I’m not a big fan of the cold, and I cringe deep in my soul at the idea of immersing myself in ice-cold water. The fact that I was shivering in nothing but a bikini and socks on the shores of a bay in Antarctica came as much of a surprise to me as to anyone else. With my arms wrapped around my goosebumped flesh, I looked at my travel partner, Lyle, who had the same worried look on his face.

“Are we really going to do this?” I asked. “How can we not? We’re in Antarctica!” he said enthusiastically, even though his expression was anything but enthusiastic.

With that, we took a deep breath and ran towards the arctic waters. The initial shock of frigid waters didn’t hit me immediately until I held my breath and plunged into water colder than anything I had ever felt. I think I lasted all of three seconds before squealing with shock and veering off toward the shore and my dry clothes.

We had just done our first Polar Plunge, and our first time was in the bay at Deception Island, Antarctica. As they say, if you’re gonna go, go big! The Polar Plunge was the ice cube on top of the frozen cake, and here’s why I can’t wait to do it again.

Note: The writer was a hosted guest of Hurtigruten Expeditions. All opinions are her own.

1. Where I Went And Why

When you have the chance to knock off the last of the seven continents off your list and journey to a land sheathed in mystery and adventure, you jump at the chance. I had always dreamed of seeing Antarctica — made famous by legendary explorers such as Roald Amundsen, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Lyle and I embarked on the Hurtigruten Expeditions 12-day Highlights of Antarctica cruise. It ventured from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the southern Argentina port of Ushuaia, before embarking on the MS Fridtjof Nansen, recently voted the safest and most sustainable cruise ship in the world.

After a rough and tumble 2 days crossing 600 miles of the notorious Drake Passage to reach the tip of the peninsula of Antarctica, we immediately started exploring. Because Hurtigruten Expeditions focuses on sustainability, science, and small-ship experiences, many of our expeditions were accompanied by working scientists on board.

2. Adventure And Excursions

Wildlife And Icy Views

Like a line of red and yellow ants, we weaved up the side of a snowy mountain on a hike to a chinstrap penguin colony at Orne Harbor; our first steps on the actual continent of Antarctica. The pathway was slippery and required hiking poles, but the views of the vast land and seas from atop the mountain were staggering. Jaunty little chinstrap penguins waddled, protected fuzzy gray chicks, and honked at each other.

Earlier that day, we went kayaking, watching icebergs calve and flip while penguins lept gracefully through the waters. Another day, we visited several penguin colonies. And on other days, we explored old Antarctica homesteads and took inflatable Zodiacs to get up close and personal with whales. Seals lounged on the ice like big gray potatoes while arctic birds like petrels and albatross soared above. While Antarctica seems desolate and intimidating, it is surprisingly full of life, and each day was a thrilling foray into discovery.

Be Flexible

Each day held potential for hiking, kayaking, Zodiac excursions, or wildlife viewing. However, the itinerary is at the mercy of the weather, so it’s best to expect delays, cancellations of activities, and hiccups along the way.

3. Learning About Antarctica

Education And Environment

The Antarctica cruise wasn’t all fun and games, though we had plenty of those. Climate researchers, students, and experts in their field, our Expedition Team led lectures about Antarctica on topics ranging from icebergs, history, ornithology, whale numbers, and phytoplankton as well as photography and stargazing.

These experts were our guides on landings, hikes, and expedition boat cruising. I was one of the lucky “lottery” winners to accompany a scientist on a Zodiac expedition to attempt to take a skin sample from a mother humpback whale and her calf while also collecting water samples to track the DNA of what creatures passed through the waters.

Other programs on board Hurtigruten’s MS Nansen included a class on how to use the GLOBE Observer app, a citizen-science app that lets you record cloud coverage anywhere you are to complement NASA satellite observations; the global Happy Whale program that lets cruisers identify individual marine mammals; Aurorasaurus, the first citizen science project that collects sightings of the northern and southern lights; and eBird, which allows guests to record seabird distribution, among others.

4. What I Liked, What I Didn’t

My favorite activities on Hurtigruten Expeditions’ Antarctica cruise were the outdoor explorations. The guides were thoroughly trained in guiding and safety, and even when a nearby iceberg flipped over in front of us while kayaking, we never felt unsafe. 

The leisurely days crossing the Drake Passage, and after the day’s activities, were filled with lectures, science lab activities, games, and more. The onboard lounge and bar with its massive windows was a perfect place to relax, sip on an Irish whisky, and watch for whales.

As guests, everyone is given a polar expedition jacket to keep, which is probably the best jacket I’ve owned. Guests are also loaned rubber landing boots, floatation devices, and special cards that track when you get on and off the ship. Safety is a big priority.

Bring Snacks

One thing I didn’t like about the cruise was the limitation of available snacks, though, I think it’s part of Hurtigruten’s efforts to reduce waste. The three restaurants on board have set hours of operation, so if you miss the window, you go hungry. We took to-go boxes of snackable items from the buffet to munch when we felt snacky.

Fun Fact: Hurtigruten Expeditions is the first cruise line to implement SpaceX’s broadband service Starlink across all ships. Today, the company now offers high-speed, low-latency connectivity across its entire fleet, and it worked fantastically for me while I was on board.

5. How You Can Do An Arctic Polar Plunge Too

Our last day in Antarctica was on Deception Island, a horseshoe-shaped active volcano. The sun was finally shining as we hiked for 2–3 hours around the rim of the volcano, which was dormant but incredibly windy. You’ll have to be able to take pretty steep inclines over rocky terrain for this hike, but the views of the bay and the ship below are well worth the huffing and puffing.

At the end of the hike, the Hurtigruten crew was ready with towels and guides to lead brave souls into the icy waters for the Polar Plunge. Frankly, I was surprised that the majority of guests from young to old braved this extreme activity, but we did. 

Be prepared by bringing an extra set of dry clothes and dry socks, as well as a hat for wet hair and gloves. You’ll have to wear socks into the water because the sand can burn your feet (it is still volcanically active), but the water was a balmy 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Back at the ship, guests who braved the ordeal all received a personalized certificate.

But the bonding that night over dinner and drinks was the best as we all recounted our icy dip and shared photos and videos.

What You’ll Need

Pack plenty of layers, preferably with an inner woolen layer. You’ll need waterproof or water-resistant pants for the excursions, two water-resistant pairs of gloves, a warm hat, a backpack for excursions, motion sickness pills, warm quick-dry jackets, polarized sunglasses, and a swimsuit. While on board, the dress code is casual, so think denim, wool, t-shirts (underneath), GoreTex, and fleece (wool).

I found having a casual pair of slip-on shoes or tennis shoes for the ship was comfy and helpful.

Also, medical travel insurance with emergency evacuation is required. 

Hurtigruten Expeditions

The optional Polar Plunge was one of the last adventures offered on Hurtigruten Expeditions’ Antarctica cruise. Throughout the week, we explored the world’s most southern continent — an intimidatingly beautiful land encased in millennia of ice and snow — and embarked on adventures ranging from snow hikes, scientific excursions, kayaking among icebergs, and hiking with penguins. And while I hate the cold and being cold, the cruise was among the most impactful experiences of any destination I’ve been to.

Related Reading:

• 7 Best Things About Visiting Antarctica
• 6 Physician Tips To Prepare For A Cruise To Antarctica
• I Took A Solo Trip To Antarctica And It Was Amazing

Have you heard of railbiking? As a seasoned traveler, I have learned that trying new experiences is the best way to enjoy a destination. Railbiking is a unique outdoor activity that has been gaining popularity in recent years. I went on my first railbiking adventure in Carson City, Nevada, with Carson Canyon Railbike Tours, and it was a fun experience.

I had heard about railbiking, and my husband is a big train fan, so I thought it would be a unique experience, and I’m always ready to try new things. However, I wasn’t sure what to expect or whether or not it would be too strenuous. (It wasn’t!)

If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy the great outdoors, railbiking might be the answer. In this article, I’ll share my experience and explain why everyone should try it at least once.

My ride with Carson Canyon Railbike Tours was complimentary. All opinions are my own. 

What Is Railbiking?

First off, what is railbiking? Railbikes have been around for over a century, initially used by railway workers to travel along tracks for maintenance and inspection purposes. For those unfamiliar, railbiking is riding a specially-designed bike along abandoned railroad tracks. You can enjoy the scenery as you pedal along.

Today, railbiking has become a popular recreational activity in many parts of the world. Railbikes are typically designed for two or four people, so you can bring some friends or family members to join the fun. 

Your Bike Options

There are a few different types of railbikes, so choosing the one that’s right for you is important. A four-wheeled bike might be best if you’re looking for a leisurely ride. That is what we rode. It was like a four-seated golf cart with pedals on old railroad tracks. If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, a two-wheeled bike might be more your speed.

Most places offering tours have the four-wheeled version that we enjoyed. But if you are purchasing your own, you can choose two-wheeled or four-wheeled. Remember, if you are buying your own, you must also find appropriate tracks to ride and transport your equipment to the location.

When railbiking with a tour company, they provide the bikes, tracks, and support.

Our Experience

My husband and friends, Bob and Sally, joined me on the railbike adventure. None of us had experienced it before.

There’s something truly magical about riding a railbike along old railroad tracks. As you pedal along, you’re treated to stunning views you might not see otherwise. The tracks usually wind through forests, fields, and other areas of natural beauty. During my railbiking adventure, we rode into Carson Canyon with the mountains as a backdrop. The first half of the ride was an easy coast downhill. We only had to pedal every couple of minutes. There was plenty of time to take in the scenery, snap photos, and even capture some video. After our railbikes were turned around and we had to pedal uphill, it was more work.

Railbiking Is A Group Activity

Another great thing about railbiking is that it’s a fun group activity. I went with my husband and another couple, and we had a blast. We would all do it again if we had the opportunity. It’s a fun and unique way to spend time with friends or family. Many railbike companies offer guided tours, which can be a great way to learn more about the area’s history, geology, and ecology.

Surprises

What surprised me the most about railbiking was how easy it is to do. I’m not a fitness buff, so I was a bit apprehensive about pedaling for long periods. However, the railbikes are designed to be easy to pedal, even for beginners. You don’t need to be in peak physical condition to enjoy railbiking, but you do have to be able to pedal for an extended period as you return up the canyon. Railbiking is suitable for all ages and most fitness levels. It’s a great way to get some light exercise while enjoying the beautiful scenery. The amount of effort needed would depend on the rails’ location. Depending on where you choose to railbike could make a huge difference during the experience.

Another thing that surprised me was that, even though there was a motorized engine on the bikes to help when you went uphill, you still had to do a lot of pedaling. It didn’t just push you up the hill on its own, but it did give you a little burst of speed.

A pleasant surprise was how much help the Carson Canyon Railbiking Tours staff provided. When we got to the bottom of the canyon, we were able to take a break and enjoy the view while the team turned our bikes around. The same thing happened when we went beyond the station at the end of our trip.

What I Would Do Differently

If I were to go again, I would take a hat along. I was concerned we would move swiftly and the hat would blow off. But you don’t go that fast and a hat would have shielded the sun.

Why You Should Give Railbiking A Try

Railbiking is a unique and exciting way to explore the local surroundings while getting a workout. It provides a sense of adventure and freedom and is a perfect activity for families, couples, or groups of friends. People of all ages can enjoy the activity. Railbiking is an excellent way to spend quality time with your loved ones while creating lasting memories outdoors.

It’s an educational and family-friendly activity that teaches you about local history, geology, and the environment. You’ll be able to learn about the history of the railroad and see some of the historical landmarks along the route. And if you are still wanting to do socially-distanced activities, it is perfect. 

Pro Tips

• Wear comfortable clothing for easy movement.
• You will want to wear close-toed shoes or at least sandals with straps. Flip flops are a no-no since you risk getting your feet caught in the pedals.
• Bring a refillable water bottle full of cold water. It is essential to stay hydrated.
• Remember your sunscreen since you will be spending an extended amount of time outdoors.
• Bring sunglasses and a hat to protect your eyes and face.
• Have fun! Railbiking is a great way to see some beautiful scenery and get some exercise, so make sure you enjoy yourself!

If you’re looking for a new way to explore the great outdoors, railbiking is definitely worth a try. It’s a unique, fun experience with stunning views and light exercise. It’s perfect for all ages (if they can reach the pedals) and fitness levels and is a great way to spend time with friends or family members. I highly recommend trying it if you’re ever in an area that offers railbiking. I am grateful for the opportunity to try railbiking and hope you will try it too!

Learn more about visiting Carson City, Nevada:

• 17 Fantastic Things To Do In Historic Carson City, Nevada
• 5 Amazing Stops On The Scenic Route From Reno To Lake Tahoe

A 37.5-foot Class A RV was our home for 8 years. My husband and I found each other late in life, and my brand-new groom took me RVing full-time. It became an 8-year honeymoon, crossing the continent six times, staying in 49 U.S. states, nine Canadian provinces, and six Mexican states.

This epic journey gave us many “lessons learned.” And these lessons optimized our RVing experience. When we decided to settle in a 55+ golf and resort community in Arizona, I looked back and came up with the following 10 lessons that I consider tops. 

I have linked, where available, to my blog posts that provide more detail or context. And there are three more notes at the end.

1. Follow The Sun; Maximize The Fun

The first lesson is the most obvious. Because you have a moving home, there’s no need to shiver in the cold or suffer in the sun. Some say the biggest benefit of full-time RVing is that you can readily change your neighbors whenever they prove not to your liking. It is, but the bigger one is that you can readily change your neighborhood as soon as it doesn’t suit you. In other words, spend summers in the north and winters in the south.

There were times when we could not follow this rule. One time, I had to go back to Seattle in November to respond to a request from the U.S. Commission on Immigration Services. A letter with an important appointment reached my previous campground after we had already left, so it didn’t get to me in time. As a result, we had a white Thanksgiving, got buried in snow, our water system almost froze, and we almost ran out of electricity. Here was my blog post about it. No, we didn’t do that again.

2. Plan And Document Your Trips

Being in new places and enjoying new activities is only one part of the fun. Another is planning those things with keen anticipation. And then you love it again when you reminisce and relive it. Thus, planning and documenting triples the fun.

I get pushback about planning from those who espouse spontaneity. But you see, I don’t mean planning to the smallest detail. It just means that you strategize to implement the first lesson. Not planning may also result in inefficient routes. With the high price of gasoline (and electric charging stations still sparse for those eRVs), thoughtfully planning your route is essential.

