Welcome to 2019! A Letter From Alyssa

There is a poignant Hawaiian saying: “E Malama ‘oe I ka ‘Āina, e Malama ka ‘Āina ia ‘oe.” Take care of the land, and the land will take care of you.

In this simple phrase, we are reminded of an abiding truth—all things are connected, there are no shortcuts, what you give is what you get. If you squint, you can see that this principle reflects another enduring maxim: the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Imagine if we saw nature for what it is—an extension of ourselves. So, if we poison our waters, we understand that we are poisoning ourselves. If we destroy ancient forests, we know that we are destroying something deep and ancient in ourselves. And if we deplete our oceans and soils, we knowingly degrade our own futures.  

As we enter a new Lunar Year, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what we, the Hipcamp community, have accomplished together under the guiding understanding that we are nature.

Hipcamp Hosts have dedicated their lives to improving the lands they steward. It’s their dream of a world where people and nature exist harmoniously that makes the work we’re doing possible. Their work in restoring ecosystems, creating regenerative food systems, and offering therapeutic nature retreats motivates us to build the best platform we can for them to grow their businesses, leave their land better than they found it, and ultimately get more people outside.

Our mission demands that we connect more people with the natural world to remind us of our deep-rooted links. Hipcampers are the embodiment of this mission. It’s their generosity of spirit and hunger for all things real and lasting—from the ground they stand on to the connections they stoke with old friends and new—that propels us. It’s their passion for embarking on unique, untrodden adventures that drives a new, more sustainable and empowered outdoor economy.

In 2018, we launched exciting new features and community programs, from recognizing exceptional Star Hosts, to announcing our first community-driven Hipcamp Awards, to adding features that empower Hosts to share even more about their camps, ranging from RV hookups to nearby attractions. We even debuted a new and improved Hipcamp Journal! We will continue to work on products and services that help Hosts build stronger businesses, connect Hipcampers to one-of-a-kind experiences, and get more people outside.

2019 will be a momentous year. We will be launching some exciting initiatives, including the first ever Hipcamp Host Summit and our highly anticipated mobile app. We also have our fingers crossed for an epic superbloom this spring.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to further our mission to get more people outside, and in doing so, support a movement where we recognize nature as an inextricable part of ourselves. We will work tirelessly to create a new world with this reality in mind.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” –Buckminster Fuller

To a rejuvenating, nature-filled, super-bloomed New Year!

Alyssa Ravasio
Founder & CEO
Hipcamp