Daily Inspiration: Meet Angela Barzizza-Young

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Barzizza-Young.

Hi Angela, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Northeast Ohio transplant. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN, I attended Indiana University where I earned a BA in Theatre & Drama with a minor in English. I also hold a M.S.in Middle Childhood Education with a concentration in Mathematics from CUNY Brooklyn College.

In 1999/2000, I studied for a year in a conservatory setting in London, The London Drama Academy, my senior year of undergrad where I found many opportunities to travel. When the program ended in May, I emptied my bank account, strapped on a backpack, and toured Italy for a month by myself. I knew that no matter what I did with my life, travel was going to continue to be a part of it. I caught the wanderlust bug.

As a detailed oriented and focused planner, I stumbled on the world of travel advising after a couple of career shifts and searching for something to do while my young, school-aged children were in school. In January 2014, Pirate’s Life Vacations was born. It started with planning friends’ Disney vacations. I was good at it, and since I got paid commission for booking their DIsney trips, I didn’t have to charge them for my service. After a few years of developing a workflow and learning how the travel industry works, I began traveling with my family and booking trips outside of Disney.

Eventually, Covid happened… When tourism came to a screeching halt in 2020, we quickly learned how much of the world’s economies and global conservation efforts are reliant on tourist dollars. I dug into the concept of “Sustainable Travel.”

It was clear that undertourism can be devastating, but the world needs the right kind of tourism. Travel that contributes to the wealth of local communities, considers the ecological impacts of a region, contributes to local conservation efforts, and respects local culture can coincidentally enrich the traveler and have a positive impact on the community., and I’ve been trying to find my place in this space. I’m still working on this.

As the world truly began to reopen, my family and I made our pilgrimage to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, and we learned from our naturalist guide of the hardships the pandemic caused. Since the required $100 Galapagos National Park entrance fee goes directly to conservation on and around the islands, science came to a halt and the protected, endemic species were left alone. The large majority of the islands’ careers, jobs, and economy are directly reliant on the presence of tourists which forced many businesses to close permanently.

In early 2024, I began hosting an annual,l women-only small group trip to introduce people to what sustainable travel looks like.The first trip was to Morrocco: Marrakech and the Sahara Desert. In 2025, we traveled to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest for a “local living” experience with a local Quichua family who welcome guests into their rustic/cabin–style open-air accommodations. This year, we bicycle around the western part of Cuba. I market these trips as adventures that encourage us to step outside of our comforts to authentically experience and learn about a different culture while also connecting with like-minded women. These trips have been more than I anticipated.

One of the women who have signed up for each of my trips, commented to me, “These are Bucket List Experiences that I didn’t even know that I had.” (She gave me permission to steal her words.)

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In general, the travel industry ebbs and flows. The entire industry came to a screeching halt when the Covid-19 Pandemic shut the world down, but travel agents also became more needed than ever to navigate the requirements. I feel that this will also be the case for the new challenges we are now facing with global unrest, perceptions abroad, fuel shortages, airport closures, new entry implementations, and travel screenings.

I’m also struggling with trying to implement the “responsible travel” part of my business. I wanted approach travel with greater intentionality. I wanted to spread the word of Responsible Travel with a sanctimonious fervor of an evangelical preacher. Surely, my prospective clients would learn about traveling for the good of a destination and want to choose good over potential harm, however, I’ve found myself faced with complicated realities of accessibility and apathy, proving the difficulties of translating this passion to meaningful action. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m still trying to find my place in this space. The women-only winter trips have been a good start.

This year’s Cuba trip was also very stressful. The trip was the end of January 2026 after the strikes in Venezuela, and the current administration continued to talk about Cuba’s being next. I finally decided that we would continue to move forward with the trip unless the airline or the state department told us we could not (and we would bring items for the Cuban people with us – we each checked a piece of luggage full of medical supplies, OTC meds, and feminine hygiene products.). We are all thankful that we made that trip.
There are always struggles.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a full service travel adviser with an eye on traveling responsibly. In addition to hosting small group trips, I also curate custom itineraries with authentic accommodations and experiences that meet the individual wants and needs of my clients. I also book clients into small boat and expedition cruises as well as locally hosted trips and adventurous or fully immersive, cultural experiences.

Responsible travel can be anything from rough and rustic to refined and luxurious. My biggest focus is to teach people how to travel with intentionality that considers the social, cultural, economic, and environmental impact by making travel choices that enhances the well-being of local communities, helps preserve the environment and wildlife, and contributes to local economies and improved working conditions.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a daydreamer. I grew up in the suburbs of Memphis, TN, and as kids in the 80’s, we’d jump on our bikes and be home when the street lights came on. We were full of mischievous adventure.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.pirateslifevacations.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pirateslifevacations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pirateslifevacations/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-b-1b4285a1/