SARA EVEREST BECKER
AGE // 23
OCCUPATION // Outdoor Trip Leader & Intentional Wanderer
LOCATION // Sydney, Australia (beginning next month)
HOMETOWN // Grosse Pointe, MI
Sara hasn't been on a WHOA adventure yet, but she's traveled to some of our favorite places including Germany, Peru, Costa Rica, and Tanzania...and hopefully India soon!
Window or aisle seat?
Aisle. Though I generally go straight into snooze control :)
What are the three things you never leave home without when you're traveling?
1) Camera
2) Rag-like "travel" scarf
3) Eye-mask (cure-all for long flights)
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Teleportation. How awesome would it be to be able to jump from place to place instantly?
Would you rather spend a day scuba diving with sharks, hiking in the Himalayas or hot air ballooning in Turkey?
Hiking in the Himalayas is an epic dream of mine. I'm hopeful to one day make it to Everest Base Camp for my middle name's sake and because it is incredibly majestic.
What’s the hottest place you’ve been to? What about the coldest?
Hottest = Tie between Bali, Indonesia and the Daintree Rainforest outside of Cairns, Australia in the summertime. Holy humid.
Coldest = You'd think it'd be Iceland or the very South of Patagonia in the winter, but home (Grosse Pointe, MI) has to be the coldest.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your life?
For the past five summers, I have been an outdoor guide, leading adventure trips all over the world for teenagers - hiking, volunteering, learning languages. Being able to expose kids to incredibly beautiful places like Patagonian Argentina and Chile, Tanzania, Hawaii, or even just Vermont, has been truly rewarding. They learn to appreciate nature, simplicity in their surroundings, and also engage their curiosity by immersing in new places, cultures, and with new people. Watching it all unfold is magical. As the years go by, you continue to see growth and eagerness to explore the world. To be at the start of the process each summer with these bewildered kids is easily one of my greatest accomplishments.
In what moment or trip did you fall in love with travel?
I've been inspired by so many people in my life and their travels, their adventures, their good nature - hearing about their curiosity and hunger for travel ignited my love for "intentional wandering." However, I think the wanderlust really started to take affect after I spent three weeks in remote Peru, tucked away in the Sacred Valley. It's beauty in scenery and culture made me eager to explore more of the world and experience this sensation in as many countries as I can.
What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? Where did you eat it?
This past summer, I joined a Massai warrior in the slaughter and cooking of a local goat in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania, just outside Ngorongoro Crater. We dined on goat liver roasted over an open fire and intestine soup; really not bad, but questionable on my behalf as a non-red meat eater... whoops. The experience was too cool to pass up.
What is your dream adventure?
India! I've been dreaming up a visit to India for a while now. My best friend and I are hoping to make it to Northern India soon for the celebration of the Holi Festival, and of course to see the Taj Mahal, enjoy some yoga, eat plenty of delicious curries, and trek along the Himalayan border along Tibet and Nepal. The colors, the culture, the beauty; it is all just so enchanting!
What is your mantra or favorite quote?
I am a firm believer in karma; what you give out is what you take in. But more specifically, while traveling, I was once given the travel advice: "Never turn down an invitation and always talk to the person next to you." At times it simply cannot be applied, but I've always kept it in mind and it has allowed for me to meet and befriend some incredible people and take advantage of spontaneous opportunities around the world.