Working and traveling don’t happen at the same time for most people, but for Liz Carlson, traveling is the way to make a living. Carlson runs a travel blog Young Adventuress and is active on Instagram where she has 204k followers. She travels a lot, and often alone, in order to avoid having to compromise about the things she will do and see on her travels.
“A friend once described me as cynical but kind in equal measure, a disturbingly accurate bio. If you’re a fan of chaos, brutal honesty, sarcasm and girls who think they are wittier than they actually are, then you’ve come to the place,” she writes on her website.
Carlson started her blog in 2010 as she was getting ready to move to Spain to teach English. She moved from place to place in Spain until she realized that traveling is her real calling, not teaching. She never looked back and now lives a life of the nomad. “My parents are, of course, thrilled,” she jokingly writes.
See some of the photos from her Instagram page below.
View this post on Instagram
I’ve have so very exciting personal news to share with you guys ⭐️ I’m moving to Christchurch on Monday! . More specifically, I’m moving to Lyttelton, Christchurch’s quirky harbor town. And even more specifically, I’m moving out to one of the bays on the Banks Peninsula near Lyttelton. My current mood is a beautiful combination of giddy excitement meets unsettled panic 😱 . After 6 years in my beloved Wanaka, I’m about to embark on an entirely new chapter in my life. No, I’m not pregnant (mom), but I did fall in love with an old friend, @giuliosturla ❤️ After a lifetime of self-doubt and an inherent belief that my travel lifestyle was incompatible with true love, I gave up on meeting someone and quietly accepted my fate as a cat lady meets librarian, which I would still happily embrace btw. As a solitary person, I don’t mind being alone but deep down I felt a quiet, profound sadness for my lot in life. . But we all know that fate loves a good laugh, and before I knew what was happening to me, a blissful, storybook love came out of nowhere and knocked me on my ass! All those cliche rom-com phrases describes us perfectly, and my deeply cynical frosty heart has softened considerably over this past year; as the perpetual 3rd wheel to all my friends, no one hates hearing more about love than me, but here we are 😘 . As I am beginning this new era of sharing and partnership, as an only child who’s never lived with a significant other before or had roommates in 6 years, have any life advice for me because I’m freaking the fuck out over here. . And with love comes change. While I’m still keeping ties to Wanaka, I’m now starting fresh in Christchurch where I have approximately 2 friends. So, who here lives in Canterbury? Have any tips for a newbie like me? Anyone want to be my friend? Please send any advice or comments for me 🙏🏻 . #trueloveeyeroll #christchurch #lyttelton #newzealand
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on Dec 17, 2019 at 2:02pm PST
View this post on Instagram
You guys know how much I love birds, so watching this sunset over the gannet colony in Muriwai BLEW MY MIND 🤯 one of the last stops on an epic roadie with @sarahpolger, it was so windy when we climbed up the hill to the colony. It was so windy that the gannets were flying and hovering mid-air like a helicopter. It was extraordinary! . Then as the sun began to sink below the horizon and the skies turned pink, I lost my mind from happiness. Great views, amazing birds, good friends in new places, what more could you ask for?. . Now the real question is, how many times did I get poo-ed on during this adventure? The winning guess gets a gannet chick (I jest, @docgovtnz, I jest) 🤗 . We’re so lucky to still have bird colonies like this one still going in New Zealand – let’s keep it that way! . #muriwai #gannet #birdnerd #nzmustdo #newzealand
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on Dec 4, 2019 at 7:02pm PST
View this post on Instagram
While many of my incredible female friends are undertaking the wild journey into motherhood, I’m also taking on a big responsibility of becoming a plant mom 😝 The past year or so I’ve really gotten into gardening and have been surrounding myself with flowers as often as I can, also inspired by my friends at @the_green_room_flower_company in Wanaka. My house is slowly becoming a little jungle as I fill it with house plants bit by bit. There’s just something so calm and soothing about being surrounded by greenery, can you relate? As a big traveler, being a plant mum is a big commitment haha and I have to get quite strategic around which friends to beg to come over and water my babies while I work. So far, I haven’t accidentally killed any yet, minus 2 orchids, which I SERIOUSLY don’t understand how they work! Why you so fussy? Anyway, who else here is a plant lover too? Spill! What are your favorite flowers and plants at home? How do you keep orchids alive? I’m starting to look for more unique varieties in NZ, have any tips? Any plant accounts you enjoy following? Share please 🙏🏻 . #hamiltongardens #green #indoorplants #gardens #plants
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on Nov 6, 2019 at 3:33pm PST
View this post on Instagram
No matter where I go, I almost always have a camera with me. But the kit I've been carrying for years is so hard on my body and really taking its toll. I can't tell you how challenging it is for someone like me to use such heavy equipment day in and day out to the point where if I can leave it behind, I will, missing out on potential shots and photo opportunities. I am quite literally bogged down by too much camera weight that it's begun to stifle my creative freedom. Can you relate? . This past year I've been slowly adjusting to using an Olympus, a much lighter camera system while on the road – and traveling with the @olympus_au OM-D system instead. Wow, is it life-changing! Olympus has been one of our biggest supporters over the years at @thetravelbootcamp and I watched @laurenepbath swap over and not look back. An inspiration to me in so many ways, I'm slowly following in her footsteps. I took my first trip with just an Olympus earlier this year to the US, and I'm so excited to see their latest campaign called "Break Free" which is all about letting go of all that extra camera weight. To me it represents a lifestyle of expanded creativity, flexibility, and originality – yes, yes YES. Personally I'm stoked to work my way towards more freedom from heavy cameras, bulky lenses, by moving towards a more lightweight portable system. In a few days, I'm off somewhere entirely new with some special Olympus gear in tow. Can't wait to share more! . #olympusinspired #olympus #thetravelbootcamp #charleston #breakfree #breakfreewitholympus
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on Oct 28, 2019 at 1:46am PDT
