On the Road, Our Way

#FakeVanLife: Karen Ramos

Episode Summary

Karen Ramos has been making a pretty big impact in the outdoor community this year through the conversations she’s been starting in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in outdoor spaces. And most recently, she went on a road trip that spawned #fakevanlife.

Episode Notes

Karen Ramos has been making a pretty big impact in the outdoor community this year through the conversations she’s been starting in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in outdoor spaces. And most recently, she went on a road trip that spawned #fakevanlife.

You might wonder how diversity, equity, and inclusion connects to road travel. Your mind might also jump to a very natural, comforting thought-- that you feel like the community you see and hear about out on the road is incredibly inclusive and supportive. But I also want you to think about every time you search online or meet other road travelers-- do you find a lot of diversity among those who are out there? Do you feel like what you see, or perhaps what you have, is truly accessible to others? We talk a lot on this podcast about how anyone can live or travel on the road-- but we rarely address the inherent privilege in the very statement itself.

Tune in for a fresh perspective on road travel told by someone who uses her voice to open up conversations where outdoors, travel, and DEI intersect.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What inspired Karen to love outdoor adventures and make it a focus of
  her career
• The thoughts that prompted Karen to start #fakevanlife
• How she sustained herself on the road with just the essentials
• Why Karen decided to share her road travels online, and the result of
  sharing her stories
• The few items Karen purchased or borrowed so she could take her road
  trip
• A few favorite moments from her road trip
• Karen shares her thoughts on why traveling is a privilege
• The moments Karen felt unsafe while traveling on the road
• What Karen learned about herself from taking this road trip

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Follow Karen on Instagram - @naturechola
• Learn more about Karen’s non-profit - Get Out Stay Out
• Instagram accounts Karen recommends: @brownenvironmentalist,
  @noel_russ, @unlikelyhikers, @melaninbasecamp
• We put together our own list of 13 Women of Color on the Road to
  Follow on Instagram
• Check out the 2-part series Gale Straub and Liz Song put together for the She
  Explores podcast on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors
  here:
• Episode 13: Diversity: Beyond the Buzzword
• Episode 16: Towards a More Inclusive Outdoors

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• Deuter

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Episodes air weekly on Fridays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Follow along with Laura Borichevsky on Instagram (@howsheviewsit) and see more of her work through her website, How She Views It.

Music is by The Volunteer State.

Music is also by Josh Woodward, Jason Shaw, Jazzar, and Hyson via Free Music Archive using a CC by A license.

A production of Ravel Media