Documenting, on the other hand, allows you to enjoy the memories more completely and to share them with others. I started a blog the year after we began RVing. I didn’t know the blog would be my jumping point for the first book I self-published.

As we approach our 80s, I expect documentation to increase in importance and bring joy to our later years. Utilizing technology (and its update here) for both planning and documenting is key. 

3. Explore An Area Thoroughly

Don’t leave an area before you really get to know it; explore it before moving on. You wouldn’t want to have to come back, spending more on fuel than necessary. Planning will help you do this. In the beginning, we stayed in a place for 3 or 4 days, moving at a frantic pace to cover as many new places as we could. Afterward, we usually found out that we missed this and/or that landmark. 

We upgraded from a 24-foot Class B, bought into a nationwide campground network, and stayed in an area for 2–3 weeks. It was enough time to immerse ourselves in local life. This was our first experience in doing just that: Operationalizing Phase 2.

4. Build Healthcare Into Your Plan

This one was not part of my original list. In hindsight, it was the biggest lesson we ever learned. If we were given the chance to do it all over again, we would make sure to spend a couple of months a year at a central location to see our doctors.

We could use that time for annual consultations and tests. My husband’s sister still lives in their hometown of Pittsburg, Kansas; it could have served as that location and their doctors would have been great for us, too. In fact, when our health issues compounded, we stayed with my sister-in-law for 2 months and got a lot done, including cataract surgery for me (read about it here).

5. Choose An RV For Basic Needs

Your RV must meet the same basic needs you require from a home. For me, this meant being able to write, store food, cook, eat, wash dishes, wash clothes, sleep well, clean up well, and entertain ourselves and others. But because fuel is expensive, it also must not have “wants” that make your RV unnecessarily bigger and heavier.

Your needs must be as small as possible because of miles-per-gallon rules. That eliminates a bathtub, outright! But I also decided I really did not need a dresser or desk. And we found a unit with a microwave/convection oven combo, a compact dishwasher, and a mini stack-up washer/dryer. Read about “Buying Our New Home.”

6. Always Travel Light

Traveling light in an RV: How is that possible, you ask? The RV is inherently heavy, even when it is empty! To me, that meant traveling light became even more important. Remember that you are always moving, so live in accordance with the barest minimums.

I had a few rules, like storing only a week’s worth of food. Another rule was to throw away a piece of clothing whenever we bought a new one. In other words, no hoarding under any circumstances. We also kept tableware for four only and used plastic sets for bigger groups. Learn the secret to traveling light in an RV.

7. Become A Member Of A Network

We soon found out that camping fees are, like fuel, a big part of total expenses. If you camp for a major part of the year, become a member of a campground network to get the best rates. Over the 8-year period, ours came to about $6 a day. The task of looking for campgrounds is also eliminated, and planning is simplified. Here is an article on The Economics of Cruising as a Lifestyle.

8. Look For Work Or Payback Opportunities

As retirees, many of us look for ways we can make good use of our new-found time. Many of those we met on the road took advantage of seasonal job opportunities in different parts of the country. Amazon’s fulfillment centers and other work opportunities listed on workamper.com offered great chances to do something and get paid.

For payback opportunities, I liked Habitat for Humanity and have helped build a house with them. Their Care-a-Vanners program provides a campsite while you help. 

9. Use Nationwide Services But Buy Locally

When you have something to fix in your RV or dinghy, it is best to use nationwide chains that guarantee the quality of their service or product anywhere in the country. When we changed our leaking roof in Spokane, Washington, we didn’t have enough time for the work to dry; we had to leave for a family reunion at Glacier National Park. When the roof still leaked a little in Illinois, the local Camping World fixed the issue.

Doing this is not contradictory to buying locally. For simpler jobs and lower-priced goods, it is good to contribute to the local economy. Besides, flea and farmers markets sell the season’s best produce and the community’s best crafts at lower prices. 

10. Stay Connected

Perhaps the hardest part of a full-time RV life is being far from your loved ones. Technology helps to bridge the gap. But one reason we upgraded to a Class A is that I wanted space so loved ones could visit us. And occasionally, camping in their driveways is a neat thing to do! See the above links for “Utilizing Technology on the Go.”

Here are some other lessons that didn’t make it to my top ten but we found important for our circumstances.

• Don’t trade your home for a vehicle, in case you need to stay put again. Choose an RV that you can afford to pay for in cash, so you don’t have to sell your home or incur new debt. If you can, rent out your home(s) to finance your RVing (like we did).
• If you can, buy a used RV; just make sure it’s a good reliable brand (we got a Newmar). Let others take that first-year depreciation hit. This made our cost of RVing even lower (together with renting out our home and lesson seven above) than staying in our condo. As a matter of fact, the savings helped us buy a new home and pay for a new traveling lifestyle.
• You may want to take advantage of mail-forwarding services in low-tax states such as South and North Dakota or Montana, etc. Initially, we used a family member’s address because we were told mailed-in voting was limited to those with actual homes. But after a letter got to us late (lesson one above), we shifted to a mail forwarder.

If you are serious about living in an RV full-time, these 10 lessons may help you make some decisions. These and more are in my book Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream, a travel book detailing our RVing years. It will also give you a feel for this cruising lifestyle and, I hope, entertain you with the ups and downs of my American love story.

For more tips on RVing, check out these articles:

• One Key Way To Save Money On Your Summer Vacation — But You Need To Book Soon
• 5 Lessons We Learned Selling Everything And Hitting The Open Road In An RV
• 7 Important Lessons I Learned Retiring In An RV Full-Time

I’ll never forget the October afternoon I picked up the phone to hear the features editor of Glamour Magazine telling me she wanted to buy my article, “The Joy of Running.” For $750! Yikes! I stopped breathing for a moment, I was so shocked.

The math couldn’t have been more elegant — only 2 months earlier, the first article I ever wrote, about a trip my then-boyfriend and I took to England, had sold for $75.

Sadly, the heady days in the ‘70s of $750 for an article are long gone (unless you’re Margaret Atwood), but it’s still possible to earn money from writing. I attribute my deeply satisfying freelance career to the following successes (and a few mistakes!).

1. I Found The Sweet Spot Between My Passions And The Needs Of The Market

Since I loved both running and writing, they were a natural match. And the timing was perfect — my article would never have sold 10 years later, because by then, the culture had been there and done that.

Other topics were also a good match. In 1980, after losing 20 pounds without going on a diet, I started writing articles on weight loss. “Self-Esteem: The Best Diet Pill There is” sold to Weight Watchers Magazine, “Build A Better Body Image” to now-extinct McCall’s, and other articles on related themes to health, parents, religious, and international magazines. I also tweaked the same theme for different publications, such as the self-esteem article I sold to the evangelist Norman Vincent Peale, who made it available to his far-flung congregation.

Later, I wrote about personal and professional communication. My article, “Are You A Lightweight?” sold to New Woman for a now-unheard-of $1,000. (I cringe at the judgmental title. Neither the editors nor I would be comfortable with it today).

2. I Sold Reprints

After an article had appeared in a magazine, I sent it to other markets. My reprints were published within the U.S., as well as in Canada, Britain, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil.

3. I Straddled Writing And Training

In my experience, it’s easier to earn a living by leading seminars than by writing, so I did both. In the late ‘70s and ‘80s, while living in Seattle and Bellingham, I became a weight-loss consultant. 

Later, that evolved into business training. When my husband Barry and I moved to Palo Alto, California, I used my involvement in Toastmasters (a public speaking club) and an article I wrote on presentation skills for Entrepreneur to help me land my first gig in Silicon Valley. A company hired me to be their presentation skills trainer, a role that provided me a valuable gateway into many high-tech companies.

After my article on women’s communication skills came out in New Woman, a Hewlett-Packard manager read it and hired me to lead in-house seminars, which ultimately led to my conducting international seminars for HP in India and Israel.

This parallel track of freelance writing and leading seminars became a successful pattern I used throughout my working life. The balance also helped because my personality isn’t suited to writing exclusively. I’m an extrovert and need to engage with people. 

4. I Explored Different Formats

Although my favorite genre is the personal essay (which happily, the editors of TravelAwaits have allowed me to write), I also like how-to articles, profiles, and interviews. Because I enjoy learning about people’s interests, I’ve written about areas I know nothing about, such as local history, citizen science, and botany.

5. I Looked For Different Funnels Of Income Within The Same Site

Barry and I divide our lives between Guanajuato, the UNESCO World Heritage city in central Mexico, and Eureka on California’s North Coast. A few years ago, I had coffee with another Guanajuato expat, one of the editors of a magazine/website called International Living. It turned out that the site had four other editors, each with their own area of responsibility and budget. As soon as I got home, I fired off a pitch to the “Postcard” editor, the result of which was an article called “Like to Cook? Help Your Wallet — and Your Waistline — by Cooking in Airbnbs.” (I was paid $100. Oh well!) Within a month, I was writing for all four editors.

6. I Occasionally Wrote Pro Bono

While I love to earn, sometimes it’s worth it to write for free. For example, a few years ago, I wrote about my observations about Mexicans, their homes, and their belongings for a blog called Get Rich Slowly. I shared the post with a friend, who belonged to a national association dedicated to working with hoarders. As a result, I was invited to be a keynote speaker at their annual conference, whose theme was “Cultures of Consumption,” for which I was paid $1,000 plus expenses. Not bad for a guest blog post!

7. I Learned To Negotiate

I’ve written articles and given seminars on negotiation — an area that women traditionally avoid, to our detriment. We’re famous for accepting what is offered, only to find out later that our male peers are earning more. Not me!

Recently, Forbes/MarketWatch offered me $400 for an article about the financial lessons I learned from my parents. Surely Forbes, of all places, can pay more, I thought. So I asked, of course. My editor later told me she was startled, but decided it was good practice for her, too. In the end, they paid me $500.

8. I Followed The Axiom “Personal Leads To Profitable”

I heard this motto early in my career and it’s proven true for me. Developing warm relationships with editors and clients by showing interest in their lives has led to success. The closer and more trusting the relationship, the higher chance of repeat business. For example, I’ve known an Australian editor since the ‘80s. Not once have we met, but she has assigned me many articles over the years.

9. I Asked For Help From Mentors

I found a home for my article on running through a personal connection. While visiting my sister shortly after the trip to England in the ‘70s, I met a friend of hers, an editor at Glamour. When I told Janice I wanted to write about my trip, she offered to review my article. After reading my sprawling, wordy 4,000-word piece, she tactfully said, “You have a story within a story,” (which was only about 20 percent of the original!). I followed her advice exactly — and sold the piece to a British Columbian airline magazine.

Janice generously offered to read other material I’d written. Two months later, she shared my running piece with the editorial team at Glamour and the rest is history.

Unfortunately, I didn’t always take advantage of mentors. Instead of asking for advice, as one of my colleagues did, I wanted to give the impression that I already knew everything there was to know. Ha! What a mistake, valuing ego over education.

10. I Used All Available Media

Slowly I overcame my fears and learned how to market — and even grew to enjoy it. I offered seminars at community colleges throughout the Bay Area on travel writing, along with a workshop called “From Personal to Publishable” (using one’s own experience as material for getting published). Wherever I taught, I’d contact the local newspaper and invite a reporter to interview me.

A columnist at the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat published an article about me, which was syndicated in the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain, including The Chicago Tribune and The Phoenix Republic. The media coverage landed me my first of many out-of-state gigs. 

11. I Found My Tribe

In Palo Alto, I joined a group called “Monday Writers.” At first, I was skeptical, thinking I had nothing to learn from people who wrote fiction and poetry. Wrong! The critiquing they offered was the best I’ve ever received.

12. But… I Wasn’t Always Willing To Play The Game

Sometimes, for example, I didn’t feel like getting quotes from psychological experts around the country on some insight or theory that seemed perfectly obvious to me. The whole idea irritated me. This was what editors expected, though, and they’d sometimes kill my article because I was unwilling to do the grunt work. Had I been less stubborn, more of my articles would have been published in glossy national magazines

13. I Was As Interested In Having Fun As I Was Making Money

I’ve often been encouraged to specialize because the more defined your niche, the more easily identifiable and successful you are. But for better or worse, I prefer to focus on a variety of topics, from travel and expat life, to physical, psychological, and spiritual health. Money was never my only goal.

Looking back, I think my strength wasn’t confidence, but enthusiasm. I was overjoyed that I could create a life doing what I loved. The ‘80s classic, Do What You Love And The Money Will Follow was in many ways vague and impractical, but for me, it was true: I did do what I loved, and the money did indeed follow.

For years, I’ve admired the gorgeous photos coming out of Antelope Canyon on Navajo Nation land in northern Arizona. The social media images showing off the slot canyon’s luminous light and softly-fluted sandstone never fail to blow me away.

But for some reason, even though I live only 3.5 hours away in north-central Arizona, I had never visited the famous spot. I had passed through Page — the Arizona town that is home to Antelope Canyon — a number of times, but I always seemed to be on my way to other nearby destinations like Buckskin Gulch, Zion National Park, or the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah.

So, when I was recently invited on a hosted press trip to Page, which included a visit to Antelope Canyon, I thought, “Finally!” And also, I wondered briefly if the canyon would really be as stunning as it looked in all of those photographs.

After taking a tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon with Ken’s Tours, I have to say, “Yes,” Antelope Canyon does indeed live up to all of the hype! Here are seven reasons why.

1. The Sandstone Walls Are Even More Vivid In Person

As the saying goes, photos do not always do justice to an iconic natural phenomenon. Antelope Canyon is one of those spots. Even though images will give you an idea of the rich reds of the sandstone and the lovely blues of the sky, there is nothing like seeing the canyon up close and personal.

I found that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the silky, smooth canyon walls, with their deep brick-red hues and swirls of beige. And through the openings of the canyon, the sky above was a startling shade of blue against the red rock.

I was lucky to get a day with clear skies and a few puffy clouds for my tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. It was a technicolor moment!

2. The Special Features Are Adorable

The sandstone formations that were naturally formed over millions of years of water and wind erosion are indeed a sight to see. But, add in the optical illusions that appear from time to time through the canyon, and you have the makings of a truly magical experience.

