Welcome to the story of me and the beginning of belovelive.com. The space where I have documented my journey of being, loving, and living. Of learning to live a slow, wild, and sacred life in rhythm with the seasons. It is the place where I share the stories of my life. So, welcome! I hope you find a little bit of yourself in my experiences, photos, and words; but more than anything, i hope you find a bit of inspiration.
Sweden | 2010-2013
my belovelive story starts in 2010, after nine months of marriage, my wife and i moved to sweden. she’s swedish and i’m american, and we’re two women. so, we decided that sweden would be the place where we made our first home together, as it was not possible to live as a married couple in north carolina back in 2010. so, we took our little american cat, packed my bags, and flew across the great wide atlantic to begin our new life in norrköping, sweden.
as a new ex-pat, every single day was an adventure. i was living my dream (thirteen years in the making) of living in europe. i was in love. and life was pretty crazy & amazing. so, i decided to start a blog to celebrate my life in sweden and to share what life was like in sweden with all of my friends & family “back home” in the states.
but, pretty soon, it was much more than that. the name of my blog (belovelive) became my inspiration – an outward expression of what i believed in most; and of the life that i yearned to live.
Asheville | 2013-2015
in the summer of 2013, my love and i hopped a plane (with our cat in tow again – she’s a trooper), and moved back to the states. my love, with a student visa, was ready to begin a career change and study graphic design. in asheville, north carolina we lived in a cozy, funky apartment about five minutes from downtown + fifteen minutes from the top of a mountain with stunning views. we were in love with our life there, enjoying every second of the diverse, eclectic, artsy, foodie city in the midst of a gorgeous, natural setting.
our days were filled with studying and writing/blogging. but we always found time to enjoy dinners out, a ride on a mountain road, a cold beer at a local breweries, a glass of wine on our balcony, road trips, photo shoots, and most importantly – time with friends & family.
our time in asheville gave me the inspiration + space to focus on freelance work, such as writing, photography, and spiritual guidance. i guided weekly small groups, wrote for a local, independent newspaper, photographed a few weddings, and got ordained so that i could offer personal marriage ceremonies to both lgbtqi+ and straight couples.
Sweden. Again. | 2015 – today
in january of 2015, as a new year began, filled with new energy + possibilities, my love and i moved back to sweden. she became a full-time graphic designer and i snagged a side job at a photo boutique. however, it was hard to make ends meet with only one steady income, so i decided to jump back into the school system. but, this time, in a whole different role.
beginning in 2016, i worked as a mentor/coach at a high school + studied to become a certified life coach. to read more about how i became a life coach click → here.
today i continue to focus on writing, mentoring, and sinking more deeply into my contemplative path as a mystic. i also work full time as a mentor/coach at an alternative high school. my life and my story unfold each day, as i dive deep into living in rhythm with nature and ground down into an earth-based spirituality. as time moves on, i uncover + discover my own inner wisdom + embrace all of the seasons of life.
thank you, lovely soul, for stopping by and reading a little about my story. if you have any questions or are interested in connecting with me, you can reach me by using the contact link or by following me on social media by clicking on the links at in the menu.
xoxo. liz.
Hi Liz! I love your blog and I hope you don’t mind that I nominated you for the Liebster Award! If you would like to participate you can find the details on my blog:
http://headoutwest.wordpress.com
Have a lovely day!
Caitlin
Hi Caitlin! Thank you so much for the nomination! I haven’t forgotten, I’ve just been busy. 🙂 I will be working on my nomination post in the next few days. Thank you so much for the honor!
Hey Liz ~ I found you through the delightful Jess Witkins and am very glad I did! I’ll be hanging around … I may not always comment but I’ll be around! Love your intro and how you are living your dream!
Hello Patricia! Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! Your words are so kind and sweet, and I am overjoyed that you have found my blog a positive place. 🙂 Thank you for commenting and letting me know that you are reading – that way I’ll be sure to keep you in my thoughts. Peace and love.
Hi Liz,
I am digging your blog a lot. “Spiritual, travel, and life” seem to be the biggest themes in my life/blog too. I’m looking forward to reading more!
I just realized that I never responded to this comment you made, though I saw it and read it months ago! I have since visited your blog and I love your focus on wandering. Thank you for commenting and I hope that we can become blogging buddies. 🙂 xx
Hi Liz cool blog.
Thank you so much! 🙂
New about page?! Or at least since I read it last…
I’m doing some blog shaped research… Love this page! Very you well done!
I don’t remember when I updated it last, but it was a few months ago. Sometime since I’ve been in the US again. Thanks for noticing & for saying that it fits me!! xx
Hi Liz, I am really glad I stumbled across your blog as your images are inspiringly beautiful, with a spontaneous and almost dreamlike feel that I can never seem to manage… Really enjoyed reading your story too, and am looking forward to more in the future. Best regards from Melbourne!
Hello, Michael! Thank you for stopping by all the way from Melbourne, and for your super kind words. It’s always great to connect with fellow photographers, who understand the love of linking images and life. Looking forward to perusing your website + blog too!
Hey Liz. I’m a bit embarrassed that somehow I missed that you’ve moved back to Sweden. As a cold weather wuss, I can’t say that your January timing was the best, but it sounds lik another exciting stage in a fun-filled life. All the best for your life there. ~James
Hello James! Thanks for checking in! No worries at all… we are all so busy with our own adventures that it’s hard to keep up with everyone. Our January move was absolutelyy crazy, but I must admit that the snow here was magical. I truly enjoyed having a snowy second half of the winter. Hope that you and your love are enjoying the beginnings of Spring!
Hi Liz, Just found your great blog. Most enjoyable, interesting and entertaining. I lived for 6 or 7 years in Vaster Norrland so know Sweden and the Swedes fairly well. Now in France, where I’ve turned myself into an international music journalist, very successfully, it seems. Reinvention has its positives, for sure. Keep rolling there. I still miss Sweden and oft think about returning. Maybe, one day we will – my other half is not so sure. She speaks fluent French and is fairly content here.
Hello there! So sorry it has taken me this long to reply. I think this comment got lost somewhere. So nice of you to stop by and to “meet” someone else who has some Swedish connections. France sounds very nice too, especially since you have successfully re-invented yourself again! I hope to visit France one day soonish. 🙂 Good luck balancing the whole where-to-live question in your marriage! Thanks, again, for stopping in.
Just stumbled upon your log — now bookmarked to read from the beginning to present day. You may see a comment here and there as I go along.
Hello Pat! Wow, its always so much fun to have a new reader and a new blog friend! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.:) Just a warning, I transferred this blog to a self-hosting website last fall, so most posts before the fall of 2014 do not have photos with them, which is such a shame since I love photos so much. I am very, very slowly working to re-add the photos, but it is a very long process. So, I hope that when you go back to the beginning, you are not disappointed by all of the posts without photos!
In any case, it is great to have you here! And, may I ask, how did you stumble upon my blog? 🙂
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Just read through this updated version! I love this!
Thank you!!