Hello! I’m Kara, an adventurer by heart and a designer by trade. As the youngest in the family, Earth Trekkers has always been a part of my life. I love to explore the world and share it with you all.
My first journey into adventure began when I was only 9 years old, when my parents embarked on one year trip around the world with Tyler and me.
It was a trip chock-full of adventures. We camped in the African wilderness, trekked to Everest Base Camp, traveled through Asia, and bungy jumped in New Zealand. And it was challenging, from language barriers to navigating uncertain terrain to surviving 12 hours on overflowing commuter buses. But it was the simple escape from ordinary life that broadened my understanding of cultures and lifestyles more than any classroom could. I evolved, became more empathetic, open minded, and resilient.
Upon coming home, I set out to share my experiences with others. Through creative pursuits and helping with the family’s Earth Trekkers travel blog, I express my love for travel and the amazing destinations I hope others will get to explore. My goal is to inspire others to escape their comfort zone and to experience the world.
Education
In my middle school and high school years I excelled in all subjects, but my passion for art remained. I made an art series detailing our adventure around the world - using a variety of mediums to share our family’s story in a meaningful way. It won a Scholastic Art Award. Later, my passion for track-and-field led me to paint a 60 foot mural at my high school’s football field to bring more pride to sports.
Eventually the time rolled around to pick a college. Since I come from an engineering family, there was a pressure to pursue that, but I desired a creative pathway. Creating art is what I find the most joy in doing, and I was eager to pursue a lifetime following that passion.
It was at this crossroads that I decided to listen to what I had learned and experienced on our adventure around the world; that is how the pursuit of happiness, passion, and curiosity returns more reward than the pursuit of urban standards.
So, I decided to enroll in the Savannah College of Art and Design. It is here that I found a match made in heaven, User Experience Design (UXD).
Within the UXD major, I collaborate in teams to design creative solutions to widespread problems, while ensuring that the final solution is usable and feasible. The major is similar to engineering, but with a focus on the appearance and interaction of the product.
UXD allows me to pursue my goal of encouraging others to explore the world. I can now create enjoyable and meaningful experiences in everyday life, whether through phones, computers, physical products, or even the way people experience spaces.
Current Status & My Role with Earth Trekkers
I am currently in my undergraduate studies at SCAD, learning to design user-friendly solutions. If you are interested in seeing my work, visit my portfolio.
Recently, I had the chance to use my visual design skills to redesign the Earth Trekkers website with the help of web developers. I know many of you are familiar with the current site, so don't worry—the organization will stay the same. We're just enhancing some visual elements to make the site easier to use. The project is still in progress, so stay tuned for the new design coming soon!
Furthermore, I continue to travel the world with my family, helping to write content and photograph sites. I recently embarked on my own adventure, a 12-day road trip through New England that starts on the shores of Cape Cod, travels through Maine, and ends in the peaks of New Hampshire.
My Favorite Travel Experiences
One of my favorite experiences is trekking the Walker’s Haute Route in Switzerland. This two-week trek begins at the base of Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France and travels to the base of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. The venture takes ambitious hikers up and over many mountain passes, through remote villages, and offers stunning views of the Alps. It was a tough journey, but incredibly rewarding and inspiring. I hope to do more trekking adventures like this in the future.
As someone who loves the mountains and outdoors, I loved traveling to Alaska. We visited many of its National Parks from the high mountain peaks of Wrangell-St.Elias to getting up close to bears in Katmai National Park.
In recent years I have gone on many trips to European cities, such as Prague, Vienna, London, and Lisbon. I’ve gone hiking in Madeira, road tripped through Iceland, and stood on the top of Breithorn in Zermatt, Switzerland.
With unique cultures and lifestyles, visiting each city is a remarkable experience. In future years I hope to do more traveling in Africa, Asia, and South America to expand this website’s expertise about these faraway places.
More About the Earth Trekkers
I’m not the only one with a bio! You can also read Julie's, Tim’s, and Tyler’s story and learn more about our family and our mission on our About page.
If you want to know where we have been, take a look at our Destinations page.
If you need some inspiration and ideas for your next trip, our Travel Itineraries page has sample itineraries from around the world.
Learn more about what it is like to travel around the world and how to plan an around the world trip on our How to Travel Around the World guide.
We donate 5% of our net income to charities that focus on environmental conservation issues.