The knowledgeable guide who led my group through the canyon was quick to point out features in the rock walls that resembled everything from a lion to a whale to a shark’s head to an adorable seahorse.

In addition, she pointed to locations that have become iconic through their appearance in publications like National Geographic, as well as countless posts on Instagram. At one point, our guide pointed out a rock formation that is likely familiar to millions of computer users as a screensaver for Apple MacBooks.

3. There Are Plenty Of Photo Ops

An in-person visit also allows for some pretty amazing backdrops for photos of your own. At one point, our guide pointed to the canyon’s “Wedding Arch,” where couples have been known to exchange vows.

In another room deep in the canyon, the guide took portraits of group members as the glowing light filtered in. Even though there were tour groups ahead of us and behind us, our guide took the time to stop for plenty of photos.

Pro Tip: No photos are allowed while on the stairs into and within the canyon, and visitors are not allowed to stop and pose on the staircases. Also, although photos are encouraged in other places in the canyon, no video is allowed. Our guide told us that rule is not just a personal preference but a Navajo Nation rule.

4. The Walk Over Rocky Terrain Is Gorgeous

The walk from Ken’s Tours headquarters to the Lower Antelope Canyon entrance is short, but it is exceptionally scenic. I loved soaking up the views as my group made the trek through a red-rock wash toward the first set of stairs.

Pro Tip: To help navigate the rocky terrain on your walk to the canyon, as well as the sometimes-uneven canyon floor, it’s best to wear hiking boots or sneakers with a good grip.

5. The Stairs Are Steep, But Doable

Full disclosure: There will be stairs on the Lower Antelope Canyon tour. As we approached the canyon entrance, our tour guide asked if anyone had a fear of heights or was claustrophobic — questions that had me wondering about what was in store.

Still, she reassured us that we could take our time on the stairs. And because some of the staircases are ladder-like with narrow steps, the guide urged us to either turn around and descend on a ladder or side-step it down — whatever made us most comfortable.

I didn’t find the stairs to be particularly scary, but I noticed that some people were having a difficult time with the steepness of the descent and the narrow steps. I loved that the guide was right beside us at each of the staircases, giving advice and cheering us on. Her advice to take it slow seemed to be the best approach.

6. The Stories Are Fascinating

As we started our tour, our guide told us that over 500 million years ago, the entire region around Antelope Canyon was underwater. As the water started to dissipate or evaporate, sand dunes were formed, later going through a process of compression, and ultimately forming into the beautiful layers that exist in the Lower Antelope Canyon today.

“Everything is made out of water and sand,” the guide told us, adding that wind erosion had also formed some of the rock formations in the upper part of the canyon and that the silky smooth appearance deep inside indicated that the formations were formed by water erosion.

The formation of the canyon was just one of the fascinating stories that my group learned along the tour. The guide also talked about flash floods that have occurred in the past, as well as the changes that have occurred in the canyon from the rushing water. In 2022, for instance, she said there were 11 flash floods in the canyon, which formed a new hole in the wall and also eroded about 4 inches in some areas. Slowly but surely, she said, the canyon would become wider.

We also learned about the different slot canyons in the region, each of which has its own personality. A sign outside Ken’s Tours headquarters explains the characteristics of the three main canyons: 

• Canyon X, which has a 334-foot trail that features occasional light beams and great lighting
• Upper Antelope Canyon, an A-shaped slot canyon with a 660-foot in-and-out trail that features great lighting during peak/summer season and light beams hitting the canyon floor from April through August
• Lower Antelope Canyon, a 1,335-foot-long one-way trail through an A-shaped, V-shaped, and parallel slot canyon that features great lighting all-day and all-year-round, with occasional light beams.

7. Emerging From Underground Is Thrilling

The Lower Canyon itself is otherworldly, but I found emerging out of the ground into the bright and sunny day to be equally cool. Because of the one-way trail, visitors enter the canyon in one area, descend deep into it, and then climb a series of stairs before emerging from the ground through a narrow opening in another area.

As I exited the canyon, it was fun to look back and watch the other hikers coming up through the red rocks and appearing in the sunlight, with the rolling sandstone terrain as a backdrop.

Pro Tip: Adventure Concierge At Hyatt Place Page/Lake Powell

For visitors to Page who are uncertain about which adventures to book, the beautiful Hyatt Place Page/Lake Powell, where my group stayed, recently debuted a new “adventure concierge,” who is on hand to help guests create an itinerary that is custom-designed to their interests. Possible adventures include sought-after excursions like Ken’s Antelope Canyon Tours, UTV rides in the nearby Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument and Vermillion Cliffs with Epic Adventure Rides, and Papillion Helicopter Tours that land on the nearby Tower Butte.

“Here we go again,” I thought, midway through an evening when Barry and I had invited a couple over for drinks. We were sitting on the terrace of our home in Guanajuato, the UNESCO World Heritage City in central Mexico, where we live part of the year, and, once again, I noticed the dynamics: each of us was paying more attention to Jenna, the wife, than to her husband, Ron, who looked a bit neglected.

“Why does it always work out this way?” I wondered. Barry and I don’t have many friends who are couples, probably because we both usually like one partner more. They get the attention, while the other feels left out. Not a good scene, obviously.

While we both like being with people, we have different socializing styles. Unlike many men I know, Barry doesn’t depend on me for friendships (thank God!). He has a lot of what sociologists call “loose ties,” casual connections like baristas, letter carriers, or cashiers, whom he knows by name and chats with. He also has close male friends, but they’re more likely to go on outings, whereas my friendships are more intense. Classic gender differences.

Barry can enjoy his own company longer than I can mine. He teases me that I’m not happy if I don’t have at least one in-depth interaction a day. This isn’t completely the case, but it is true that the mere knowledge that I’ll meet with someone I like or who intrigues me within the next 24 hours, gives me a lift.

This is just one example of several of our different styles — both at home and when traveling — that we’ve had to navigate over the years. For example:

At Home

Different Preferences Around When To Leave And Arrive At A Party

A few months ago, Barry and I were at a party in Guanajuato. I was chatting away with two women who I’d just met, when Barry came over to me and said he was ready to leave. “Cool,” I said, “I’ll see you later.”

We’ve come to realize over the years that I often like to stay longer at parties than he does. Instead of arguing over when to leave, as we used to do, I just stay longer. It’s easy in Guanajuato because everything is so near and within walking distance.

Although neither of us are big party types, we do like them in small doses. I, however, get mildly anxious beforehand. By the time I’ve arrived at a party and found someone to chat with, I enjoy myself, but I prefer to get there as soon as possible to reduce my early jitters. I don’t even mind being the first to arrive.

On the other hand, Barry, like most people I know, doesn’t want to arrive too early. Unlike when we leave a party, we haven’t found a solution for this, because although I’m OK going to a party by myself, I’d rather not arrive before him. I think it looks weird. I know, I shouldn’t care, but I do.

Different Bedtimes

While we’re both early risers, Barry goes to bed later than me. It used to bother me that we didn’t go to bed together, mainly because I didn’t know any other couples who had different bedtimes, and I saw it as a failing. But I’ve grown to accept it, especially after noticing that when I’ve pressured Barry to come to bed with me, he lies awake for hours trying to sleep, and I know how frustrating that is.

It’s easier for me to go to bed before him in Eureka, our home on the North Coast of California, because our bedroom is right next to the living room, and it’s comforting knowing that he’s just a few yards away — unlike Guanajuato, where the bedroom is on the third floor of our home and the sala on the second. My solution there is to unfold the futon and fall asleep next to him on the floor. Later he wakes me and we go upstairs to bed together.

When Traveling

Different Styles Around Organizing Our Day

It was February 1983, and Barry and I woke up early one morning in our budget hotel to the fragrance of sandalwood, one of the features that Mysore, India, is famous for. We were on a 3-month-long hippie-style unstructured trip through Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal. Barry stretched luxuriously, turned to me, smiling, and said, “It’s so wonderful – we have so many options! We can stay in bed, read, make love, get up, have breakfast, visit a temple, or go to the market. So much freedom!”

To which I pulled the sheet over my head and began to cry. “It’s too much! I’m overwhelmed. Too many options!”

In Mysore, I wasn’t familiar yet with the personality instrument known as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). While I’m more of a “J,“ which stands for Judging (a misleading term, because it doesn’t mean someone who is judgmental, but rather who prefers planning and order), Barry is more of a “P” (Perceiving), an easygoing type who can happily float through the day. Hence his pleasure waking up to an empty day — and my panic. (Full disclosure: Barry thinks Myers-Briggs is baloney!)

Fortunately, both of us have softened. While Barry prefers not to schedule too much, he’s not averse to planning, and I’m more easygoing now than I was in Mysore. Also, life in today’s world makes it easier for me to create structure when traveling. Back in 1983, there were no meetups, no internet, no couchsurfing — in other words, fewer organized ways to meet people.

Nor did we make connections back then as easily. While trekking in Nepal, a month after that morning in Mysore, for example, we stayed in guest houses owned by Nepali families. Over dinner in the village of Ghorepani, a woman from Quebec mentioned that earlier in the afternoon, she’d asked the mom and grandmother if she could watch them while they cooked. I was envious. It had never occurred to me that I could have a real conversation with our Nepali hosts and break through the host-guest barrier.

Happily, since then we’ve grown to love meeting people wherever we travel. For example, during the sabbatical we took starting in 1999, we spent a month in Tbilisi, Georgia, where we contacted people from a list given to us by an Austrian woman we’d met in Oaxaca, Mexico, 6 months earlier. One by one, we invited these folks over to our apartment for dinner.

And in Medellín, Colombia, where we did a home exchange with our house in Guanajuato, we chatted with taxistas about their lives and the city’s difficult history during the drug lord Pablo Escobar years. 

Other ways we’ve found to meet my need for structure have been staying in Airbnbs (where I can not only cook, but go food shopping, which is great fun in foreign countries), and giving talks in English schools.

Over the years, we’ve learned we have to be creative, so I don’t wake up crying on a beautiful morning!

Different Priorities In Cities

For as long as I’ve known him, Barry has liked doing touristy, cheesy things like sightseeing; climbing towers (the more, the better, one after the other, in the same city!); riding the hop on/off tourist buses; exploring castles, museums, and ruins; taking trips on riverboats; visiting amusement parks (when we went to Six Flags in southern California, he rode the roller coaster over and over until the park shut down!); and other things I consider overrated and ridiculously expensive.

I’m much more of a snob. In Paris, for example, I’d far rather sit in a cafe trying my hardest to look très chic, drinking a cafe au lait and watching people, not climbing the Eiffel Tower.

But gradually, Barry’s sheer enthusiasm, his love of archeology and science, and his ability to put things into historical context have won me over. Nowadays, I love joining him, especially visiting archeological ruins, which we’ve done all over Türkiye and Mexico in particular.

It took us a while — nearly 50 years! — but at long last, our styles, if not exactly mesh, at least meet in the middle. No more panicked mornings for me. After we wake up, I’m ready to find the nearest market, chat with a taxista, or go to a meetup. In so many ways, both living and traveling are easier at 71 than at 31.

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Owosso is the small town (fewer than 15,000 residents) where I grew up. Though I was born and raised in this historic little town in mid-Michigan, I couldn’t wait to leave as soon as I graduated from high school.

As I prepared to return for a milestone event, my 50-year class reunion, I donned my traveler and researcher hat. I thought I knew Owosso well but decided to see things with a new vision. Here’s how doing so changed my life.

On The Road (Alone) Again

My husband chose not to go with me on this trip, which meant I was a solo female traveler. I was also a solo female traveler in the 1970s when I graduated from high school, long before it was a “thing.”

As a “retired” adult, I prefer road trips. Flying is never my first choice for domestic travel. The first thing I do when planning a trip is determine my mode of transportation. From my home in Arizona, I had several choices: Fly, drive, or take the train.

I chose to reserve a roomette on Amtrak. With the included meals and sleeping accommodations, the train was more cost-effective than driving and afforded me the convenience of time and space for writing, reading, and sleeping, instead of navigating across the country alone.

When I travel, I combine more than one destination in a region when I can do so. My philosophy is to see as much as possible while I’m on the way or once I arrive. All told, this trip was 41 days long and included time in Chicago, Illinois; Wisconsin; Michigan; Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Williams, Arizona.

Back To Owosso

When I lived in Owosso, I didn’t understand the importance of these sorts of facts, but as I planned to return, I found them both interesting and inspirational.

• Owosso was named after Chief Wosso (meaning “one bright spot”), a leader of the Chippewa tribe that once inhabited the area.
• The Chippewa named the river Shiawassee, meaning “straight ahead.” It’s one of the few rivers in North America that flows northward.

• No other place in the world shares Owosso’s name.
• An Underground Railroad waystation operated in a home at major cross streets in Owosso in the mid-1800s.
• Owosso was reportedly a sundown town where African Americans were not allowed to live or stay overnight in the 1950s.
• Resident reporter, writer, and movie producer James Oliver Curwood built a Norman chateau on the Shiawassee Riverbank. He used Curwood Castle as his office and writing studio. Today, it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Lawyer, prosecutor, and politician Thomas E. Dewey was born and raised in Owosso. He was the 47th governor of New York and also a presidential nominee in 1944 and again in 1948.
• The steam engine used in the 2004 Tom Hanks movie The Polar Express resides in Owosso at the Steam Railroading Institute. The engine was under repair when I visited. George Lucas and company recorded the sounds from the Pere Marquette 1225 at the Owosso rail yard.
• The Shiawassee Art Center celebrated its 50th Anniversary when I was there.
• The Owosso Casket Company (the largest worldwide because of the flu pandemic in the early 1900s) & Woodward Furniture Company has manufactured furniture in Owosso for over 100 years.

Home, By Way Of Chicago, Door County, And The SS Badger

With these factoids in tow, I boarded the Southwest Chief Amtrak train in Flagstaff, Arizona, and arrived in Chicago, Illinois, more than 48 hours later. After touring Chicago and Oak Park with Road Scholar and researching my Frank Lloyd Wright project, I picked up a rental car and drove to other Frank Lloyd Wright destinations in Wisconsin.

After an extensive 5-day exploration of Door County, I reserved passage on the historic SS Badger car ferry to Ludington, Michigan. A smooth crossing settled me on solid ground for a 2-hour drive to central Michigan, where I lodged with relatives who gave me a home base for my Michigan excursions.

