Welcome to Pack Light Live Full
For those no longer chasing someone else’s version of success. Essays on identity, worth, and work that lasts.
Hi, I’m Carmen Van Kerckhove.
I write for high achievers in transition—people who did everything “right” and are quietly asking, is this still working?
Maybe you’ve outgrown a version of your life that once felt like the dream.
Maybe you’re juggling success and burnout in the same breath.
Maybe you’re tired of performing a self that no longer fits.
If any of that lands, you’re in the right place.
Pack Light, Live Full is where I explore identity, reinvention, ambition, and alignment.
It’s about letting go of what no longer serves—and creating space for what’s real, grounded, and actually yours.
Everything I publish here is free, and always will be.
This work is my offering.
But if it’s resonated with you, there’s an option to become a paid subscriber as a way to support it—and help keep it going.
What paid subscribers get
There’s no paywall. You’re not paying for access—you’re investing in work that resonates.
And when you become a paid subscriber, you’ll receive a special thank-you gift:
The Identity Reboot:
7 Days to Reconnect with the Version of You That Success Forgot
If your sense of self has gotten tangled up in roles, titles, accomplishments—or the pressure to stay impressive—this guide is for you.
This is your reset.
It’s a 7-day PDF experience designed to strip away everything you’ve outgrown, so you can reconnect with what’s real, true, and still yours.
Inside, you’ll:
Uncover who you are beyond the resume, the job title, or the public performance
Identify which parts of your identity feel authentic—and which feel like armor
Rebuild a vision of yourself that isn’t based on productivity, approval, or prestige
This isn’t about starting from scratch. It’s about remembering who you were before the world told you who to be.
If you’ve ever seen yourself in my writing, this is your next step:
And if now’s not the right time?
I’m still glad you’re here.
About me
I’ve had to reinvent myself more times than I can count.
I had the Ivy League degree. The Goldman Sachs job right out of college. I did everything “right.” Then came the moment I was about to get fired from my advertising sales job. So I took what looked like a massive step down: I became the office manager for the very team I used to sell for.
But that move created space for something bigger. I started a blog exploring race and pop culture—and it took off. Suddenly I was everywhere: CNN, NPR, MSNBC. Speaking at universities. Getting profiled in magazines. My writing helped spark a national conversation—and for a while, that was my life.
Then I walked away.
My husband and I opened a neighborhood karate school in Brooklyn. We built an incredible community. Watched kids grow in confidence, and adults transform their lives. And during that time, I started creating content about luxury family travel.
When the pandemic hit and we had to close the school, we went all in on the travel content. And it worked. Luxury hotels. First-class flights. Over a million followers across platforms. Good Morning America. National press. Brand deals. From the outside, it looked like we’d made it.
But something still felt off. So I stepped back—again.
And this time, I returned to writing—but on my own terms.
Today, I write essays about ambition, identity, and the shifting nature of work. I write for high-achievers in transition—people who are quietly questioning the life they spent decades building. People who are realizing that success, as we were taught to chase it, might not actually lead where we want to go.
Pack Light, Live Full is where I explore the tradeoffs of ambition and the courage it takes to build a life that’s truly yours. No performance. No polish. Just truth.
If this hits home—you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
~Carmen
Contact me
Based in NYC. For questions or collaborations: info@topflightfamilymedia.com
