ADVERTISEMENT
"I just want to travel for a living": This is a phrase we've all probably said at one point or another (okay, okay, we're always saying it). But let's be real, who wouldn't want to get paid to see the world — instead of the inside of a cubicle? Like all of us, Olivia Lopez, creator of the travel and style blog Lust For Life, got the urge to explore early on. "When I was 16, I told my dad I wanted to get paid to travel and go to music festivals," Lopez tells Refinery29 — though she had zero clue at the time that it was actually a viable career.
Fast-forward a few years, and Lopez's teenage dream had suddenly become a reality. Her after-school hobby blogging on Lust For Life had garnered her so much recognition that she was booking gigs abroad, working with major fashion magazines, and scoring serious cash to attend those music festivals she dreamed about. Major #lifegoals, right?
Now, at 24, Lopez is a professional girl on the go — she's checked 35 different countries off her list and spends up to two weeks each month traveling (though it varies by season). Her life is a whirlwind of jet-setting to stunning destinations like the beaches of Tulum, Mexico or the Australian Outback, scouting some of the most Insta-worthy spots to share on her feed, and offering up equal doses of wanderlust and style inspiration on her perfectly designed blog. Ahead, we chat with Lopez about how she turned an obsession into a legit job, how to pack like an expert globe-trotter (hint: MCM crossbody bags are key), and the benefits of disconnecting — even when your career relies on social media.
ADVERTISEMENT