When I arrived in Owosso, I took a trip down Memory Lane. I drove to the house and neighborhood in which I grew up. Compelled to take selfies in front of our old house, I liked the before and after pictures that are now warmhearted memories.

This trip included visiting the church I attended until I was 18. Finding the front doors locked, I made my way around to the side entrance, where I discovered some people about to close the church. I begged them for 5 minutes to step inside as my eyes welled with unshed tears. With permission granted, I entered, surprised that I hadn’t realized how important this visit would be.

At The Reunion(s)

Because I attended two high schools, I had double the fun with old, fat, and (some) bald people I didn’t recognize. And I was one of them!

I liked that I could talk to my classmates as adults, not influenced by childhood crushes or feelings of inferiority. I enjoyed catching up on my classmates’ lives.

Because I often write about food, my taste buds get excited about unusual preparation and food presentations. While I flirt with vegan and vegetarian eating, I enjoy all kinds of cuisine. That said, I was not too fond of all the beige food, greasy fried chicken, and long lines at the entrance and the bar. These challenges made me feel disconnected from my classmates and like a travel and food snob because of my life experiences.

Tips For Your Upcoming Class Reunion

• Overweight? Don’t worry about it. Most older people have gained some pounds, and their hair has gone gray or away.
• Don’t expect your classmates to treat you any differently than they did when you went to school with them. After all, do you see them any differently? That said, you may be pleasantly surprised.
• Allow extra time to spend with individuals and on impromptu get-togethers. You won’t regret it.

How My Reunion Changed My Life

This trip affirmed my belief that every town is exciting and filled with interesting people, no matter how big or small. Everyone has a history. We all have a story, and I enjoy helping people tell them. This time, I gained a better understanding of my own.

It was a grueling 30-hour trek from Houston to Malé, Maldives, but I was determined to make it to the other side of the world. “Nope!” is what most of my friends said when I told them about my coach seats on Turkish Airlines, a 13-hour flight to Istanbul, an 8-hour layover, and another 10 hours to Malé.

It’s true that getting to the Maldives is not for the faint of heart. But the first time you look into the water and see spotted rays and blacktip sharks, or hear the waves lapping at the base of your over-the-water villa, or gently run a finger over the parakeet that has just landed on your shoulder, you’ll forget all about what it took to get there.

So if you can get to the Caribbean in a few hours, that’s great! If you love the beautiful beaches of Florida, wonderful! But if you’re seeking that destination that makes you ooh and aah, the Maldives is it, and I’m here to tell you why.

The Service Will Make You Feel Like a Million Bucks

Arrive at Malé Velana International Airport, easily locate your resort’s welcome deck, and from that moment on, you’re done carrying luggage. Within minutes, your bags are whisked away, and you are guided to your speedboat transfer or the seaplane terminal for the final leg that will take you to your island.

I was on my way to Coco Bodu Hithi, reached easily via a 30-minute speedboat ride. This was a lifesaver after a long flight (the last thing I wanted to do was get on another plane), and the fresh Indian Ocean air did wonders to rejuvenate me. In my own personal “White Lotus” moment, we motored up to the dock, where staff members in uniform smiled and waved. I stepped off the boat, was handed a cool, scented towel, and was greeted with, “Hello, Rebecca, did you have a good trip?” It gave me my first glimpse into the level of service you find in the Maldives, where everyone, it seems, knows your name.

I was assigned (ahem) a personal butler, Gowtham, a kind, gentle spirit who anticipated needs I never knew I had and truly, sincerely just wanted me to be happy. Here at Coco, there is never a sense that the resort staff is less than thrilled to meet your needs. It’s the opposite. Everyone just wants you to have the vacation you want, and it makes them happy to make you happy.

Gowtham was like a genie who appeared before I had a chance to rub my magic lamp. He’d show up as I was emerging from the ocean and offer to carry my snorkeling gear back to my villa. After I ordered wine at dinner on the first night, a bottle of red appeared in my room the next day, along with a 6-pack of beer for my husband. Wearing heels to dinner one night, and with a bit of a walk ahead of me, I was relieved when he pulled up in a golf cart, making me feel like Cinderella in a chariot.

At the end of the week, my husband turned to me and said, “Everyone deserves a Gowtham, even if it’s just for a week.” You know what? He’s right.

Eating, Drinking, And Wandering Opens Up New Worlds

There are few places you can go where you never see another American, and this is one of them. Sitting at dinner, you’ll hear every language being spoken around you — German, French, Urdu, Swahili, Arabic, and more. I struck up conversations with travelers from the UK, who loved discussing Harry’s new book and American politics. I’ll never forget the Frenchman at the breakfast buffet balancing a plate of toasted bread, ham, and cheese. When I nodded appreciatively at his choice of food, he responded proudly, “Croque monsieur!” Although a stilted way to communicate, it was lovely to vacation among people from all over the world.

We are all familiar with the bar scene at vacation resorts, but in the Maldives, alcohol doesn’t take center stage. Here, you’ll find a hookah bar where visitors puff on sweet-smelling elixirs and gaze out at the turquoise water. As a 100 percent Muslim country, alcohol is not promoted as it is elsewhere. If you want it, by all means, have it, but you won’t see over-imbibers stumbling back to their rooms or late-night party revelers disturbing their neighbors.

Also, the food! Every morning is an adventure — is that brown, fuzzy ball a nut or a fruit? I broke open longan, loquat, and tamarind like little jewels and googled how to eat them. Curries of various types are an option at every meal, served with papadum crackers, along with fresh skipjack tuna, and saagu bondibai, a traditional Maldivian pudding.

Then there is just the vibe, the way you feel when you’re here. This is a place to come and relax, to breathe in the incense that burns in the open-air lobby. To wander among fragrant frangipani to the sounds of the cuckoo birds’ ascending whistles. To marvel at the sparkling phytoplankton that wash up in the night waves, leaving a glowing trail in their wake. To come eye-to-eye with water hens, their stilted gait carving star-shaped footprints in the sand.

The magic of the Maldives is real, and you can only get it here.

Easily Visited Multiple Islands

One of the many benefits of staying at Coco Collection Resorts is that they own sister properties on two separate islands. After my week at Coco Bodu Hithi, I caught a seaplane to Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu. The two experiences were nothing alike and I wouldn’t have changed a thing at either. I would have missed out on so much if I had experienced only one island.

At my first resort, I stayed in one of the sprawling over-the-water villas. No matter how many photos I’d seen in advance, nothing could have prepared me for how truly dreamlike they are in person. Coco Bodu Hithi’s villas are as luxe as the rest of the island, with beautiful people in flowing sundresses dining at private, candlelit tables on the beach.  

I didn’t think Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu could match it, and I was glad it didn’t because it had its own unique qualities that I treasured. I stayed in a garden villa with beautiful views and a private pathway to the sea. I showered outside and slept with mosquito netting around my bed. I walked barefoot to dinner, gathered with others to watch the sunset, and with no butler this time, relaxed into the back-to-nature vibe of my second resort.

It may seem like a hassle to move locations midway through your vacation, but I can’t recommend it enough. The best way to do this is to book properties that work together to make your transfers seamless. Coco scheduled everything, picked up my bags, transported them first by boat and then by seaplane, greeted me at my second island, and did it all again when it was time to depart. They even set me up with a tour guide at the airport, who spent the day with me in Malé until my late-night flight.

A dual-island adventure doubles your fun and gives you a change of pace. You will enjoy entirely different snorkeling experiences on each atoll, unique atmospheres, and various types of lodging. 

Pro Tip: The waves under those sexy over-the-water villas can sound like a hurricane at 3 a.m., so light sleepers might prefer the land villas. You decide whether you want to socialize with your fellow travelers or have a private vacation.

Speaking of being a hermit, both Coco properties made me feel like I had the islands to myself. My husband and I snorkeled for two weeks straight without bumping into anyone else. It wasn’t unusual to stroll an empty beach, even though we visited during peak season. We never waited to be seated at a restaurant, stood in a line, or put our towels on a lounge chair to “save it.” All those typical vacation experiences go out the window in the Maldives.

It wasn’t long after I moved to the tiny village of Pieve di Compresseto in the heart of Italy that I discovered the secret to living a long, healthy life. Of the 100 people who live here, at least 70 of them are senior citizens and many have lived into their 90s. Maria, the town’s matriarch, will be 103 this year. While she physically doesn’t get around very well, she’s still as feisty as ever. When it was Elena’s 91st birthday, Maria did not forget to call and wish her a happy birthday!

Many of the villagers were born soon after World War II, before electricity came to the village, when washing clothes meant carrying them on your head to the nearest fountain or stream. In comparison, I am a spoiled, American-born baby boomer raised on hotdogs and too much television. Boy did I have a lot to learn!

These senior men and women, mostly pensioners, continue to work as they have all their lives. And that seems to be their secret: to keep moving in the beautiful nature that surrounds us.

The women’s daily lives are fueled by very strong espresso and can include: tending to their large gardens, making jam from hand-picked blackberries, killing a dozen chickens, making fresh tagliatelle pasta — enough for 10 people at pranzo (lunch) — taking care of grandkids, cleaning the family crypt at the cemetery, going to church to pray the rosary, and running down to the pharmacy to pick up nonna’s (grandma’s) medicine.

Meanwhile, the men collect and stack wood, prune olive trees, and vineyards; build sheds; tend to sheep and donkeys; make their own wine and liquor; hunt; and search for wild funghi (mushrooms) and asparagus. I know a few elderly signori (gentlemen) who walk for miles with their trained dogs through the woods in search of the highly desirable — and expensive — tartufi (truffles).

Now, I’d like to introduce you to a few of my friends and neighbors — all senior citizens — and how they manage to keep fit.

Bruno (74)

Bruno is retired from working for the Italian railways, but every morning he shows up to take care of the 30 donkeys that his son Roberto owns. These donkeys live down the road from us and in the summer, we often hear the male bemoaning his futile attempts at lovemaking. The donkeys are kept for their milk, which Roberto uses in his signature soap and lotion products. (Let’s not forget that Cleopatra herself loved to bathe in sour donkey’s milk!)

Bruno’s duties include using a pitchfork to fill the donkey’s troughs with hay, cleaning out their stables, and moving the animals from one pasture to another. However, sometimes this last task goes wrong and the donkeys escape to an open field. From our living room window, we can easily see the errant donkeys followed by Bruno frantically waving his arms and shouting in an attempt to herd them in. More than once, we’ve put on our Wellingtons and raced down to the meadow to help Bruno usher the donkeys back to where they belong. This exercise also keeps us fit!

Giuseppa (93)

Giuseppa is a round but sturdy widow whose hands are small, yet broad and strong. Whenever she stands before you, her feet are firmly planted and her eyes steady upon you. She is one of the few people I have ever met that is really present in all that is around her. Every afternoon, you can find her tending her 2-acre campo (field) in the Italian countryside. Since she was 5 years old, she has lived all her life (literally) off the fruits of her labor.

Whenever I visit, she chatters away in her Italian dialect as she heads out to feed her chickens. It is always a pleasure to visit her and see what she is sowing, planting, harvesting, gathering, and drying.

Giuseppa turned 93 this January and told me that whenever she’s in her garden, she feels so happy. She still wields her hoe like a young person. After her recent heart checkup, the doctor was amazed. “What are you doing?” the doctor asked. “Whatever it is, don’t stop. Your heart will beat forever!”

Luigi (75) And Delfina (74)

Perhaps it is Luigi and Delfina who inspire me the most. Luigi was born here in the countryside but now lives in town. However, often in late spring, he comes with Delfina to cut the grass around the house across the street from us. This is the house his father built, the house Luigi promised his father that he would never sell.

The amazing human truth about Luigi is that he became blind about 30 years ago, but cuts the grass as he always has — with a scythe! His wife Delfina stands at some distance, but close enough to supervise, directing him whenever he approaches some potential obstacle, like a drop in the terrain. Luigi is a huge, muscular man full of life who enjoys these workouts. He is always beaming afterward, tired but satisfied, with the sweat glistening on his forehead.

Whenever they come (and despite all that she has to do), Delfina manages to thoughtfully bring me a small gift — the first tomatoes from her garden, a crocheted doily, or a traditional sweet cake, fresh from her oven.

Franco (85) And Franca (79)

Another inspiring couple, Franco and Franca (sometimes teasingly called the “Franchi” or “Two Franks”), are always ready to invite you in for a café and chat despite being busy from morning to night. Last time I visited, Franco had been out all day collecting walnuts and apples from their many fruit trees. He’s had to slow down, however. When he was younger (around 75 years old!), he used to keep bees, restore antique furniture, and tend a garden double what they have today.

Franca helps out in the garden, but her passion is cooking. She’s an expert on baking the traditional cheese bread for Easter in her outdoor wood-burning oven. I’ve been a guest a number of times for Sunday pranzo, and even in her kitchen she’s got the wood-burning stove to make everything from mouth-watering roasted rabbit to her homemade lasagna.

Stefano (68)

My next-door neighbor Stefano is the youngest of this group. He’s a remarkable man, having sailed solo three times across the Atlantic Ocean. Naturally, he has what Italians call mani d’oro (golden hands), which means he knows how to do almost everything. So far, he’s restored his home, rebuilt the terrace with a panoramic vista, and is now getting ready to build a new garage. As Stefano has demonstrated, when it comes to staying fit, you can’t beat picking up huge stones to build a wall!

Leda (96)

Leda recently died peacefully at her home, but I still wanted to include her since she was such an inspiration and contributed a bounty to my garden. Leda was constantly surprising and delighting me with her abundant energy. She was notorious for always being out and about with her hoe, weeding the garden and digging trenches. With a full head of white hair gleaming in the sunshine, Leda raised chickens and tended a summer garden. She was also known for having the best artichokes in town. When we first arrived, Leda — at the tender age of 90 — dug up 20 shoots for us to replant in our garden. Last year, we harvested more than 250 of Leda’s artichokes!

These are just a few of the senior citizens who have shown my husband and me the importance of keeping busy. When you can incorporate movement into your daily life through caring for a garden, animals, or others, then you don’t have to worry about going to the gym. All of these senior citizens couldn’t imagine living any other way. And all of them agree that their activities not only keep them healthy physically but also mentally.

So why wait? Start digging out that tomato patch in your garden today!

The week we got married, my husband Barry came to me with a big grin on his face. “I have a surprise for you,” he said.

