Heya, I’m Calen. To start off, I identify with a few different words: vegan, activist, queer, wanderer, traveler, femme, and writer… to name a few. These words/ideas seem to be the ones that mold my experience so actively. I’m currently sitting in a café (mostly plant-based, woot woot!) in Las Vegas as I write this. Do I live here? No. Where do I live? To tell you the truth, I don’t know anymore! Last year, I took a trip across the U.S., bike touring and making my way from Virginia to Hawaii, with almost no money. I say “almost” because as I was leaving for my adventure, my loving mother pulled out her strict “scary” voice and told me that I had no choice but to take the gift card that she was about to give me. I kept it with me to use when I felt like coming back home, but I ended up spending it when I crashed my bike down a hill and wrecked it into a tree. Other than that, I worked for things that I needed, including food and cash for transportation at times. And yes, I ate plant-based and continued my veganism the whole time! Even through the dumpster diving and working for food. This year, I find myself again on a similar journey. Only this time, I flew out to CA and am making my way back to the west coast (I think!). I have different goals and passions this year. While I’ve spent a good amount and of time and energy being an activist for nonhuman animals, and spent a smaller amount of time fighting for equality for humans… I’ve never worked so hard to grow my brain, compassion, and understanding as I am now. I run a WanderWoman.online”>travel blog where I share my findings of things that I’ve learned or done on the road. I teach others’ how to travel with no money, or just encourage them to live in a way that aligns with their passions and values. I’ve really turned it into a space where I can continue to be a social justice warrior, accompanying the blog with a podcast of my own. Creating this podcast has really allowed me to ask questions, not only to others but also to myself. I love the fact that I can pull veganism and activism into many other topics, reaching a wider audience of people who otherwise may have never acknowledged veganism. I continue to travel, through the U.S., and also down the path of becoming a more compassionate activist and human being. I spend most of my days meeting new people, (trying) to practice self-care, running, writing, reading, protesting, doing yoga, exploring, and wandering. I’m not sure where I’ll end up or when I get there, but I will follow my bliss along the way!

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  Contributor Bio Calen Otto is the voice behind the travel blog, WanderWoman.online. There, they teach you how to travel free with no money and how to follow your bliss, and share their findings on other important subjects. They aim to create a space where EVERYONE can feel whole, loved and heard. Posts most commonly touch on nonhuman animal liberation, human liberation, body positivity, anxiety, and social justice issues. Listen in on their podcast, Will Work For Food, which can be found on iTunes or SoundCloud to stay up-to-date with their travels, and listen to interviews with amazing humans that they meet on the road!

Follow Calen’s wandering on: Facebook | Instagram | iTunes | Soundcloud | Website

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