, for both a life of travel and life at home — and to help others who want to pursue the same. A life of travel is more about priorities and living courageously than living out of a backpack. That’s when my blog Part-Time Traveler was born.

I now work as a travel writer full-time (pinch me!) which means I always have the freedom to choose where I want to be — whether that is on a plane to a new destination or at home in my favorite city in the world.

+ How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? Two trips really “got” me into travel. Both of them were turning points in the direction of my life, challenging my view of the world and of myself. The first was studying abroad in Barcelona — I lived with a Catalan family, became really immersed in the language, and explored Europe on the weekends. I got the chance to step out of the bubble I had grown up in and recognize who I was outside of the identity I had created for myself at home. The next was actually a work trip that took me to India. I was so nervous before I got on the plane that I was shaking. Though not without its challenges, I loved my time there. To this day India is still one of my favorite places in the world to travel, for the perspective and confidence it gives me.

+ What do you love about the travel community? People who travel just “get” it. Generally speaking, they understand that the world is much bigger than themselves, celebrate unconventional lifestyles and tend to value experiences over things. Even when I don’t see eye-to-eye with someone in the travel community I find them to be accepting and open-minded as a whole. The travel community is also full of self-driven, independent entrepreneurial types that I admire. Plus, they don’t roll their eyes when you tell your travel stories!

+ Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? The age old travel dilemma is true for me: return to a place you love, or explore someplace new?  Three new places I’m most looking forward to seeing are Japan, Cuba, and Tanzania. I’ll never turn down a return trip to Paris or India. And I find that sometimes exploring a new restaurant or a neighborhood in my own city fulfills my need for curiosity and wonder.

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @anne_elizabeth and Facebook

Meet Katalina Mayorga of El Camino Travel

 My name is Katalina Mayorga and I am the cofounder of El Camino Travel. El Camino is a travel company that curates off-beat experiences for groups of 10-12 people to unique locations. The trips all come with a creative photographer in tow, so that travelers can thoroughly enjoy the experiences. Our travelers received 20-30 edited each morning that they can immediately share to social media. In addition, a percentage of profits are donated to a local social entrepreneur who is trying to change the country for the better.

+ How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? My parents are from Colombia, so I grew up traveling between the US and Colombia. I remember spending summers or holidays there, exploring the fruit orchards of my uncles’ farms on the outskirts of Cali, Colombia. I remember being fascinated by how long and how much the adults could party and dance salsa. I remember seeing morsilla (a type of blood sausage) being cooked for the first time and my young taste buds being in complete culinary shock. And I remember how all of the new sights and smells felt so familiar, but so foreign at the same time. The latter is a conflicting but pleasant sentiment that continues to show up in my travels and now rings of nostalgia.

+ What do you love about the travel community? I am a newbie to the travel industry. We just launched in the summer of 2014, and we really did not know many people within the community. However, the community embraced this idea of ours with open arms and has been generous beyond belief with their knowledge and resources. Looking back on the past year, I can confidently say that we have been able to quickly build a strong network of supporters that we can count on and who are willing to help out in whatever way they can. I love how this is not an anomaly of some sort, but instead just how the community is—collaborative and generous.

+ Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? I am really interested in exploring the Philippines and its surf, hidden lagoons, and traditional weaving practices. The Philippines seem to be a fantastic alternative to the overcrowded beaches of Thailand and Bali while still providing the dramatic landscapes, pristine beaches, and rich culture that we all seek while traveling.

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @theyoufinder or the company Instagram @ElCaminoTravel

Meet Marianna of Nomadic Habit &  El Camino Travel 

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I am a photographer and cofounder of El Camino Travel. I believe in the power of travel and I believe in the power of imagery. I document the world and life as a reflex. My camera is like an extra limb. As a cofounder of El Camino, I am invested in providing authentic, experiential experiences to those who are thirsty for deeper travel.

+ How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? Having a mother from Finland and father from Indonesia, I have been traveling my entire life. From a young age, travel was just part of life. I was lucky enough to have access to this as a child thus planting the travel bug early on. The bug has evolved into a drug and now I cannot live without it.

 + What do you love about the travel community? The travel community is usually filled with people who are open to experiences, have an appetite for the unknown, and a love for rich culture. My creativity is fueled by being surrounded by like-minded people who both push and inspire me.

+ Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? I am dying to get to Iceland. Photographically I am eager to frame the vast landscape and linger in the sparseness of the country.

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @nomadic_habit or @ElCaminoTravel

Meet Sabina V. of Girl vs. Globe

Hi there! I’m Sabina, a globetrotting troublemaker… and that’s pretty much it at the moment. I just finished my degree in political science and now I’m figuring out how to pursue blogging full time.

+ How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? I first travelled abroad with my family when I was just one year old, so it’s safe to say travel has always been a huge part of my life!

+ What do you love about the travel community? I love the support and the understanding. I’ve actually created my own community through my blog, an amazing group on Facebook called “Girls vs Globe”. It’s where like-minded adventurous women come together and help each other pursue their dreams – and it’s pretty much the most supportive network anyone could dream to be a part of!

+ Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? I’m off to Canada this week, where I’ll be working on a very exciting project with KLM. You can check it out by following #KLMtoAlberta on Twitter and Instagram – and by following me on my social media channels, which will be full of beautiful Canadian nature for weeks to come.

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @girlvsglobe and Facebook

Meet Emma Kate of Emma Kate Co.

I’m Emma Kate. I’m a sometimes designer, sometimes travel writer, sometimes photographer, always free spirit. Basically, I tell stories – with paint, pen, texture and script. I freelance for creative types – I specialise in branding, ebook design, hand lettering and illustration commissions for clients. I contribute weekly articles to the beautiful blog World of Wanderlust – and behind the scenes lately, I’ve been working on a stationery + travel + lifestyle collection, which will launch in just a couple of months! I’ve got some big travel on the cards in September, and very excited!
My purpose is to inspire sudden smiles. Compassion. Happy sighs. To make days around the planet. My purpose is to inspire adventure – wanderlust – living the life of one’s dreams, with unabashed heart + clarity + soul + grace.

+ How did you get into travel, what was your first introduction? My Mum and my family lineage have influenced me greatly. I was born with wanderlust in my bones, because I hail from a long line of seekers. In 1974, at 23, my dynamo mother resigned from her teaching job, left her home town of Lucindale in rural South Australia spent a year hitch-hiking across the world with her best friend. And then there was Florence and Athol, my Mum’s two pioneering aunts, who traveled through Europe in the 1940s by scooter, at a time where women traveling alone was almost unheard of. Travel has always been encouraged and a big part of my upbringing, so I feel that this side of me was always meant to be.

When I was 21, I graduated from uni and jumped on a plane to explore the world. I spent ten weeks wandering around America, Canada and Europe. In preparedness, I had brought every map and guidebook under the sun, then left them all at the bottom of my suitcase and instead chose to follow my feet, forget the tourist must-do’s, and just soak it all up. The culture, humanity, language, vibe… the heart. It’s safe to say, on that first big trip I fell head-over-heels, ridiculously in love with the world. And it all went from there.

+ What do you love about the travel community? The kindred spirits! I love seekers who relate to the way of life I lead – one with unbridled freedom, and adventures always.

+ Where is the next place you are looking to fill your wanderlust? My next big booked trip, is back to London! I’m exhibiting my collection at the Top Drawer trade show. I’ll also visit Paris, Portugal, and hopefully Amsterdam or Copenhagen while I’m on that hemisphere.

If I could get on a plane tomorrow and go anywhere, I’d go to the salt flats of Bolivia.

+ Follow her journey on her personal Instagram @emmakateco or on Facebook