The “surprise” turned out to be $5,000 in his savings account. In 1978, $5,000 was a vast amount of money, so he was stunned when, instead of being elated, I was deeply hurt by it. How could he keep a secret from me? Why hadn’t he trusted me? I felt betrayed.

Having an argument over money only a few days into our marriage was very upsetting, but we probably weren’t alone. Conflict over finances is common between couples; in fact, it’s the number one source of tension, and the second leading cause of divorce, after infidelity.

That argument about Barry’s secret stash was the first, but certainly not the last, of many that we’ve had over finances. But over the years, we’ve found solutions, which have led to an almost (!) harmonious financial relationship. 

Here are 9 practices that have helped us reach equanimity.

1. We Don’t Keep Secrets About Money

From that early experience, we learned that financial secrets damage trust, and I can’t remember a single secret about money that we’ve had since. (Full disclosure: I’m hardly perfect when it comes to secrets. I’ve sneaked around with eating, but that’s another story!)

Still, there are secrets you keep even from yourself. For the first 20 years of our marriage, Barry and I had separate finances — a policy I was the one to propose when we got married. Having been the breadwinner in his first marriage, Barry was thrilled to have a financially independent wife. In the late ‘70s and ‘80s, our approach worked fine because life wasn’t very pricey where we lived. When he wanted to buy a house in the Seattle area, for example, I didn’t want to share in the burden of ownership. I signed a quit claim deed at the bank, foregoing my interest in the house in our community property state. I paid Barry $200 every month for rent, and when he sold the house two years later, he lost $14,000, while I didn’t lose a penny.

But in 1987, when we moved to Palo Alto, California, our policy didn’t feel as comfortable to me. It was the biggest and scariest period in my adult life, as I not only moved to a new state but transitioned from weight loss counseling to a training business. The Bay Area was exponentially more expensive than anywhere I had ever lived, and for the first time in my life, I had to earn a serious income. Barry had a head start, being 9 years older than me and with an established profession.

The truth was, the system I had engineered in our marriage was not working well for me, but I was too embarrassed to admit it, even to myself. I was attached to my self-image — one of an empowered woman who wasn’t dependent on her husband’s income.

It took much painful self-reflection, but slowly I got honest with myself and with Barry. Eventually, when we left Palo Alto on a sabbatical, we seamlessly merged our finances. 

2. We Pay Bills On Time

Barry loves to pay a bill as soon as it arrives because he’s afraid of forgetting it. He also believes it’s the easiest way to feel in abundance.

I too prefer to pay a bill promptly, but I have a slightly different take on it, based on a prosperity workshop I took with Unity Church in the ‘90s. The instructor encouraged us to always give “willingly, cheerfully, joyfully, and lovingly.” He said that if he was not feeling positive about writing a check, he would wait until he did. Following his advice, if I’m feeling anxious about paying a bill, I wait until I feel better.

We don’t incur credit card debt, either. Why throw hard-earned money away? Paying credit cards on time is easier in this phase of our lives, when we’re financially comfortable. But even in the early days of our marriage, when we didn’t have a lot of money, we would do whatever was necessary to pay our credit cards on time.

3. We Communicate Respectfully

We raise issues directly and listen to each other, without blowing up, interrupting, or avoiding.

This wasn’t always the case. In the ‘80s, Barry worried about money a lot, but I didn’t want to hear about it. I dismissed his worries and wouldn’t listen to him, which only made his anxiety worse because he felt very alone and without an ally.

Our communication about finances really improved in Palo Alto, when we scraped together enough money during a brief dip in the market to buy a home from a friend of a friend, avoiding realtor fees. We had lived in homes we liked but didn’t own, and owned places we didn’t like (the Seattle-area house). But this was the first time we owned a house we both loved, and in many ways, creating a home of our own was our first shared goal.

There was much to deal with related to our house, so we started a routine of having a business meeting after breakfast every Wednesday. Sitting in our kitchen nook, we’d each bring our agenda and discuss house improvements, finances, the garden, who would take on which task, and our social calendar. Knowing we had a meeting every Wednesday stopped us from bringing up issues scattershot throughout the week.

We paid the house off as fast as possible. Thirty years later, I can still remember how exciting it was to get our monthly statement and watch the amount remaining on our mortgage gradually drop.

4. We Respect Each Other’s Financial Smarts

After we sold our Palo Alto home, Barry suggested we invest in a bond fund. He’s also a fan of index funds, rather than paying a financial “expert,” who on balance knows no more than we do about where the market is headed. Both of those decisions have served us well.

On the other hand, we both agree that my instinct for real estate is much better than his. The two houses I found — our homes in Palo Alto and Guanajuato, Mexico, where we’ve lived for part of the year for the last 17 — have both turned into wise investments.

5. We Keep Evolving

The decision to merge our finances (other than our IRAs), is one example. It was much easier during our sabbatical not to calibrate who paid for hotels, apartment rentals, food, and so on.

Although we have joint finances, each of us has some non-negotiable pocket money. Barry loves to take me out on a date, and the last thing he wants is me checking the bill. We also let each other make the final decisions related to our own families.

Our weekly business meeting in Palo Alto has evolved into a daily to-do list: “Hers, His, And Ours.” Much of our communication about finances happens during our morning to-do list, which is divided into two parts: writing the action steps on each list followed by discussing those items that need agreement.

6. We Accept Each Other’s Spending Styles

Barry likes high quality — which usually means spending more. An early adopter, he bought a Honda Civic when it came out in the ‘70s, a folding bike in 1980, and the first Mac computer when it appeared in 1984. He’s willing to buy secondhand but not if it diminishes the quality of the item.

There are times when Barry’s spending style annoys me. For example, I think he sometimes overtips and I’m tempted to tell him. But I remind myself, “What he chooses to tip is none of my business.”

I, on the other hand, am an under buyer. I prefer not to own a lot of stuff, because too many things cause me stress. I’m not naturally neat, and I create puddles of mess here and there. The less I own, the less stress I feel. A friend recently described me as “frugal,” but I disagree because I don’t deprive myself. I don’t believe self-denial works in the long run; it’s like dieting — too much deprivation can lead to excess.

Still, it’s true I haven’t always found it easy to invest in myself. In the early period of my training business, Barry had to encourage me to join professional associations and pay what seemed at the time like a huge amount of money to attend national conferences. 

7. We Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

Years ago, Barry read a book called How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne, a one-time Libertarian presidential candidate. While I didn’t agree with his entire philosophy, one thing he said made sense: to choose an amount of money below a certain number and to not worry if it’s stolen, lost, or spent foolishly. Any amount can work, from $5, $10, $20, whatever.

This concept has helped us enormously — not just with small amounts, but when we can’t undo an action. About a month ago, for example, we were scammed by an Uber driver to the tune of $60. We tried to complain on the app, but to no avail. Ouch! Realizing the money was gone, though, we shrugged and moved on.

8. We Audit Our Assets Twice A Year

For the last 10 years, we gather all our financial data and do an assessment of how much we’re worth every 6 months. Looking close up at the numbers is very useful because it helps us see where our money is going and if we need to make any changes.

9. We Spend Time And Effort Simplifying Our Systems

After my 101-year-old father died last year, I was shocked by how complicated his estate was, mainly because — strangely — my smart, educated dad did not leave his assets in a trust. The complexity of his estate motivated Barry and me to make sure our own systems were as simple and streamlined as possible.

Mindfully preparing for death is a tiring project, but we found it well worth it. Even though we both had wills and living wills, some pieces were missing. For example, we set up a charitable trust, so that if we die simultaneously, the assets in the trust will go to our designated nonprofits.

Reflecting back on the last 50 years, I realize that being financially comfortable, as we have been for the last 10, makes a huge difference to my peace of mind. Prosperity and equanimity don’t always correlate — look at uber-wealthy celebrities who still fight over assets when they split up. But for me, knowing I have enough helps me relax, so that, for example, I can let go of the $60 scam.

Finding peace with money in our marriage hasn’t always been easy. But judging by the absence of arguments and tension about finances in our lives today, the emotional work and difficult conversations along the way were well worth it.

For more of Louisa’s tips, check out these articles:

• We’ve Been Together Nearly 50 Years — 7 Ways Travel Strengthens Our Marriage
• 8 Reasons I’m Grateful In Retirement That I Adopted A Plant-Based Diet
• 22 Opportunities To Make Extra Income In Retirement

If you’ve never heard of sea moss gel, well, neither had I before I tried it. Hailed as a new superfood, this strange gel-like substance is reported to have incredible effects on our well-being. But does it work? I decided to give it a try; here’s what I found.

What Is Sea Moss Gel?

Sea moss is a seaweed-like plant that grows on the Atlantic shores of North America and Europe, especially Ireland. It grows naturally in a few different colors, including purple and brown, but most sea moss gel is red or golden. You can cook with it in its original form, but it’s much easier to consume in its gel form.

If you decide to cook with sea moss, be very careful about how much you consume, as it’s more difficult to measure how much you’re consuming than when it’s in gel form. Too much sea moss can be bad for you, especially if you have a thyroid condition (discussed below).

When made into a gel, sea moss arrives in a jar and you can eat it by the spoonful or mix it with water or other drinks, or you can use it in cooking. You can also find it being sold as a pre-made drink, and it’s now used in some skincare products. 

Sea Moss Gel

Buy Now $38.99

The Rise In Popularity Of Sea Moss Gel 

Sea moss gel has many purported health benefits, which is why it’s currently so popular as a food supplement. The main benefits of taking sea moss gel are

• increased energy
• weight loss
• heart health
• mood enhancement
• blood sugar management
• skin health
• thyroid health

This last one is the one you need to pay the most attention to. Sea moss gel is high in iodine, which is good for the thyroid, but too much can be detrimental. While it’s great to find a supplement that supports thyroid health, if you are already taking medication for thyroid issues, you need to be careful. Too much iodine is not good for us, and if you’re on thyroid medication, you should consult a doctor before taking sea moss gel.

It’s also worth noting that these health benefits are claims, as with many other supplements. Most studies are done on seaweed, and they do show health benefits, but sea moss is yet to receive the same level of study.

It’s Great For Overall Health

I didn’t have any specific health problems before I tried sea moss gel, but I am going through menopause and I do suffer with fatigue and fogginess. I wanted to give sea moss gel a try because I hoped it might boost my energy, help me be more focussed, and possibly help me lose a little weight. So I bought one jar of sea moss gel to give it a try. I approached it with a healthy dose of skepticism — we’re always being sold the next great supplement, which may or may not benefit us, but I felt that one jar was worth a try. 

Three Spoonfuls A Day 

When I first got my jar of sea moss gel from Wakuda, it seemed like a weird lumpy gel, a bit like crystalized honey. But it certainly doesn’t taste like honey! The taste took a bit of getting used to, I won’t lie: It tastes slightly bitter, a bit salty, a bit like seaweed, and it definitely tastes of the sea. I can’t tell you it’s a great taste, but it’s not awful, and I soon got used to it. I took it as directed on the jar, which advised 3 tablespoons a day. You can mix it with drinks if you prefer, and if you think you’ll struggle with the taste or the texture, I’d definitely recommend doing this.

Here’s a breakfast drink recipe from Jana Fritzsche, who teaches Nutritional Chef Classes for UK Healthy Living and Ageing Platform Goldster.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sea moss gel
• 1 mango, ripe, cut into chunks, and frozen 
• 1 cup pineapple cut into chunks and frozen 
• 1 cup coconut water or non-dairy milk, such as oat, almond, etc 
• 1/2-inch ginger grated, peel on for extra fiber 

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve in a glass.
3. Store in the fridge in a sealed bottle for up to 3 days. 

Pro Tip: Consider adding raspberries or blueberries, bananas, apples, cinnamon, chia seeds, or turmeric, too.

Voluminous Hair, From The Inside Out

Sea moss gel can help you lose weight because it makes you feel full, apparently, although this didn’t happen for me. I did feel more energized and focused, but the overwhelming difference for me was in the condition of my hair. I didn’t notice any change in my skin, but within a few days of taking sea moss gel, my hair was softer, fuller, and more luscious looking than it has been for years.

My hair was taken back to how it used to be 20 years ago, instead of the sad menopausal flop it’s been lately. This alone was enough to make me want to carry on taking sea moss gel. It was a very pronounced change that I could feel and see, and this in turn lifted my mood. 

Don’t Let It Go Bad

It says on the jar of sea moss gel I had that it lasts for 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge. However, be careful with this. At around the 3-week mark, I noticed mine started to smell a little bit pungent. I still took my three spoonfuls that day as I thought it would still be okay — it wasn’t four weeks yet – and I had the most awful stomach ache that night and into the next day.

If you open your seal moss gel one day and it smells funky, do not eat it! You can also freeze your sea moss gel, and it will last for up to 3 months kept in a freezer. I’d recommend freezing it in an ice cube tray so you can easily use it in drinks.

More Tips For Trying Sea Moss Gel

For a start, definitely give it a try. I think different people will see different results, but I really don’t think anyone would see no results at all, even if it’s only increased energy and focus. This is definitely a superfood. It isn’t that easy to get hold of here in the UK yet and not that many retailers are stocking it, despite its popularity. I ordered one jar online to try it and I had to then wait for the next jar to arrive when mine was passed its best. I recommend trying it first, but if it’s going well, order more before you’re more than halfway down your jar. In the time in between my jar going bad and my next one arriving the benefits to my hair went limp. So, it certainly works!

Editor’s Note: Want more healthy living tips? Consider The Natural Supplements Every Woman Over 50 Should Be Taking and 9 Glycerin-Free Skincare Products I Won’t Travel Without.

I’m usually a slow traveler. I like to take my time in a particular country or region to really get to know the culture and its people. I generally travel anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. While I travel light as it is because of this, I love it when I can lighten my load along the way.

I’m also a firm believer that budgeting for a trip starts well before the trip even begins. Much like planning the itinerary, excursions, and other logistics, so too can you begin to budget and save before you leave. 

These are a few of my tricks to save money before I go and to lighten my load as I roam. 

1. Thrift Store Clothing

A big way I save up for a trip is by going thrift store shopping — for nearly everything. Not only is thrifting good for the environment (hello memories of a “reuse, reduce, recycle” T-shirt I wore back in high school), it is also very wallet-friendly. 

