Mary Charleson, Founder of CarryOnQueen.com
CarryOnQueen.com is an adventure travel blog for fun-fit-females, many in their 50s, who pursue authentic, meaningful experiences with friends, a partner, family or solo – always leading the way, and always traveling light.
Who is our adventurous audience?
Technically she’s a boomer – but just. While parts of her lifestyle identify with that group, she was too young to have done Woodstock, and as much as she’d like to think she changed the world, she was likely in diapers while all the hard work was being done. She’s more a Gen-Xer, feeling and acting as youthful as them, and sharing the same fearless independence – especially when it comes to seeking adventure.
She likely backpacked her way around Europe, Australia or Asia in her 20s – or wanted to, and during her working years has also travelled extensively for business and pleasure. She has already seen much of the world, but now she wants to see more of it. While she often travels a little more comfortably now, and a lot more wisely then in her youth, her sense of adventure is still high, but tempered with the common sense of experience. She travels several times a year, many still balancing employment with time away. She’s not a wandering digital nomad, nor a fully retired traveler. But increasingly she is adopting a “work optional lifestyle” which affords more travel. Sometimes sandwiched between launching adult children and aging parents, “travelling light” also means temporarily leaving her mental baggage at home. She has the finances to afford luxury, but prefers an authentic mix of experiences. She’ll do a hostel to save money and comfortably be in the company of youth, or find a thrifty bargain on Airbnb, then splurge on luxury when it matters to her. She is just as comfortable talking to backpackers, as she is the concierge. She loves to engage the people who live at destinations, and is forever in the pursuit of a story. In fact, she knows that sometimes “questionable decisions, a little discomfort and risk” is often where the best memories are made. She is confident, independent, educated and worldly. She can rough it one day, and rock a little black dress the next. She travels light with a carry-on, preferring to pack less and experience more. While always ready for the next adventure, she thoroughly enjoys and appreciates home, family and friends when there.
If this resonates with you or sounds like the community of adventurous women you would like to reach, we invite you into CarryOnQueen.com
CarryOnQueen.com publishes reflective first-person travel pieces written by Mary Charleson and guest writers, meant to inspire readers, while profiling adventures and destinations. At its heart, CarryOnQueen.com is a resource and community for like-minded travelers. There’s a big, beautiful world out there waiting.
Pack light, and enjoy the journey!
A PROUD CONTRIBUTOR TO
