WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
The 3 select winners will be publicly announced via email on January 7th, 2024.
Sign up to below to be notified of future PL grant opportunities & PTO!
HAVE YOU BEEN DREAMING OF TRAVELING SOLO... BUT YOU'RE OVERWHELMED TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT ALONE?
I founded Packs Light on mission has been to help women seek risk, seize opportunity, (skip debt!) and see the world 🌎✈️✨
I'm passionate about removing barriers to travel and empowering women to learn more about themselves by learning more about the world–that's why I created the Packs Light Travel Grants.
The second grant of this series is the Solo Not Solo Grant. And this one's special: I only want to give it to you—the die-hard women who love Packs Light and live our brand values daily. That's why I'm only promoting this to my email list (so shhh, don't share this page! 🤫)
CLOSED!
THE BRIEF:
SOLO ≠ ALONE
Powered by Packs Light and Intrepid Travel, the Solo Not Solo Travel Grant is an opportunity for 3 lucky women to travel with me, Gabby Beckford 👋🏽, on a fully-funded Intrepid trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from February 10th-17th, 2024 to experience the famous Carnival! And did I mention: I'm going too? 👀
We'll learn about Rio's vibrant city history and unique blend of cultures. We'll eat delicious dishes and have a very bucket list Carnival experience.
This group trip is designed to reframe the way you think about ‘solo travel'. Three (3) women will be chosen to participate in this trip– none of whom know each other– and who will all be traveling solo, together. It will be just as if you signed up solo for any other Intrepid trip, but with the training wheels of knowing me and other Packs Light fans.
Submit an application telling me why you're excited to experience Carnival in Brazil with me, on this solo not solo girls trip!
MY SOLO TRAVEL STORY
If you been following Packs Light for a while you likely know that I took my first solo trip at age 17 to Iceland.
I've talked about how that trip was like trying to take a sip from a firehose: scary, intense, backpacking in the wilderness with strangers. I'm glad I came out on the other side, but looking back, it could have scared me off of solo travel for good. If I had to do it all again, I would do a paid travel opportunities (PTO) for my first solo trip! My second choice? A group trip, for sure!
That's why I'm combining the two and offering the Solo Not Solo Travel grant.
My first solo trip set the course for the rest of my life, and I think this could do the same for you no matter what age you are. As a part of the Packs Light community it's an honor to help you on your journey.
WHY APPLY?
A TRIP TO BRAZIL
(trip value $5,510 USD)
3x winners will receive a 1-week, fully-funded trip to Brazil with Intrepid. This means all flights, accommodations, meals, and activities will be taken care of. All you have to worry about is enjoying the local food, culture, history, people, and of course, Carnival! 💃🏻
The experience of a lifetime!
Brazil Carnival 😍 An event on many traveler's wildest dreams. We'll spend a week in Rio diving into the culture, traditions, lifestyles, city sights, day trips, and of course the Carnival celebration!
Dig into the Packs Light community (and meet me, Gabby, in person!)
Experience the Packs Light ethos in person, with a trip with me!
No stress
Join the Packs Light Travel Grant Alumni Community with a Certificate of Achievement, as the winner of the 2nd ever Packs Light Travel Grant.
ELIGIBILITY
We want to see how strong your “why” and alignment with Packs Light and Intrepid's values are to be selected as a winner for this solo girls' trip.
You are eligible if you:
- will be age 18+ by December 6, 2023
- identify as a woman (BIPOC women especially encouraged to apply!)
- are a resident of the 50 U.S. states or territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, etc. or Canada, and hold either passport
- have been dreaming of going on a bucket list solo trip but have felt particularly overwhelmed at the thought of tackling the planning, logistics, booking process along
- identify as a “die-hard” fan of me, Gabby Beckford, and @packslight! We'll be spending a week on this girls-trip together, so
We want you to apply if you don't travel solo or take bucket list trips like this one because you find planning them overwhelming and/or confusing.
Want to stay in the loop for the next Packs Light Travel Grant? 👀✈️💰 Join my weekly newsletter and find out first!
