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Debbie Jacobs: Women and the Outdoors
Debbie Jacobs
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 Exploration in Travel, Inc.
phone 802-257-0152 • fax 802-257-2784
Meet Debbie Jacobs, the founder and president of Explorations in Travel, a company which organizes unique experiences for adventurous travelers. Debbie has been designing and leading active, educational travel adventures for over 20 years. When she's not leading trips she can be found at home in southern Vermont where she lives with too many dogs. |
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Women Wanderers through the Centuries
A Proud History for Today's Adventurous Women
In 1925 Harriet Chalmers Adams was not allowed to join the National Geographic Society, despite having traveled throughout the world and having her articles published by the Society AND appearing on their lecture circuit. The reason for denying her membership; she was a woman!
Alexandra David-Néel, a 19th century explorer of India, China, Nepal and Sikkim is perhaps best remembered for sneaking into Lhasa, the forbidden city of Tibet, by masquerading as a Tibetan beggar and living for 3 years in a cave in the Himalaya. Isabella Bird Bishop, an Englishwoman, spent time traveling alone on horseback in California's and Colorado's mining and pioneer towns in the late 1800's. Lawrence of Arabia was coached by Gertrude Bell who was denied his post because of her gender, even after having established relationships with most of the desert nomadic tribes in Saudi Arabi herself.
Women have a proud history of firsts and explorations. The spirit that sent women into unchartered territory 200 years ago can be found today. Women may not be plunging themselves into uncharted physical terrain, but it takes courage to break out of the prescribed molds created for women, especially older women. Whether women are hopping into rafts to spend several days on a river, flying around the world to visit a rainforest in New Zealand or exploring hiking trails at a nearby National Park, the first step in choosing a different kind of adventure vacation has usually been preceded by lots of dreaming and perhaps some butterflies in the stomach, and all too often, the head shaking of disapproving husbands and children.
The rise in women-only adventure travel companies is proof that the spirit of adventure and exploration is still strong in women today. A variety of opportunities exist to help women get out and wander in the world. Discovering that women have a proud history of daring may make it easier for some women to begin to follow their own dreams of exploration.
© Copyright 2006, Debbie Jacobs, explore@sover.net, 2458 River Road, Guilford VT 05301
This article may be reprinted if: 1.) It is reprinted in its entirety 2.) The byline remains intact.
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