From a family tracing their African heritage to a music superstar honoring her Tennessee roots, our nine Travelers of the Year motivate us to explore the world at its finest—and once we’re on the road, they help make our trips more rewarding. These are the adventurers, trailblazers, and visionaries who’ve mastered the art of traveling well today. Dive into their insights below.
Outdoors Inspiration: Pattie Gonia
Wyn Wiley, the drag persona behind Pattie Gonia, is a force for environmental and LGBTQ+ activism, as well as a community builder.
Illustration by Natasha Cunningham, photograph by Samuel Crossley
Artist, eco-advocate, and drag queen Wyn Wiley—better known as Pattie Gonia—empowers LGBTQ+ youth to embrace the great outdoors. Through her nonprofit, Outdoorist Oath, she unites the queer community in Oregon’s parks and wilderness, her home state.
Her uplifting music videos blend environmental justice and pride in identity, featuring icons like cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Indigenous trans artist Quinn Christopherson.
“Every year, my community fundraises to send 10 queer kids on a fully funded backpacking trip,” she says. “One participant told me by the campfire, ‘This trip let me reclaim the childhood I never had.’ That’s what matters most to me.”
Top travel tip? Rise before the sun. Step outside, wander, and watch the world come alive.
How would you describe your drag style? Campy, sharp, sustainable, and bold. A lady in the streets, but a wild spirit on the mountaintops.
Cultural Caretaker: Liliana Palma Santos
Liliana Palma Santos runs Zapotec Travel, a tour company showcasing the achievements of Indigenous Oaxaqueña women.
Illustration by Natasha Cunningham, photograph by Alondra Hernández Jiménez
Book a Zapotec Travel tour in Oaxaca, Mexico, and you’ll explore local markets, cook alongside Indigenous chefs, join pottery workshops, or tour a woman-owned mezcal distillery. Founder Liliana Palma Santos aims to highlight the deep ties between Indigenous Oaxaqueñas and their ancestral history and archaeology.
By refusing to take commissions on artisans’ sales during tours, she ensures they keep every penny. “This work feels like my ancestors’ plan for me,” she says. “We have a word, galguez—it’s about reciprocity and mutual support. The women I collaborate with push me to do even more.”
What’s always in your bag? A tiny bottle of mezcal—for blessings, soothing stomachaches, or gifting.
Travel philosophy? Know whose land you’re on. Every place has Indigenous roots, with people who’ve safeguarded it for generations. I always honor that.
Disability Access Advocate: Vasu Sojitra
Vasu Sojitra is a pro athlete and disability access strategist, helping companies foster inclusion for people with… Read More
Illustration by Natasha Cunningham, photograph
Using his “ninjasticks” (forearm crutches), one-legged adventurer Vasu Sojitra has skied Denali’s West Buttress, scaled the Grand Teton, and trekked Montana’s Beaten Path. Based in Montana, he demonstrates the possibilities of outdoor life with a disability. Indoors, he works with groups like The North Face Explore Fund Council, crafting inclusive corporate policies and funding community projects.
On Instagram, Sojitra shares his journey as an adaptive athlete and tips for making outdoor activities more accessible. His Inclusive Outdoors Project takes it further, teaming up with local guides to teach skills and fund trail running, backcountry skiing, ice climbing, and gravel biking.
Top travel tip? Support Indigenous communities by buying their art, crafts, or food wherever you go.
Culinary Documentarian: Vicky Bennison
Vicky Bennison created Pasta Grannies, a YouTube channel celebrating the elders preserving Italy’s handmade pasta traditions… Read More
Illustration by Natasha Cunningham, photograph by Francesco Lastrucci
As the founder of Pasta Grannies, Vicky Bennison scours Italy to film nonne crafting pasta by hand—sometimes in rare shapes like pleated culurgiones (stuffed with potato) or coin-like corzetti.
Through viral YouTube clips and cookbooks with QR-linked videos, Pasta Grannies shares generations of culinary wisdom. Fans even plan trips around their featured locations, like Tuscany and Sicily. The most-watched video? Ninety-one-year-old Maria preparing lasagna in Faenza, just outside Bologna.
Travel philosophy? Remember—you depend on strangers’ kindness. Make every interaction a good one.
Genealogy Trackers: The Anderson Family
Based in Ghana, the Andersons (parents Ike and Natalee, kids Jasmine, Layton, and Kaylee) design immersive tours for travelers… Read More
Illustration by Natasha Cunningham, photograph courtesy the Anderson Family
After genealogy tests pointed them toward their roots, Natalee and Ike Anderson left Miami in 2018 to globe-trot with their kids: Jasmine (15), Kaylee (13), and Layton (9). They’ve hit 22 destinations, from Mexico (snorkeling in cenotes) to Canada (first snow!) to Egypt (meditating in the Pyramid of Giza’s King’s Tomb). In Ghana, they learned kente-weaving—and in 2021, they settled there, launching Exploring Legacy. The company runs West African tours and organizes rites of passage for young adults of African descent.
Sustainability Supporter: Susanne Etti
Susanne Etti, Intrepid Travel’s global environmental impact manager, focuses on decarbonization, climate change, and biodiversity.
Illustration by Natasha Cunningham, photograph courtesy Intrepid Travel
At Intrepid Travel, Susanne Etti spearheads carbon labeling for trips (500 done so far, aiming for full coverage by mid-2024). Travelers can now pick trips based on carbon footprints. She also cuts resource use to lower emissions—like swapping flights for trains—and protects ecosystems.