REPLAY: This episode with Calen Otto is from the vault and originally premiered on October 30, 2024.

Calen is a queer, anti-speciesist travel blogger who explores the big, wide world on a very small budget and is our most recurring guest on this podcast. Calen and I connected through the world of podcasting and became friends pretty instantly. It’s been over a year since Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast part of the United States, so it felt like a good time to replay this important episode. In this episode, Calen helps us explore the profound impacts of Hurricane Helene on North Carolina. Calen shares their personal experiences during the hurricane and reads a poignant essay weaving themes of climate change, speciesism, and social justice. Calen shared this essay on their podcast, and I instantly knew Consciously Clueless listeners needed to hear!

Guest Bio: Calen Ann Otto is a queer, anti-speciesist travel blogger who explores the big, wide world on a very small budget. After completing a solo trip across the USA at the age of 19 with only $300 and a bike, Calen discovered that there are so many alternative ways to travel that cost less. Inspired by their love of meeting strangers and sharing their incredible stories, Calen created the Unruly Travel blog. There, they share photos, videos, articles, and podcast episodes from their unique travels in hopes of inspiring others to get out and grow. Calen has been to 5 continents, 35 states, 20 National Parks, and more than 20 countries as a vegan and is passionate about doing the least amount of harm wherever they go. They wrote and published 'The Art Of Unruly Travel On A Budget' travel guidebook to make travel more accessible to all. 

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Music by M Baxley

Helpful Links from Calen:

• Hurricane Helene Essay: wanderwoman.online/index.php/2024/…north-carolina/
• Donate to mutual aid orgs in WNC: preview.mailerlite.io/preview/757985…69466110330501
• Episode #24 on Hurricane Florence: Unrulytravel-podcast – Modern-love-story-pig-rescue-hurricane-florence-north-carolina