Lately I've been finding myself with more virtual friends than physical ones. Now, that's not to say I'm obsessed with The Sims (is that still even a real thing?) or engrossed in dating apps (ugh). Living in a city that makes the act of making friends pretty difficult, it's comforting to be able to find like minded people to talk to & share stories with..thanks to social media.
Facebook Groups & Instagram Connections are something I'm becoming more and more fond of. As I continue on this blog/website/social media journey that is She Who Wanders, I'm increasingly surprised at how many people I'm interacting with on a daily basis who share my same passions and are able to shed light onto destinations I never even imagined I would some day love to explore. I'm hoping to make this a regular posting so if you have any groups you're a part of that you think I should hear about, then please send them my way! This time around, it's for the ladies out there. It's refreshing to see just how many female focused groups & platforms are coming to light these days empowering girls of all ages to get out and explore the world around them. Whether it's hiking in your own backyard or sharing travel stories, these 3 groups have definitely become an awesome resource for trip planning and connecting with girls from all over the country/world.
This is a group I came across on Instagram earlier in the year and after being a part of it for months I got in touch with Jenny & Lindsay the superwomen behind this venture & began submitting blog posts for their website(see my post here ). Two Alberta girls, Jenny & Lindsay started this platform as a means to bring together like minded ladies with a passion to explore. I was able to chat to Lindsay this week and when asked the reason for starting up the account & platform she replied "We (Jenny & Myself) started Women Who Explore because we wanted to create a community where regular women doing regular things could be inspired and share their stories. Exploring means something different to everyone and whether that means hiking or surfing or simply taking a walk, we wanted you to feel included. This community it about support and empowerment, about encouraging women and girls of all ages that getting outside and exploring is easy, accessible and fun." I'm stoked to be a part of this group & have the opportunity to share my stories & hear those of other women who are taking full advantage of the places they live or the places they're exploring across the country. There are events in the works, so if you are based out of Alberta be sure to check their links below & if you're in BC there is talk of events taking place in 2017 so keep your eyes peeled!
I moved to BC in the summer of 2015 & if you've been keeping up with my life during that to me you'll know that the struggle to make friends in this city has been all too real. Fast forward to Summer 2016 and I stumbled upon this group on Instagram. Run by the lovely Natasha who I've had the pleasure of chatting with this month & have done an Instagram takeover for & in the process of working on a blog post for the newly launched website. She was able to give me a little bit of insight into the reason she started this account & what she hopes to accomplish with it "BC Adventure Girls is a website, it is social media profiles, but it is most importantly a community of women coming together to celebrate adventure in BC. Whether adventure comes from hiking, skiing, kayaking, running, skydiving, or any number of other activities able to be enjoyed in BC. We are a collective of women supporting each other and experiencing life side by side through photos, blogs, and in person meetups." I couldn't have been more excited to hear from her earlier this month when she announced that the first ever meet up would be taking place on New Years Day 2017! What better way to ring in the new year than by snowshoeing up at Mt.Seymour, If you'll be in Vancouver New Years day & are keen to get in on this check out the event here. I've had the chance to interact with some pretty rad chicks thanks to this group so I'm excited to meet some more & kick off the new year with a proper adventure!
This is a group I've posted about before, as it was this group alongside Air New Zealand that held a wicked contest last year for round trip Air Fare to NZ. Sadly I did not win but I was able to interact with hundreds of girls who entered as well and fully realized how special a group this is. Haley is the lady behind this incredible group along with dozens & dozens of moderators to make this group possible for over 150K ladies from around the world. Used as a sounding board for travel ideas, a place girls can come and share their travel memories & bucket list dreams, a place to come & be uplifted by hundreds of thousands of like minded girls, GLT is a huge inspiration. Taken from the group's Facebook page "We are a sisterhood / a community to assist you with growing your travel bucket list, finding others to explore the world with, and help empower you with safety and support when you are out traveling!" I couldn't agree more myself, I've used the group to find out must see spots for my travels, ask questions about certain airports & to build up my ever growing bucket list. They've just begun starting up trips for the girls in GLT to Iceland in the New Year and I'm excited to see what new & exciting destinations will pop up in the future!
I'm happy that although not surrounded physically by like minded ladies, I have a place to go and seek that out. A place to voice my travel aspirations & throw back to some wicked travel memories I've made. Looking forward to 2017 and what these 3 groups have in store for all the members who are involved. If there are groups you're a part of that you'd like to share please let me know. I'm always wanting to find new groups to explore & meet more people because of it!