![\"Ladies](\"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ladies-we-love-kate.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLadies We Love is a monthly interview series with women from around the world that provide us with inspiration through their travels and personal stories. This month we<\/i> caught up travel writer Kate of Travel For Difference Blog.<\/i><\/p>\n
Kate turned her life upside down when she left her 9-5 role as a makeup artist and began living a life built around sustainability \u2013 all sparked by her travels. She educates and inspires all things eco travel through her Instagram and Blog whilst demonstrating how we can all strive towards living compassionately.<\/p>\n
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Hi, I\u2019m Kate! I\u2019m 23 years old from Melbourne, Australia and I\u2019m the writer behind Travel for Difference<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019m incredibly passionate about sustainability, eco-travel, green living and everything in between, so that\u2019s where my heart generally lies! I go on amazing adventures a few times a year and share my experiences and my knowledge online, but the rest of the time I\u2019m at home surrounded by an excessive amount of animals and an ever-expanding veggie garden\u2026 I guess you could say it\u2019s my happy place.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t LOVE labels, but I like to say that I\u2019m a compassion enthusiast, a deep thinker (seriously, if you get me started on outer space I\u2019ll probably end up crying), an eco-conscious human being and a lover of all life on earth.<\/p>\n My main three mottos are \u201cExperiences over Possessions\u201d, \u201cCompassion over Comparison\u201d and \u201cProgress over Perfection\u201d – I think that sums me up pretty well!<\/p>\n I love this question because sharing what I learn each week is one of my all-time favourite things! So here goes:<\/p>\n Well before I started travelling, I didn\u2019t care much about sustainability at all! I worked as a makeup artist which created a lot of waste, I had absolutely no knowledge on climate change or the fate of the planet, and to be honest, I was pretty ignorant to it all.<\/p>\n But everything seemed to change for me after visiting India and Alaska\u2026 India showed me extreme pollution alongside excessive amounts of waste, and Alaska showed me melting glaciers and the overwhelming signs of climate change.<\/p>\n It was kind of like an awakening I guess – but a subconscious one as I didn\u2019t really know it at the time. But ever since I came home from those two trips, my morals, my beliefs and my interests were totally flipped on their head. I quit my job, I delved into a different career path, I made some drastic life changes and I\u2019ve been trying my best to be as kind to the earth as possible ever since.<\/p>\n The biggest thing I learnt over that period is that if I want things to change, I can\u2019t sit around waiting for someone else to change them\u2026 I\u2019m not perfect by any means, but I\u2019m just trying my best to listen, learn and grow, and help make the world a better place for our future generations to thrive!<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to add a 4th one just because I think it\u2019s really important\u2026<\/p>\n Research, research, research, and always<\/i> question yourself.<\/p>\n Before you visit a destination, book a hotel or plan a day trip, ask yourself if it\u2019s good for the people, good for the animals and good for the planet too. There\u2019s never going to be a perfect answer… It\u2019s just about finding the best alternative.<\/p>\n For example: Before you book a hotel, make sure that it\u2019s locally owned and not an international chain. Before you visit an animal attraction, make sure it\u2019s actually<\/i> ethical – or opt for a wild encounter instead. Before you book a short internal flight, check if you can get there across land instead!<\/p>\n Always do your research and try your best to look at things as a complex whole, rather than a black and white issue. Sustainable travel is a balancing act of the environmental, social and economic impacts, to the best of your ability!<\/p>\n Fast fashion is bad, bad news. Clothes are made cheaply, unethically and unsustainably so that you\u2019re constantly encouraged to replace them and keep up with the trends. Buying from fast fashion stores like Zara, Boohoo, Topshop, ASOS, etc can understandably seem good for your wallet and your growing wardrobe, but the workers, the environment and the planet often pay a very heavy price.<\/p>\n Australians throw away 6000 kg of clothing every 10 minutes, and many workers in the fashion industry earn less than $3 a day\u2026 It\u2019s a big issue, to say the least.<\/p>\n So to break out of the fast fashion cycle, the most important thing you can do is VALUE your clothing; treasure them, treat them with respect, repair them when they\u2019re damaged instead of throwing them away, and become a proud outfit repeater!<\/p>\n Buy second hand where possible, participate in clothes swaps, and support ethical\/sustainable brands instead of those that don\u2019t really care. They might cost more, but if you have the ability (and the privilege) to buy them, try and look at them as an investment – and a good deed to the planet – and you\u2019ll actually end up saving money!<\/p>\n Tonga, Samoa, Nepal, Whitsundays and Uganda!<\/p>\n That\u2019s a tough one! Definitely, New Zealand as I have family there, but also because it\u2019s just breathtakingly beautiful and a nature lover\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n And Kenya too – I think I could watch the wildebeest migration every year for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. Being surrounded by wildlife is what sets my heart on fire!<\/p>\n For the people:<\/i><\/p>\n Kiva<\/a> – An amazing global nonprofit working to alleviate poverty through loans rather than donations. By lending as little as $25, you can help people around the world create an opportunity for themselves, grow their own businesses, lift the local community, and realize their potential. Your loan will get repaid, and then you can use that money to loan again!<\/p>\n For the animals:<\/i><\/p>\n![\"Ladies](\"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ladies-we-love-kate-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2) Each week on Instagram you share what you\u2019ve learned, so what pearls of wisdom can we expect this week?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n3) Sustainability features highly in your blog, what led you to become so passionate about our planet?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n4) What are your top three tips for living a more eco-friendly lifestyle?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n5) What is your number one tip for sustainable travel?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n6) What advice can you share with our travel girls about fast fashion?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n7) What are your top travel destinations for 2019?<\/h3>\n
8) If you could keep revisiting the same place year after year, where would it be?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n9) We Are Travel Girls launched Travel Girls Giving this year to help promote charities, nonprofits and organisations working to help people, animals and the planet. Do you have any charities and organisations you can recommend to us and our readers?<\/h3>\n
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