You’d be surprised by the variety of treasures you can find at your local thrift store. I buy all sorts of things, but my main purchases tend to be clothing and books (see point two). What I like about thrifting clothes for my travels is that I can find very cute, season-appropriate, and cheap clothing.

What’s more, because I paid so little for it, I’m not so attached to it (hello favorite sweater that I still wear from college). When I’m not attached to the clothing I bring on my travels, I’m not worried about leaving it behind; thus, freeing up space in my tiny rolly suitcase for the treasures I might find along the way.

2. Books And Magazines

I’m a writer, and as a writer, I’m also a huge reader. On any given trip, you will find my personal item backpack loaded with all sorts of books and magazines. Most of these books and magazines are also thrifted back home before I leave, saving me some money.

When I finish a book while traveling, I simply search for a hostel or hotel with a book exchange. Admittedly, this is not as easy to do these days with the invention of e-books and the like, but I assure you, they are still out there. It is a special sort of joy to finish a book abroad and find an exchange from which to select your next read. I love to put a note on the inside cover saying where the book has traveled in the hopes that the next reader will do the same when they leave it behind.

The magazines I will simply leave in the hotel room upon my departure to my next destination. I like to think that maybe the cleaning crew might enjoy having something to read and practice their English (hello former ESL teacher). At any rate, the magazines disappear one by one, and my bags get lighter and lighter.

3. Food

Another big way I save while budget-traveling is to bring my own food. Don’t get me wrong, a big part of traveling and being a part of a new culture is absolutely the food for me. I do splurge on a nice meal here and there. But I also bring snacks with me.

Within my backpack, you can usually find granola bars, those nifty little tuna packets that apparently last forever and come with a handy little spoon for eating right out of the package, microwave popcorn, and various hard candies and chocolates. These are great for long bus rides, layovers, and unexpected delays.

I keep these all in various plastic bags to keep bugs and the elements out. When I’ve eaten them, I simply throw them away and revel at the new space in my backpack. 

4. Toiletries

On the rare occasion that I stay in a fancy hotel (ok, or even just a nice hotel), I am sure to grab up all the fun little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotions. This is not just because I love anything free, but because these bottles are often easily refillable and the perfect size for traveling.

I know you can buy some great travel-size bottles for your trips, but when you’re a budget traveler, you only buy what you have to. This way, all that money you save can go toward your adventures.

Not only do I have free toiletries for the next trip, I have free bottles to reuse (I’m sensing a theme here) and refill for other trips. When I finish a bottle, I can simply throw it away, or keep the empty bottle to refill later. Either way, my load is lighter.

5. Souvenirs

Jewelry

It’s rare that I return from a trip with extravagant souvenirs. When I’m traveling, I like to buy a few specific items that I find unique to that country. They can be great conversation starters once I’m back home. I like to find one-of-a-kind rings, bracelets or pendants that I can’t get back home. I rarely spend more than $20 on any of the pieces I find and I wear them often upon my return.

Art

I also love to purchase art to frame and display in my home once I return. It’s even better when I get to meet the artist that painted or made the art. It’s a story I get to take with me and retell anytime someone asks about the colorful art on my walls. The jewelry is a wearable reminder of an amazing journey and the art is a daily visual motivator to get back on the road.

Postcards

The souvenirs I get for friends and family are postcards from my various locations. I love writing them as it helps me remember the highlights of my adventures. I also love searching out a post office and seeing how much a stamp costs in each place. My friends and family love getting these postcards, and not just because it lets them know I’m alive. Who doesn’t love getting actual mail?

I can wear the jewelry, so it doesn’t take up space or add weight to my bags. The artwork I get is usually a wall-hanging of some kind. I recommend bringing along your own poster tube to protect it, otherwise, you’ll be forced to buy one there. This tube can easily attach to the bungee cord that is usually found on the outside of most backpacks. In this way, it is not taking up space inside your bags. The postcards are sent back home. Even the ones I buy for myself can easily slide into my final book of the trip and make great bookmarks.

Perhaps, separately, these budget tricks and load lighteners don’t make too much of an impact, but together, they can. With all the money I save ahead of my trip, I can plan splurges like a meal at a nice restaurant or a special tour without guilt.

For more tricks of the trade when it comes to travel, check out these articles:

• What Is A Hush Trip And Why You Should Take One This Summer
• 15 Photos You Should Always Have Saved On Your Phone While Traveling
• 8 Essential Travel Tips I Learned As Travel Editor Of The Washington Post

As a child, our family went to the lake for summer vacation, as many do in Michigan. Sometimes, our aunts, uncles, and cousins visited the cottage with us. I fondly remember the giant block of ice delivered to the front door for our ice box and sleeping on the enclosed balcony over the front porch, listening to the water lapping at the lakeshore, lulling me to sleep.

I also vividly remember the fateful day at the lake when my father thought loading all the cousins on an inner tube at once would be fun. Even as a child, I knew it wasn’t wise, but he wouldn’t listen to my terrified whining.

As expected, the inner tube submerged, and arms and legs wildly beat the water to rise to the top and the precious air. I woke up face down on the sand coughing up water.

Since that day, I’ve gotten into pools but seldom leave the shallow end. Even after swimming lessons every summer for the rest of childhood, I never conquered my fear of water. I was forced into the swimming pool for gym classes in high school and am sure it was comical to see me “swimming” in the deep end — refusing to let go of the side of the pool. My synchronized swimming antics in the pool’s shallow end must have been hilarious to the casual observer.

Time And Tide Wait For No (Wo)man

Naturally, my travel experiences have challenged me to overcome my fear of water. Last year, I went glamping at Backland in Williams, Arizona, and kayaked alone on their small lake. Realizing I could do this — and enjoy being on the water, if not in it — was a thrill and a revelation.

Next up: gliding through the viridian green water of Big River Estuary at the mouth of California’s Mendocino Bay, with only my husband (steering with foot pedals behind me) and the harbor seals lounging on the river’s edge as company.

This remarkable outrigger canoe experience, one of the unique nature offerings at the award-winning The Stanford Inn convinced me that I had finally conquered my fear of water.

While my husband and I were hosted by The Stanford Inn and Catch a Canoe & Bicycles, Too, all opinions and recommendations are my own.

Why Kayaking Works For Me

When my husband and I arrived at the Big River canoe launch, we were the only guests on-site, so, much like my solo kayaking excursion in Williams, I had the opportunity to concentrate and not be distracted by other people.

We donned our life vests, and the boat guide gave us detailed instructions and helped us board. As we stepped in, the canoe tilted slightly, and my anxiety ratcheted up. That was momentary as I quickly felt how stable the canoe was and realized we were not going to capsize.

The guide pushed the canoe off the dock and we were on our way upriver.

We had 3 hours to immerse ourselves in the experience — paddling upriver, around a sand bar, and on to a remote area before the Big River drains into Mendocino Bay.

The paddling was easy, the weather mild, the colorful water mesmerizing, and the silence heaven-sent — a far cry from my childhood tubing experience. As we rounded the curve into the wilds and left human sounds behind, we encountered wildlife, waterfowl, and harbor seals lounging on the riverbanks.

This water experience was life-changing for me. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed paddling the outrigger canoe. It took me only a few minutes to get into the repetitive motion of rowing and propelling us across the water.

Being so close to the water level — not seeing what was below and not being fearful — astounded me.

Tips For An Enjoyable Kayaking Experience

Whether you’re a water baby or a landlubber like me, plan ahead by committing to the following:

• Learn as much as possible about your excursion ahead of time. Knowledge is power and will help eliminate fear if you’re facing any.
• Pay attention to all the safety precautions and comply with them. You’ll feel more comfortable with your adventure and so will anyone you’re kayaking with.
• Wear a life preserver when you are on the water. That alone will give you the confidence to be on the water, even if you prefer not to be in it.
• Being on still water is relaxing. I was glad there was no white water in sight. Ask ahead if this is a concern for you.
• Consider avoiding any excursion that requires a helmet. I for one will never get used to that much adventure.
• Cushions to sit on would have allowed us to stay out longer and go further up the river.
• Put your cell phone on a lanyard to prevent dropping it into the water.
• If you’re feeling out of shape, work on your physical fitness ahead of time.
• Finally, don’t carry old experiences through life. Fear limits simple pleasures.

Healed By The Water

In the past, I avoided trips that involved canoeing, rafting, or water sports. Now, I look forward to adding these excursions to my itinerary. While I doubt I’ll ever make them the primary focus of a trip, today, I actually find myself looking forward to exploring new bodies of water.

In my retirement, I’m looking for local opportunities to hone my paddling skills and further reduce my anxiety when on the water. Repetition and strengthening my abilities are significant achievements that encourage me to continue to achieve more.

Being outdoors and experiencing something enjoyable is excellent for our mental and physical health, and I’m eager to get out on still water again to fulfill my new passion.

Want to take up kayaking yourself? Consider:

• A Beginner’s Guide To Kayaking: From Learning To Paddle To Buying A Kayak
• 10 Must-Haves To Bring On Your Next Kayaking Adventure
• I Went Kayaking For The First Time At 51 — Here’s What Happened
• The Best Affordable Inflatable Kayaks You Can Buy Right Now

When was the last time you felt uncomfortable? I don’t mean the weather is too hot, my shoes are rubbing, I’ve overeaten, kind of discomfort. I’m referring to the “oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’ve put myself in this agonizing situation” kind of unease.

As humans, we naturally like to keep our existence comfortable. It is generally only on occasion that we find ourselves outside of our comfort zone. While we’d rather keep our mental status quo simple and pleasurable, it is when we challenge ourselves that personal growth occurs.

As my 60th birthday was looming, I wanted to mark the occasion by doing something significant. Skydiving came to mind, but I felt that would only require a brief moment of courage. I wanted to be committed and disciplined over some time. I needed to be challenged mentally and physically during the lead-up to something I would later look back on with pride.

I discovered a short course triathlon event was being held in 10 weeks at Victor Harbor, a town forty-five minutes away from my home in Adelaide, South Australia. It would consist of a 150-meter swim, an 8-kilometer bike ride, and a 1.5-kilometer run. Now here’s my challenge, I thought, as I hadn’t done any exercise of note for some time.

As I hit submit on the online registration, I reflected that I had never seen a triathlon, let alone participated in one!

How I Approached The Event 

Thankfully another triathlon event was being held the following week at West Lakes, a suburb near my home, so I went to watch and learn. I took note as the contestants completed their swim, then transitioned onto their bicycles, and finally into the final running stage. 

From there, I reached out to a personal trainer who set up a training plan via an app on my smartphone. She scheduled workouts four times a week that consisted of weight training, running, cycling, and swimming. Although I was incredibly unfit, running and cycling were familiar to me, but swimming was a different story. While I could swim ok, I had never swum any more than 25 meters, which was fifty years ago at school. 

I purchased a new bicycle, a swimsuit, and a second-hand tri-suit, a thin wetsuit to wear when swimming, which I hoped would assist me with buoyancy.

The Commitment And Discipline Of Training

I started the run and cycle training in my neighborhood. I live on the coast, where there’s an endless run/cycle path overlooking the sea, so keeping to my schedule was easy in such beautiful surroundings. As my fitness improved, I sometimes rode 12 kilometers to work, again on a safe cycle path. 

Swimming was to be the thorn in my side. I went to my local indoor pool once but felt like a fish out of water, so I opted to practice swimming in the tidal, saltwater river near home. If I swam in the right direction when the tide was coming in or going out, this swimming caper became easy!

I stayed committed to the training, and even though I avoided swimming, I never lost sight of my goal. I was determined to participate in a short course triathlon for the first time at 60.

After ten weeks, the day of the event arrived. My partner and I stayed at a hotel in Victor Harbor the night before and familiarized ourselves with the course layout. The swim element would take place in an inland lagoon, so although I wasn’t confident in my ability, I wouldn’t need to worry about waves or tides. The bike ride was on an open country road and included steep hills. But what goes up has to come down. The course for the 1.5-kilometer run was on streets in a residential area.

The Reality Of Participating — What Worked And What Didn’t

After a restless sleep, I woke to a calm, overcast morning feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. We drove to the course and I hung my bicycle on the rack in the transition area. I took time to carefully lay out the things I’d need after the swim to prepare for the bike ride. With my towel, helmet, shoes, socks, and water bottle neatly placed under my bike, I took off my tracksuit and put my thin wetsuit on over my swimsuit, ready for the first leg of the short course triathlon.

I chatted with other participants to calm my nerves as we lined up, ready for the swim start. We all strode into the depths when the starting gun sounded and started swimming. Everything was going well initially. I was stroking ok and doing my best not to be kicked by swimmers in front, but then fatigue set in. I’d been advised to let some water into the tri-suit before setting off. Unfortunately, it was advice I stupidly hadn’t heeded. I found the wetsuit was too buoyant and forced my back to arch in an uncomfortable position, and I tired quickly.

I tried every swimming stroke known to man (except butterfly) to propel myself to the finish line at the shore. From there, my jelly legs eventually carried me to the transition area for the bike phase. 

As I pedaled away for the 8-kilometer ride, the encouraging cheers of my partner remained with me as I forced myself to keep going up the seemingly never-ending hill in front of me. He was there when I returned, while I put my bike back in the rack, took off my helmet, and set off for the run. His cheers were heard as my red face and aching legs eventually crossed the finish line. I had done it!

The Surprisingly Good Feels

As I sat in the car on the way home, I was overcome with an immense feeling of pride as I reflected on the enormity of what I’d done. I knew I had looked the total amateur that I was, and I certainly didn’t break any time records. Still, my discipline and commitment to the cause were worthy of a gold medal. When the results were eventually posted online, I learned I was the oldest woman in the field and the second oldest competitor. My heart beamed.

The Bad Bits That I Would Do Differently Next Time

Would I do it again? I don’t know. I would definitely need to train more in swimming and make better use of the wetsuit. The swimming element of the short-course triathlon was incredibly taxing and put me most out of my comfort zone. It was my “oh my gosh, why have I put myself in this agonizing situation” moment. However, despite my diminutive frame, my open mind grew, in theory, that day.

Let me make a wild guess: I bet you don’t think much of your artistic ability. You’re not alone! I can’t figure out perspective, don’t know how to mix watercolors, and I’m often not thrilled with the finished painting.

