Bonding With Liz

09/15/2026

In this chapter of our Alaska adventures, we…

-took a glacier cruise to see a Portage Glacier up close 🧊
-had a nice brisk dip in a lake 👙🩳
-hiked in to a remote, off-grid cabin (with a hot tub!!!) 🪵
-tried to do some berry picking at Hatcher pass 🫐
-got to see the BEAUTIFUL, vibrant salmon as they returned to their birthplaces 🐟
-spent some time at the Pilot Lodge, where you can sleep in an airplane that they’ve converted into some really nice short term rentals ✈️

09/08/2026

After 28 months, 24 states, 12 national parks, and about 26,000 miles, it’s time. I’m selling my van. 🚐

This Sprinter took me across the country solo, taught me I’m capable of a lot more than I gave myself credit for, and gave me a chapter I wouldn’t trade for anything. But I’m in a different season now, rebuilding roots, and this van deserves someone who’s ready to start the adventure I just finished.

Yes, it has over 400K miles. No, that’s not the red flag it sounds like. Diesel Sprinters are built to go the distance, and this one’s had the turbo, actuator, and intercooler pipe fully replaced, plus 400W of solar added last year.

If vanlife has been on your radar, or you’re planning a build of your own someday, this is a low-risk way to find out what you actually want before you commit to one.

Full listing is linked in my bio. Send this to the person who’s been talking about vanlife, or tag someone who needs to see it. 💛

09/06/2026

Ready for cozy fall nights like this again 😍

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

If you were the kid wearing the “I

09/01/2026

August in Alaska, chapter 8 of 12 🏔️

A cold plunge in a glacier lake that knocked the air right out of me. A short cruise out to Portage Glacier to see a massive glacier up close. Several nights at Pilot Lodge, an Airbnb built from old converted airplanes (which is exactly as fun as it sounds). A bear sighting at a wildlife conservation area that was absolutely incredible to watch.

Hiked into a hand-built, fully off-grid cabin in the woods. Wandered the little shops in Homer between what felt like a hundred drive-thru coffee huts. Took a water taxi out to Seldovia for the day, a tiny fishing town that hasn’t changed much in fifty years.

Then Seward gave us one rare sunny day, so we rented backpacking gear, caught a water taxi out to a remote island, and I got to pitch a tent for the first time ever. Wrapped the month up with a few quiet days in a cabin before flying back.

Getting to spend 6 weeks in Alaska this summer (with some incredible company, might I add 😉) was what dreams are made of. I will forever be grateful for my time up north getting to experience these places that feel like a whole other world.

If you had one of these on your list, which would it be? 💛

07/31/2026

I planned a trip out west in my van…what I didn’t plan was what I’d do with a year’s worth of photos once I got back.
Now ten of them are shirts in my Etsy shop, from the California coastline to Montana’s glacier lakes, each one built from a photo I took myself…no stock images or AI, just moments I stood in and decided I wanted to keep forever.

Use code TRAVEL15 for 15% off, good through July 31.
https://lizbondcreations.etsy.com

For the next adventure, wherever that takes you. 🚐

07/14/2026

Does any of this discount the incredible experiences I had along the way? No.
Was it still completely worth it? Absolutely.
Both things can be true.

I can look back at these photos and feel incredibly grateful for the life I’ve gotten to live, while also remembering that some of the moments surrounding them were really, really hard.
And I think that’s worth talking about.

Social media only ever gives us a fraction of the full picture.
We see the beautiful view, but not always what happened before or after the photo was taken.
We see the freedom, but not always the loneliness.
We see the highlight, but not always the breakdown that happened later that night.

A lot of what we share online is a curated highlight reel of our lives. Sometimes it’s because we want other people to think we’re doing better than we are. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want to seem negative or ungrateful for the good things we *do* have. Sometimes, focusing on the beautiful moments is how we get ourselves through the hard ones.

I know there were times during this journey when I posted a beautiful photo while struggling with things I wasn’t sharing online.
I also know I’ve looked at other people’s lives through a screen and wondered why everything seemed so much easier for them.
But we never really know what’s happening on the other side of the screen.

So if you’re in a season where it feels like everyone else is happier, more successful, more adventurous, more fulfilled, or simply has it all figured out...please remember that you’re comparing your whole life to the pieces of theirs they chose to share.

The hard parts don’t make the beautiful parts any less beautiful.
The beautiful parts don’t mean the hard parts weren’t real.
Most of life is some combination of both.

So if you’re looking at everyone else’s “yes” while feeling like you’re stuck in the “but”...just know that it’s not just you 💛

07/06/2026

10/10 birthday experience 🥳
☑️ Campsite with 360° breathtaking views 🏕️
☑️ Starting the day seeing the midnight sun in Alaska 🌅
☑️ Breakfast in bed with my boo 🍽️
☑️ Kayaking to a beautiful glacier 🚣‍♀️🧊
☑️ Incredible food, amazing company, and memories for a lifetime 🥰

06/30/2026

Fr though how do you make it stop 😅