Meet the TEAM!
Intrepid Travel
SPONSOR + HOST 💰
As a certified B-corp, Intrepid Travel is the leader in responsible, ethical small-group adventure travel.
On the Brazil trip, we'd be led by an Intrepid tour guide from Brazil, who will be our local bestie and show us part of Carnival and the city of Rio that we never would have been able to discover on our own.
Gabby Beckford
HOST 👋🏽
If you're seeing this, you know me 😝 I am an entrepreneur, creator, and full-time traveler obsessed with helping women of color see the world. I founded the PTO Dashboard, where I've shared hundreds of thousands of dollars to help remove financial barriers to travel. I've also given away over $15,000 in my own paid travel opportunities to my community.
And I'm just getting started!
FAQs
Looking for more information? Here are our some frequently asked questions.
You are eligible to apply to the Solo Not Solo Grant if:
- will be age 18+ by December 6, 2023
- identify as a woman (BIPOC women are especially encouraged to apply!)
- are a resident of the 50 U.S. states or territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, etc. or Canada, and hold either passport
- have been dreaming of going on a bucket list solo trip but have felt particularly overwhelmed at the thought of tackling the planning, logistics, booking process along
- identify as a “die-hard” fan of me, Gabby Beckford, and @packslight! We'll be spending a week on this girls-trip together.
Not this time. But don't stress!
My PTO Dashboard has hundreds more paid travel opportunities just like this. (And I'll have more grants in the future open to all ages, nationalities, and needs 🙏🏽 Just stay a true fan!)
Sadly for this one, the dates are the dates. Please do not apply if you aren't available the full week as we'll have to pick another applicant.
If you'd like to be notified about future Packs Light travel grants, make sure you're on this specific VIP email updates list.
Not this time.
The phrase “Solo Not Solo” is meant to reframe the way we all think about solo travel.
I believe solo ≠ alone.
Traveling solo means that you arrive to a destination on your own, with no one you know. From there, you can continue to travel on your own, or you can make new friends to keep you company along the way!
So for our Solo Not Solo Grant trip, you will be traveling ~solo~ in that you will be arriving on your own. However, once you arrive, you will spend the trip with other solo women in the Packs Light community and will leave with a group of new travel friends. 💗
- Go through my free resources on this blog.
- Sign up for a (free!) Grantable account to reuse an old application essay, and perfect this one. And to make sure you won't lose your progress!
Each of the 3 selected grant awardees will each receive:
- A bucket list, fully-funded Intrepid trip to Brazil for Carnival (valued at $5,510 USD)
- 1:1 pre-departure call with the Packs Light team
- The chance to meet and travel with me, Gabby Beckford, have adventure, and party in Rio together! 🥳🥳
Packs Light is a travel media company that encourages others to seek risk, seize opportunity, skip debt, and see the world 🌎✈️✨
For more on what Packs Light is, the story behind the brand, and who Packs Light serves, visit our “About Us” page.
The Packs Light and Intrepid Travel teams will be selecting the winners, and I Gabby Beckford will have final say. So give it your best!
All applicants will be notified by January 7, 2023 with whether they have won or not.
If you think it is, you don't know me or what I do! You likely didn't see the Study Abroad Redo Grant winners, and definitely haven't seen the Packs Light Winners Wall.
It's OK not to apply. We will wave from Brazil! 😜🇧🇷
You can view them here.
📅 IMPORTANT DATES
19
Nov
📝 Application opens
06
Dec
⏰ Application deadline!
07
Jan
🎉 Winners publicly announced
9
Feb
✈️ Recipients depart for Brazil
💡 BRAZIL TRIP HISTORY + INSPIRATION RESOURCES
Are you a brand looking to sponsor a future packs light travel grant? 👀
This grant is the first of a series of grants released from Packs Light with the intention of breaking down barriers to travel. Align with our mission and tap into an incredible marketing by sponsoring one of our future grant giveaways.
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH:
Head to our Contact Form and enter “PL Grant Sponsor” in the subject line. We'll be in touch!