Yet playing with watercolors in my sketchbook has become one of my favorite traveling activities. If a klutz like me can learn to love it — when I don’t have a clue what I’m doing — anyone can. Here are 14 ways I’ve found to develop my watercolor practice wherever I am. I’ll focus especially on watercolor, but many of these ideas apply to other media as well.

1. Create A Dedicated Space At Home

Although I’ve dabbled in different art forms off and on for years, what made all the difference was when my husband Barry built me a separate art space in our Eureka, California, apartment last August as a birthday present. My “studio” is as basic as you can get — a sheet of plywood attached to two walls overlooking a small side window. But it works. Later in the year, when we arrived at our winter home in Guanajuato, Mexico, he did the same thing.

Not having to mess with getting my supplies out and putting them away again has been transformative, and I now use my watercolors every day. The habit of doing art at home means it has become a habit when I travel, and I practice watercolor wherever we go.

2. Buy A Limited, Portable Set Of Supplies

Every book or website I read promises to keep the list of required supplies simple — but never delivers. For years I was intimidated by all the “necessary” items I was supposed to buy, with all their technical labels. Frankly, I don’t know if the pages in my sketchbook are cold or hot press, and I don’t worry about it. Maybe at some point it will matter, but right now I’m just happy painting on paper and creating images. All the subtleties can wait.

So here’s my keep-it-simple list of supplies, all of which you can get at Michael’s, and at online stores like Cheap Joes, Blick, Etsy, or Amazon:

1. A multimedia, portable sketchbook 
2. A set of watercolors. I’ve been very happy with my Prang set.
3. A waterproof pen, so ink doesn’t spread. I have Micron #7 and #8 pens.
4. An HB, a 2B, and a charcoal pencil, which provides a dark, rich texture.
5. A paper stump, which is a cigarette-shaped drawing tool used to blend, smear, or smudge.
6. An eraser
7. A pencil sharpener 
8. A small plastic dish for water
9. Tissue paper, to dilute mistakes while still wet

3. Copy Shamelessly

Throughout history, artists have copied the masters. It’s not illegal to borrow from others as long as you don’t claim ownership or make a profit. If you’re worried about the ethics, I suggest: a.) adapting, rather than copying; and b.) following a range of artists, not just one.

I keep a list of artists whose work I admire. They each inspire me in different ways: some for their use of color, others for their whimsy, and others for how they arrange images on the page. I study, imitate, and adapt, and somehow in that organic process of composting, my own style has begun to emerge.

4. Forage The Internet

You can find simple images of anything to guide you. Yesterday, for example, I searched for “draw simple cat,” and came up with 30 or more images, one of which I adapted and added to a painting. I do the same with other images, such as arches, bridges, doorways, windows, staircases, etc. With any search, I’ll find an abundance of free YouTube videos and tutorials.

5. Start With A Simple, Loose Sketch Of An Object

I recommend placing the object anywhere on the page except the center. Asymmetry is more interesting than symmetry. And an image doesn’t have to be perfectly aligned; in fact, sometimes it’s more visually arresting if it isn’t.

Artists say that drawing is about learning to see, which I’m sure is true, but in my experience, you don’t have to draw literally, you can improvise. Recently, when an architect friend visited us in Guanajuato, I watched enviously as Rebecca recreated in her sketchbook the dome of the baroque Templo de San Francisco opposite our house. I don’t have that skill. But she pointed out that my casual approach had advantages, too. It reminded her that she didn’t have to draw what was in front of her, she could make things up.

6. Consider Adding Zentangles To A Page

Created in 2004, “tangles” are miniature abstract images in pen and pencil, using dots, lines, curves, and circles to create patterns of beauty and order. Many of these forms — sometimes called “sacred geometry” — are easy to create, and add a fun, playful dimension to the page. You can find hundreds of Zentangle-inspired patterns online or entire books on the subject at your public library. My paintings often include one or two tangles.

7. Cut Up A Few Shapes

Cut up a few shapes on cardstock to use as starter templates, like a circle, half circle, square, diamond, heart, stars, and moon.

8. Decide What Else You Want On The Page

After you draw an image, what then? You can include more images, shapes, tangles, handwriting, journal notes, and letterforms — a term used in calligraphy to refer to a letter’s shape. Things don’t have to fit logically together or make sense.

Or maybe add nothing. A lesson I keep learning is that it’s OK to leave parts of the page unfilled. Sometimes my paintings end up being more crowded than I like — maybe an example of what Mario Praz, an Italian art and literary critic, calls horror vacui (Latin for “fear of emptiness”).

9. Take All The Time You Need

In theory, I like to leave a painting in the middle and come back to it afresh. This is especially helpful when I’ve finished painting one part of a page and am not sure what to add.

But I’m a person who likes closure, and sometimes I feel an urge to finish a painting in one sitting — not always helpful! Recently, for example, I painted a clothesline attached to a tree. After I added other elements, I realized one end of the clothesline was hanging midair. Feeling a need to fix the problem, I impulsively painted a hill behind the clothesline to obscure the untethered end. Alas, the hill didn’t do the job. I was left with just a dull brownish hue!

Art offers many life lessons — in this case, patience. When I’m able to relax, trust, and not rush, I often approach the painting with a clearer perspective.

10. Create A Border Around Your Painting And Date It

This is a trick I learned from a nature journaling class I took from the artist Jan Blencowe. A simple border has a surprising effect — it makes the painting suddenly look more finished and authoritative!

11. Keep Your Sketches

I don’t have many rules, but one I follow faithfully is that I never tear out a page and throw it away. For better or worse, all my paintings are part of my journey and have something to teach me.

12. Use All Your Paint

I hate waste! When I have extra paint on my brush, I dab it on the next page, where I’ll marble the colors into the following painting. Leftover color on a virgin page has another benefit — it reduces the likelihood of “artist’s block,” or fear of a blank page. Another version of horror vacui.

13. Sketch Anywhere

Right now I’m sitting on the terrace of our hotel in Alamos, Mexico, surrounded by tables and chairs and listening to a blues singer through the hotel speakers. I like having a surface, so I usually paint somewhere with a table.

Rebecca sat on our terrace, painting the dome of the church on her lap. Later she sketched the 133 steps of the University of Guanajuato from a perch opposite. Of course, if you sketch in public, passers-by may stop and stare, which could be intrusive or a welcome icebreaker, depending on your point of view.

14. When Traveling, Use A Sketchbook As Downtime

Travel can be very intense, with all the unrelenting new stimuli and sights. I find the external experience of traveling is beautifully balanced by the internal experience of creating art in a sketchbook, the perfect vehicle for absorbing the day’s stimuli.

Using a sketchbook is not exactly a meditation. The mind is still making decisions (“shall I use a blue or green here?”). But problems on the page feel very different from those elsewhere in life — much more tangible and concrete.

Lately, as I’ve been drifting off to sleep, one of my watercolors will come to mind. Last night, I imagined myself laying my cheek against the yellow tree I had just painted. I fell asleep feeling the slightly rough texture of the sketchbook page against my skin. Such a strange, dreamlike image.

But maybe not so strange. As my imagination revealed, interacting with color is a physically intimate experience, one which brings deep, sensual joy.

The end of any year is always a time for reflection, and 2022 was no exception. As the scent of freshly baked Christmas cookies gave way to my typical January reality of kale and guilt, I decided that this year, rather than making a list of New Year’s resolutions ultimately discarded by the end of January, I’d jump on the self-care bandwagon. 

Enter Relax Lab in Tyler, Texas — East Texas’s first and only float therapy center. Modern float therapy (you may know it as a sensory deprivation tank or isolation tank) has been around since the ’70s. The idea is that deep relaxation can be achieved more efficiently by eliminating the distractions of sight, sound, and even gravity.

What Is A Sensory Deprivation Tank?

The name sensory deprivation tank evokes mild anxiety in me. After all, it sounds a little like something Jason Bourne might be locked in before finally breaking and giving up top-secret information in exchange for his release. 

Sensory deprivation tanks, or float tanks, are shallow pools of water in an enclosed, sound-proof space that allow users to spend time without hearing or seeing anything. The water inside a tank has close to 1,000 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt added. That’s enough to simulate Dead Sea buoyancy, allowing effortless flotation. In fact, it’s impossible not to float — and with water that’s kept at 94.5 degrees — the skin’s temperature — it feels like you’re not touching anything, either.

Benefits Of A Sensory Deprivation Tank 

Studies suggest that time spent floating in a sensory deprivation tank may have some benefits for healthy people, such as muscle relaxation, better sleep, decreased pain, and decreased stress and anxiety.

Staffers at Relax Lab say that floating can also be a safe place to decompress and allow meaningful personal discovery to occur. In addition to these benefits, habitual floating will enable people to develop a type of “body memory” that promotes energy and well-being — something they can take into their daily life and that can even offer some relief for those with PTSD.

I was just hoping for a relaxing way to start the new year and maybe some relief from a nagging pain that recently manifested in my lower back.

Preparing For My Float In The Sensory Deprivation Tank

Thirty, 60, and 90-minute sessions are offered at Relax Lab. I split the difference and go for the sixty-minute session, slightly skeptical about an entire hour in total darkness. I’m not normally claustrophobic, but I’ve never been enclosed in a small, dark space for an hour. Floating. In silence.

Slipping off my shoes, I place them in a bin and take in my surroundings. An herbal tea bar flanks the long hallway, and soft music plays in the background — it’s a very serene, spa-like atmosphere.

I’m ushered into a room containing the sensory deprivation tank I’ll use — the Orb. Not at all the slightly scary image the words sensory deprivation tank had conjured up in my mind. The Orb is a sleek, white pod lit with blue LED lights. There is even a starlit ceiling.

I’ll need to shower and shampoo before and after the float to prevent cosmetic residue; there’s no conditioner beforehand. I’m handed a cotton robe and earplugs and shown how to operate the controls in the orb.

Editor’s Note: While earplugs can help you have an even quieter experience and keep water out of your ears, wearing them is not necessary. Some floaters find them distracting. If you prefer to swim without earplugs, you may prefer to skip them when you float as well.

The Sensory Deprivation Tank Experience

Naked as the day I was born, I slip into the water and slowly pull the lid closed. The water temp is a surprise. I had imagined it being warmer — similar to a hot tub. The lights, and the stars, even soft music, are all on as I lie back. Users control the experience at all times and can adjust lighting and sound, and even the float length. To ease myself into the experience, I turn off the lights but leave the overhead stars on.

It’s not claustrophobia-inducing at all. The orb is spacious. I’m a hair under 6 feet tall and have plenty of room. I can even sit up without fear of bumping my head.

I squirm around for a bit, not because I’m anxious; it just feels so strange — but in a good way. I have been SCUBA diving before and thought the sensation might be similar, but it’s not. While both experiences promise weightlessness, SCUBA requires a lot of equipment. Tanks, weight belts, respirators, and typically a wet suit. In the tank, it’s just me.

I want to try all the iterations available. So, after a while, I turn off the music, slowly dimming the stars until I am in total darkness. Pitch black, with only the sound of my breath, suspended over the water with zero effort. I resolve to be still and meditate, acknowledging my thoughts as they pass through my mind. I’m unaware of where the water ends and my body begins. Suspended in space and seemingly in time. 

Post Float 

Music starts playing so softly that it registers as little more than a vibration. Gradually, it becomes louder as the lights turn back on. I’m flabbergasted. There is no way that I’ve been floating for an hour. Stepping out of the orb, a glance at my watch confirms it’s true.

Rinsing off, I notice that the slight ache in my lower back is gone. I feel great — like I’ve had a power nap. Placing my clothes in the tote bag Relax Lab supplied, I slip on the provided robe and head to the blow dry bar, which is filled with products to help get me ready to return to the world. After drying off, I notice that my skin feels fantastic — an unexpected bonus. I leave feeling refreshed and light as air.

I go through the rest of my day feeling great — blissed out and unperturbed, even by the horrific rush hour traffic. I get a great night’s sleep, and two days later, my back feels better than it has in a while.

The Verdict

Would I do it again? You bet! It’s a busy world, and many of us multi-task through it, experiencing sensory overload daily. As we move throughout our days, we are constantly bombarded by sights and sounds. The float forced me to slow down and focus on the here and now. To hit the reset button.

For more on self-care, consider

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• My 7 Favorite Beauty Items That Can Pull Double Duty On The Road

I was around 7 the first time I remember traveling. By today’s standards, it would barely register for most people — a simple day trip from Boston to Connecticut to visit a train museum my mom knew would interest me. Still, in the pre-smartphone, GPS, and internet days, the complexities of travel and logistics were mysteries. 

As I grew older, my desire to travel outpaced my ability to do so. However, as a kid who enjoyed literature and the arts, I was willingly whisked away by the stories of an imagined extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. The experiences of these African Americans opened my mind to traveling and imparted knowledge and wisdom that are at the core of how I approach travel today.

1. Josephine Baker

Singer. Dancer. Spy! I was still very young when I first learned about Josephine Baker. In fact, I remember being as scandalized by her stage costumes as I was amazed by her story. She was only a handful of years younger than my great-grandmother, which added to her mystique. I used to think, “How would my life be different if great grandma did what Josephine did?” Baker’s choices to move from Jim Crow America to Paris to pursue her career, and then to remain as part of the French Resistance during WWII, appealed to both my wanderlust and my little boy fantasies of becoming a spy. 

Josephine Baker inspired my first visit to Paris and introduced me to the concept of being an expat. Most importantly, she demonstrated that travel could be a means of reinvention. In addition to reinventing her career, Baker was at the forefront of pushing society to reinvent its notions of how a Black woman could use her agency to be successful, pursue joy, and build community.

Despite it being a vague concept at such a young age, I grew up believing that if one place or experience no longer offered what I wanted, travel could provide the opportunity to experiment and find new community elsewhere.

2. Langston Hughes

Contrary to Josephine Baker’s air of mystique, Langston Hughes pulled back the curtain. I was probably in my early teens when I read I Wonder as I Wander. Hughes was the first author I read whose anecdotes — globetrotting by sea and land in a time before air travel was common — didn’t make travel sound glamorous. His journeys included encounters with fierce storms, cumbersome logistics, hunger, illness, and isolation. 

Still, if Hughes’ sense of adventure was the force that kept me turning the pages, his sense of humor is what’s remained with me long after finishing the book. Despite all the obstacles and dangers, his relatively easy-going approach saw him through the challenges and endeared him to strangers, from Western Europe through Central Asia and into Japan.

