Dear Wanderful family,

I hope this is the only time I will ever make this request of you. 

We have found ourselves in uncertain times and, in more ways than one, uncharted territories. With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on both lives and livelihoods, it is our shared responsibility to minimize spread by avoiding transmission of this virus, if not for our own health then for the health of others.

The best way we can do that is by taking off our traveling shoes and hanging up our backpacks. Not forever, but for just long enough that we can ensure the safety of our friends, family, and neighbors.

Please don’t travel right now. Here’s what to do instead.

If you heard me on stage this year at the Travel & Adventure Show, you’ll know that I believe firmly that travel doesn’t have to happen thousands of miles away from home.

All it takes is the desire to try something new, to let yourself be uncomfortable, and to challenge your preconceptions.

It turns out, you can do a lot of these things without even leaving your house. Here are a few suggestions:

Plug Into Our Online Wanderful Network

We’re giving away 500 scholarships to connect you to the world when you need it most.

Our global membership community connects women from around the world together in one virtual space.

With the onset of this pandemic, we’ve started new offerings like online language conversation circles, virtual chapter meetups, and more, so that we can build strong relationships without going anywhere.

Since we know so many of you are home (and struck with cabin fever), we want you to join our global community. If you can’t afford it due to a change in circumstances, we still want you in our family.

Sign up to get details about membership enrollment + travel inspiration:

Support Small Businesses

Hospitality and tourism aren’t just the places we frequent when we travel — small businesses at home are suffering, too. Here are some ideas to support your local small businesses:

• Buy a gift card from your favorite local restaurant or business to use later.
• Order takeout.
• Purchase the album of your favorite local musician.
• Dream about travel by continuing to read the blogs of your favorite content creators. The traffic slumps they’re experiencing will affect their livelihoods, too.

Work on Your Dream Hustle

If this is a chance for you to start the early mechanics of that business you’ve been dreaming of, we want to help.

We’re giving away 100 *lifetime* scholarships to Wanderful Creators to help new creators build businesses in travel if you apply in the next 30 days.

Plus, stay tuned for some special virtual activities to help experienced travel creators, being announced this week.

Please, Please Stay Safe

Find out everything you need to know about Coronavirus from the World Health Organization, read this blog from our community member and physician, Dr. Nadeen White-Underwood, and practice good hygiene.

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Wanderful was founded on the principle that women can be one another’s best assets when we travel. Now that travel has stopped, we can still help one another to be more globally-minded and to make meaningful cross-cultural friendships with women we’d never meet otherwise. 

In a time of increasing loneliness and solitude, let our sisterhood be here for you.

As one of our team members said best, now is the time for radical connection and dramatic inclusivity. We hope that by opening up our doors we can help satisfy that hunger to travel, just long enough to make the world a little safer for all when we venture out again.

In sisterhood,

Beth Santos

Founder and CEO, Wanderful