At Wanderful we’re all about the sisterhood, and we love hearing from our community! That’s why being a global member (formerly known as a “pro member”) is so cool: Wanderful women from all over the world get to access the all the benefits of being Wanderful in awesome ways.
In addition to exclusive, members-only access to resources and content on sheswanderful.com, global members get access to our monthly webinars featuring inspiring women travelers, $20 off their tickets to the Women in Travel Summit, and so much more.
To say thank you to our global members and celebrate what an awesome community of women we have, we feature one global member a month.
Give a big hello to Karla Strand!
Karla is new this year to travel blogging and to Wanderful. She works fulltime as the Gender & Women’s Studies Librarian for the University of Wisconsin System but in her free time she hikes, backpacks, reads, travels, and runs globaletalibrary.com, a travel and outdoors digital library and blog.
Where are you from?
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Social media handles and blog:
Digital library and blog: www.globaletalibrary.com
Instagram: @GlobalETA
Twitter: @GlobalETA
Pinterest: @GlobalETA
Facebook: GlobalETALibrary
What makes you Wanderful?
Like all of us, I love to travel. But what I love about travel is witnessing and experiencing how other people live on a day to day basis. I want to see the world, even the more touristy sites, but I crave authenticity and meaning. I strive to be responsible and ethical in my travel experiences and exercise compassion, always seeking to understand others’ perspectives and realities. This can be difficult at times but I welcome it because it’s only by being uncomfortable and challenged can we grow!
Tell us about your most impactful travel experience.
My most impactful travel experiences have been my trips to South Africa. My doctoral research was focused on how public libraries in KwaZulu-Natal can help alleviate information inequality in their communities and so that took me to the country the first four times. Then one year I taught an SA history course that culminated in a trip there with 12 students; the last time I went (just last month) was actually only for fun, no work! But if I had to choose one of these as the most impactful, it would have to be the first because it was a dream realized. I had been captivated by SA growing up mainly because I followed the anti-apartheid movement and couldn’t believe that kids who were my age were fighting and dying for the freedoms that I took for granted every day. It really struck me. I still have the newspaper clipping from the day Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years as a political prisoner. So to finally be able to travel there was something I will never forget.
Which destination have you always wanted to visit?
I’ve only been a few places so I want to visit so many! On the top of the list right now is Cuba but I also want to continue making my way north on the continent of Africa, to Namibia specifically.
What’s your travel mantra?
What guides me in my travels is not necessarily a mantra, but lyrics:
“As I walk the hemisphere
I got my wish to up and disappear
I’ve been wounded, I’ve been healed
Now for landing I’ve been,
Landing I’ve been cleared.”-No Ceiling, Eddie Vedder
Share your best tip for female travelers.
Don’t aim for fearlessness, aim for courage in the face of fear.
What do you like most about being a global member?
I’ve been really appreciative to (virtually) meet other members and have learned so much from them already! I enjoy reading others’ experiences and blogs because they are so inspiring of my wanderlust! I just registered for WITS (my first one) and am very excited to meet other Wanderful members in person!
Get more involved with Wanderful: Be a global member!
For $7/month or $69/year, you get all the perks of free membership, plus:
- Special perks at select events & admission to members-only events in a chapter near you
- Access to our monthly members-only webinars featuring inspiring women travelers around the world
- $20 off your ticket to the Women in Travel Summit
- Opportunity to be a featured member on sheswanderful.com
- Exclusive members-only access to resources and content on sheswanderful.com
- Member badge for your blog or website
Sign up now
What do you love about the Wanderful community? Share with us in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Karla Strand, at Cape Point, South Africa.
