Annette, ready for adventure
With more than 3,000 members from all over the world and countless daily publications, Fat Girls Traveling , namely, fat girls who travel, is one of the forum overweight women and travelers most active on the internet. behind him is Annette, a Californian digital nomad who has been working in the fashion industry, and four touring the world.
"I created Fat Girls Traveling shortly after I got hooked on traveling. I'd been blogging for a while now on my **blog** about travel, plus size fashion and trends, and uploading photos to **Instagram.** I used the most popular hashtags, so that my images reach the greatest number of people", Annette tells us from Asia, the continent that she has decided to explore during this year.
"After a while, I started to realize that the most shared photos were of skinny blonde girls, so i decided to create my own platform , one that only included women with my appearance. I had no idea it was going to be so popular "says the blogger about her account, which she already has more than 12,000 followers.
In it, spectacular snapshots of destinations appear "colorful, eye-catching and inspiring", in which the protagonists ** go beyond the typical canons ** that populate the world of travel photos. "The mass media prefer to put out women who fit the bill. European beauty standard; They are usually fair-skinned, with long, straight hair and slim bodies. What person of color, I find the diversity important, so I try to make my Instagram account diverse and inclusive . For example, I don't want only female travelers to appear with silhouettes like Hourglass, because not all fat girls have that kind of body.
FAT GIRLS TRAVELING, MORE THAN A TRAVEL FORUM
After opening the blog and the Instagram profile, Annette decided to found the private Facebook group Fat Girls Traveling (FGT) so that there would be a safe place in which overweight girls could throw questions around the world of travel. Almost a year after doing it, she tells us that many of the issues revolve around the comfort of the seats of the airlines, in addition to the amusement parks and their weight restrictions.
"As a curvy traveler, one of my biggest fears often has to do with if I will fit in the sites. Will I be comfortable in the plane seat or my armrests will stick on the thighs? Will the seat belt I find be enough or will I have to order a replacement? extender ? Will the chairs in the restaurant be strong enough to support my weight or will they sag under the pressure...?" explains Annette.
In the group, as in any other travel forum, recommendations are requested about things to do abroad, but there is also talk of fashion, shops plus size , how to deal with being in a mixed relationship, how to deal with having co-workers who behave differently cruel way with overweight people..."FTG is a travel group, but in many ways it's also a support group ", summarizes the blogger.
THE REALITY OF TRAVELING OVERWEIGHT
But apart from concerns about comfort, are there so many differences between the concerns of female travelers who conform to the canons most accepted beauty products and those that are not? "The differences can be from very subtle to offensive Annette clarifies. "The diet culture is so ingrained that unless you are aware of it, it becomes the rule. I notice mild forms of discrimination on a daily basis, but it is much more obvious when I travel with friends because they tend to get angry when they are aware of them".
"I used to worry about or what people said about me, the fact that they pointed at me and laughed , making cruel comments or unpleasant noises. But soon I realized that or I can control how others react, I can only try not to be affected by their reactions. And, to be honest, during these four years that I have been traveling, all that I feared It has happened to me. people can be very cruel sometimes; laugh at fat people It is one of the last forms of discrimination accepted by society. Sometimes, there are those who try to hide their hatred for my body with the excuse that They care about my health but that implies that I don't. There's no way anyone can tell just by looking at me if I'm healthy or not, but some seem to think so", analyzes the traveler.
"I've gotten pretty good at ignoring those who they intend to embarrass me or defending myself when someone crosses the line", continues the author, who, as an example, recounts one of her last experiences in Thailand: she wanted to buy a dress and had to endure the teasing of the vendors , so, although she liked the garment, she went to another store to spend the money; one in which shop assistants behaved kindly
INSPIRATION THAT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND SIZES
These types of attitudes are what Annette intends to transfer to the women of FTG, encouraging them to " get in front of the camera, take that plane and carry out that adventure, because it's worth the risk ". "I love it when someone in the group shares what they are doing his first trip in years because she felt inspired looking at the photos of the other members. I feel like a proud mother when someone says that she is wearing a swimsuit in public for the first time and share a photo with the rest. She also makes me extremely happy when women from all over the world connect with each other through the group and get to travel together or meet during their travels. Makes this vast world seem very small ".
This summer, even more women in the group will have the opportunity to meet in person thanks to the Fat Camp , a summer camp just for adults which will take place in the mountains Blue Ridge from North Carolina. "It's not your typical fat camp: there diets will not be discussed. Instead, we'll have a good time in the sun, talk about travel. Nothing of count calories or waste time worrying about the weight: we will take delicious foods , We will have a Happy hour daily, we will dance until dawn and we will roast marshmallows at the stake All in an accepting environment, which will also be attended by some of the most influential figures in the body positive movement ".