Hello, fellow wanderers!

Welcome to WhatUpWanderers! This, the blog's first post, is to introduce the blog, myself, and, most importantly, the readers to one another.

Since you're most important, let's start with you, the readers: You (and I) are part of, or at least interested in, a new generation of travelers. For those of us between 18-30something, traveling has evolved beyond just about a work trip to a conference room or a 10-day scripted family vacation to a familiar location. We are wanderers. Young and eager to know a broader world. As our buddy Tolkien says, "Not all those who wander are lost."

On the contrary, our gen of wanderers is seeking out the connectivity between cultures, the one in which we grew up, and those we work with, learn from, and feel thrilled to explore. We are hungry to see beyond our American values...and hungry to try others' foods!

Some of our defining characteristics:

• Well educated yet believe that the "outside world" offers lessons just as or even more palpable/insightful than those from our extensive years in a classroom
• Use our income more for experiences, less for things
• Feel just as comfortable with a backpack full of our most important travel gear as in a luxury suite
• Are internationally traveled, yet appreciate equally the experience of a weekend in a cabin in VT
• Want to meet and know people of all types from all countries
• Can't keep track of where our friends are at any given moment
• Believe in an optimistic promise of global progression, one that is a multi-dimensional give and take between international business, political, and cultural entities

The purpose of the blog is to serve as a voice of this generation of wanderers, to become cohesive in our divergent trails. The blog will feature:

• Travel trends, especially for peeps our age
• Stories from travelers, on no particular theme (if you have one you'd like to share in less than 500 words, please email it to me!)
• Frugal travel tips
• Global news & issues of interest to wanderers
• Review of organizations serving this travel demographic

A quick word of personal introduction: I'm a 28 year-old student getting an MBA at NYU's Stern School of Business. Having just returned from a month in China, touring part of it with my hottie husband Scott, and the other part with my energetic mother Hilda, I'm looking forward to launching a business in the coming year. The business will inspire and guide young travelers in their planning of a gap year: time off from school or work to explore the world and learn more about themselves. If you'd like to know more about this developing business, please email me at wanderkate@gmail.com.

Let's get out there together!

Yours in Adventuring,

WanderKate