Carla Fabian grew up in a family of travelers. One particular trip to Guatemala as a teenager expanded her worldview—sparking a keen interest in indigenous cultures and world travels, and deeply influencing her life trajectory. It spurred her to study in Italy and backpack around Europe while in attending Duke University, experiences that gave her an insatiable wanderlust and paved the way for myriad adventures abroad. After graduation, she taught English in Miami and maximized her summers off with solo adventures, first the South Pacific, then numerous trips to South America. She parlayed that experience into becoming the school’s unofficial trip coordinator, leading student trips to England, the former U.S.S.R., the Galapagos Islands and Mexico. These journeys proved eye-opening for Carla as she saw how impactful experiential education was on her students and how exciting it was to share these experiences with others. The realization transformed her career from classroom teacher to experiential leader/resident director in Latin America, Africa and Europe over the next 20 years.

Months of free time for solo travel between semesters have allowed Carla to follow her passions all over the globe. These are the times when she was able to live with a family in Bhutan, walk for months on pilgrimage routes in Spain and Italy to experience the rewards of traversing a landscape slowly, track gorillas and chimps in Uganda and tigers in India, kayak with whales in Iceland, swim in the Amazon, snorkel with sea lions in the Galapagos and dive on the Great Barrier Reef.

Immersing herself in nature is an essential part (and perhaps the most joyful part) of both Carla’s travel experiences and her daily life. Nowhere has this become clearer to her than in Alaska, her home since June 2014. She has explored her adopted home state by land and sea and continues to be astounded and transformed by the beauty of the landscape and the abundance and variety of wildlife. Living in close proximity to whales, bears and moose in Alaska has heightened her love of nature and taught her the joys of encountering wildlife in their natural habitats. Carla is fascinated with the natural world and looks forward to being able to share these magical encounters with others.

Upcoming Adventures with Carla:
Alaska's Coastal Grizzlies: Kodiak to Katmai

Praise from Natural Habitat travelers:

R. Johnson 
"Carla was our Expedition Leader. She met me at the airport and provided such a warm welcome and made me feel like I was in great hands. I was a little nervous taking my first Nat Hab trip, and meeting Carla really eased those nerves! Throughout the trip, I was constantly impressed with her knowledge and kindness. She made me feel at home in Homer."

P. Harmon
"Carla was a sweetheart! She had a great personality and was extremely accommodating. I loved her!"