Today’s modern comforts and conveniences mean I’m unlikely to experience much of what he endured. However, I learned from him that a good smile is often the best accompaniment to a sense of adventure. One may motivate you to seize a moment; but it’s the other that will see you through. 

3. Zora Neale Hurston 

Zora Neale Hurston and Jacob Lawrence (see below) were contemporaries of Langston Hughes, but I didn’t learn much about them until taking a college course on the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes’s worldly adventures captured the imagination of my younger self, but Hurston and Lawrence opened my mind to the power of domestic travel and exploring my own community. In today’s world, perhaps they would fall somewhere between heritage travelers and documentarians. During their era, however, their decisions to explore and elevate African American life were controversial and under-appreciated. 

I was initially perplexed by Hurston’s interest in leaving booming Harlem for rural Florida. My limited understanding of early-20th century Florida was of a hostile place for Black people, particularly women, and even more so for one with an anthropologist’s eye. While Hurston didn’t downplay any of the conditions, she was skilled at revealing the creativity, the love, and the imagination of her subjects. Her observations of and interest in listening to people from remote places illustrated the importance of community, shrank the distance and differences I felt, and led me on a path toward re-examining my beliefs.

4. Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence’s travels also took him to the rural South. Through a body of work known as The Migration Series, I had my first visual introduction to The Great Migration, a period of history that I had never before seen pictured. In 60 paintings, Lawrence illustrated the economic and social forces that motivated Black America to leave the South and move to cities in the North, Midwest, and West. Imagine, an estimated six million people using their agency to move and reinvent their lives!

To this day, I’m most drawn to a painting featuring a crowd, at an unknown station, preparing to board trains destined for Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. Every time I see it, I can almost feel the crush of people, the steady, energetic shuffle toward the platforms, and the heartbreak of community lost to disbursal.

Together, Zora Neale Hurston and Jacob Lawrence imparted the importance of learning from and listening to local stories. But, more importantly, they offered the lesson of observation and engagement without judgment.

5. Malcolm X

Malcolm X is ever present in my hometown, Boston. My neighborhood, Roxbury, hosts the family’s house; namesake Malcolm X Blvd; Masjid No. 11, where he was the first minister in 1953; and a mural with his image at 2385 Washington St.

I connect Malcolm X to travel due to his writings about the Hajj pilgrimage. In addition to describing Mecca, he shared the experience of being at an event that was personally transformative. In his autobiography, he expressed being moved by the global diversity and hospitality of the Hajj pilgrims and recalled how being immersed in that community challenged his thinking about belonging and pushed his ideas to evolve. 

Malcolm X’s descriptions were so vivid that, years later, I remembered bits of them when I visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, the first mosque I had ever seen inside. But, more than anything else, he presented me with the idea that travel is greater than a destination and a collection of sites. It’s also the doorway to transformative experiences that can be the start of new personal growth, sometimes in unexpected ways.

6. Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) 

Nichelle Nichols is on my list because of her role as Uhura in the original Star Trek. As the ship’s communications officer, Uhura had a useful, if somewhat underdeveloped role. But what I appreciated about the character is how she was poised, elegant, and occasionally entrepreneurial, particularly during encounters when the rest of the crew or the ship were in some sort of extraterrestrial mess. Over time and through various reboots of the character, Uhura was also revealed to be multilingual and adept at navigating various interplanetary cultures. 

I don’t think I’ve ever consciously thought about the lessons learned from that character. Yet, decades later, I aspire to improve my foreign language skills and the ability to transition comfortably between cultures and countries. Although there aren’t any places left to “boldly go where no man has gone before,” I travel with an open mind and remember that our shared humanity transcends our superficial differences.

My younger, pre-internet self would never have expected most of the travels taken in the more than four decades since that trip to Connecticut. Fortunately, I had the resources and the role models to stoke the continuous sparks of imagination that still power today’s explorations and moments of wonder.

Maybe because my husband Barry and I met in a country neither of us had grown up in — Canada — we have traveled from the earliest days of our relationship. But unlike most couples we know, we’re still traveling almost 50 years later. Whether we’re in Northern California — roaming around in our camper van; in Mexico, where we also live, visiting pueblos magicos and ruins; or somewhere further afield — travel is not a sometime thing, it’s interwoven into our everyday lives, and it’s never far from our minds. Not only is it fun, but we also find that travel stimulates and invigorates our marriage. 

1. We Laugh More

At home, Barry and I don’t necessarily share the same sense of humor — often he’ll laugh uproariously at a cartoon that leaves me saying “Huh?” But something about being in a new environment seems to encourage our mutual sense of humor and silliness.

For example, in Mexican museums and gardens, signs direct visitors on which way to go. We find it funny that if you ignore the sign and head the “wrong” way, watch out! The guides will gently steer you right. 

We also chuckle in Mexico at how we have to watch our step. Occasionally we’re walking along a sidewalk, when we reach an abrupt drop-off of several feet, with no rail or sign (we’ve never seen anyone fall, though). Somehow we can’t imagine similar drop-offs in the U.S., with its liability culture. 

2. We Make Friends Together

At home, Barry and I tend to have different friends. However, when we’re traveling, we make friends together. These people continue to enrich our lives even after we’ve returned home. We maintain contact with them and try to incorporate them into our lives. When we went to Cuba in 2002, for example, we met a Dutch couple whom we’ve since met up with in multiple places. They visited us in Mexico and California, where they borrowed our van while we house-sat at their home in Amsterdam. 

In 2011, we met our close British friend Hasnah while hiking the Coast-to-Coast trail across northern England. We go to England once a year to see Barry’s British family and we always meet up with Hasnah. She has also visited us in Mexico. 

Even briefer connections have proved meaningful. During our first visit to Guanajuato in 1999, we met a fellow Spanish student who had walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago the previous year. We had vaguely heard of the Camino but knew very little about it. Thanks to a man whose name I can’t even remember, six months later, we walked it too. 

3. We’re More Spontaneous

I’m a great fan of routines, but we find it’s also healthy to mix things up. This seems to happen naturally when we travel. We go to different places and are stimulated by different things. Last week, for example, we went to thermal baths in the town of Aguascalientes, a city in central Mexico. We don’t do that often! Afterward, we lay on the grounds of the baths, under a tree, staring up at an odd feature we couldn’t identify, which was embedded in the branches. Simple things like lying on the grass simply don’t happen at home as much. 

Another way we’re spontaneous is by inviting people we meet to have coffee or a drink with us. Last year, for example, while visiting Mendocino County, California, we started chatting with two women in a parking lot near a trailhead. Before long, we were drinking tea in our camper van and exchanging stories about how we had all moved to California’s North Coast.

Sometimes our spontaneity can backfire, though. In 2017, we ended a trip of several months to Europe by visiting Symi, a small Greek island near Rhodes. After a couple of days there, we decided to take the ferry to the island of Kos for a night, with our folding bikes. On the ferry, we met a couple who recommended we go a bit further, to the island of Kalymnos. The only trouble was, the ferry only sailed there every other day, so we’d have to spend two nights there. 

“But we’ve already booked in Symi,” I said. “We’re paying double.” Foolishly, I allowed myself to be convinced. To this day I don’t think it was worth it. 

4. We Do ‘Writes’ More Often

One way Barry and I connect is through what we call “writes.” One of us offers a prompt and we each write for about 10 minutes, starting with the theme, but going in whatever direction our writing takes us. Then we read aloud. We do writes at home as well, but more often when we’re away. 

Our writes help us be honest. Recently we arrived in Alamos, one of Mexico’s pueblos mágicos, after a long, tiring day of travel. On first impression, we weren’t that taken with the town. The next morning over breakfast, our prompt was, “Um, what are we doing here?” Happily, things got better!

Another time, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in our van, after discussing a recent political event and feeling discouraged by the state of the world, we wrote on the theme, “Why do I read the news?”

We have fun writing with our teenage grandsons, who enjoy it, too. Our last write with them was a month ago when they visited us in Guanajuato during their Christmas break. Riley, 17, offered the prompt, ”What I plan for 2023.”

5. We Fulfill Our Love Of Exploring

We gain great joy in exploring new places, whether they’re urban alleys, neighborhoods, or natural sites. When I discover something on my own, I can’t wait to share my new “find” with Barry. 

6. We Seek Challenges

A few years ago, while visiting a small beach town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, we discovered a children’s library in the village, where we each offered a mini workshop.

Barry, a science writer, gave a presentation on dinosaurs. Judging by the grins on the kids’ faces as they eagerly pored over his iPad slides, the illustrated talk was a huge success. 

The next day, I led a writing workshop. “Describe everything you did today from the moment you woke up until you went to school,” I said to the kids in Spanish. One eight-year-old took the assignment seriously, writing about getting dressed and what she ate for breakfast.

We also regularly volunteer for a federal program called Farmer to Farmer (F2F), which sends consultants to farming communities abroad for 2-3 weeks to offer their expertise. Originally they used only agricultural consultants, but they now send professionals in a wide range of fields, such as technical writing, organizational development, marketing, accounting, grant writing, and web design.

In 2017, we landed a joint assignment in Nicaragua, helping young adults figure out their entrepreneurial future in a country where career options are limited. It was a great experience, but collaborating with your partner or spouse isn’t for everyone. It requires teamwork, compromise, and flexibility. 

7. We Make Important Decisions

Something about being away from home, far from the day-to-day, enables us to make better decisions — whether practical or profound. While we were bicycling through Wales in 1994, for example, we decided to remodel our garage into an office, so I could avoid paying monthly rent for a separate space. This ultimately led to paying off our mortgage faster.

Sometimes our decisions are life-changing, like discovering Guanajuato on our sabbatical, which led us a few years later to buy a home in this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage city. Also on our sabbatical, we decided to buy a camper van when we returned to the States, a vehicle that has become an intrinsic, joyous part of our lives and which we now call our third home.

Without a doubt, our biggest decision took place on a road trip through New England in the summer of 1978. One afternoon in Maine, while tinkering on the MGB Barry had just bought, we agreed — after months of indecision — to get married. Five days later, still on our road trip and by then in Montpelier, Vermont, we got up and did it. Talk about spontaneity! Later we had a ceremony with our families, in place of a formal wedding. 

Of course, travel is fun, but in our case, it’s more than that. It’s a way of cementing our bonds and deepening our enjoyment of each other through the magic of shared experiences.

I absolutely adore solo camping and have been doing it for 4 years. I started out camping in my tiny vintage camper, then moved on to a new 21-foot travel trailer. This year I am going back to vintage after the renovation of my 1978 Airstream Argosy Minuet is completed. 

Even though I enjoy camping in a camper, I want to share a little secret: I love solo camping in my 2008 Toyota 4Runner!

Car camping came from my need to travel as comfortably as possible while staying within my budget, on a cross-country trip in 2021. I had signed up for a writing workshop in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and to save money, I decided to road trip it from my home in Wisconsin, camping along the way. 

I wanted to save money by not staying in hotels, but I was nervous about pulling my camper so far by myself. So I turned my Toyota 4Runner into my camper. Since this was new territory for me, I devoured all the information about car camping I could. Videos, blog posts, forums, you name it; I checked them all out. I made window covers and lists of the necessities I would need. It helped that I had most of what I needed already. 

Once I was set and had outfitted my car for my road trip, I couldn’t wait to see how it would all go. 

During that trip, it took several shots at rearranging things till I had a comfortable, accessible, and (somewhat) uncluttered space. I became an obsessive fan ‌of car camping. There was just something about fitting everything I needed into my vehicle and the ease of movement that I fell in love with. 

I have made my car a temporary home on wheels on more long-distance trips since that first experience and want to share the reasons I love car camping as a solo traveler. Hopefully, I will inspire you to try it.

1. I Feel Safe

Feeling safe while solo traveling is the most important thing. I love how safe I feel sleeping in my car at night. I put the covers I made for my windows up, lock the doors, and have created a safe cocoon for myself. While I’ve never encountered a problem, knowing that all I need to do if I feel uncomfortable at a place I am parked is jump in the front seat and leave.

If I am out in the wilderness, there’s more protection between myself and a curious bear that may wander into my campsite. 

Pro Tip: I always make sure to have a personal alarm handy when I travel solo. I carry it when I hike and anywhere I am by myself. I have it by my side at night when I am in my car. 

2. It’s A Great Way To Try Solo Travel

I tell women all the time that if they would like to travel solo but are too fearful of it, they should just go slow. Car camping is actually one of those “dip your toe in” ways to try solo travel. Rocking an overnighter at a local campground is a perfect gateway to build your confidence. You’re close to home yet practicing your independence. You get to feel comfortable being alone. Plus, you don’t have to invest a lot of money in the experience. 

3. I Save Money

Car camping is perfect for the budget-conscious solo traveler. If I can save money not paying for hotels (and do more free things), I have more left over to go other places, even with my limited travel budget.

Initially, there is a cost to getting the gear you need. A good sleeping pad or mattress is your biggest cost. I use a 4-inch queen mattress topper that I cut in half. I cover that with a set of twin sheets that were left over from when my daughter graduated from college. If you already camp, you probably have everything you need. 

Once you’re set up, it’s just the cost of a campground. I usually pay a max of $40 a night at a campground. You can even go cheaper. There are many options for free camping on public-use land, or in overnight parking lots and truck stops. All it takes is a little advanced planning. 

Then there’s gas milage. Unfortunately, my 4Runner isn’t the greatest on gas, and when I am pulling my travel trailer, it is even more dismal. 

Pro Tip: Making your own window coverings is fairly easy. I make templates from sheets of paper taped together first, then I use cardboard to cut out the actual window coverings. I make them ‌bigger so they will sit in the window. I take cloth and tape (or glue) tabs to each one for removal. Once I finish cutting and make sure they fit, I spray paint them black. You can find many videos on YouTube for more ways to make your own.

4. Protection From The Elements

We all know how miserable it can be tent camping in the rain. The probability of your gear getting wet is high. It’s uncomfortable. Depending on the season, it can be cold. I’d much rather have that hard barrier between myself and the weather. If it’s chilly, I bring along a small ceramic heater and I stay toasty warm. Sure, I may feel a little confined in that small space when the weather is less than ideal, but it sure is cozy.

5. A Sense Of Freedom

This is huge for me. I love my freedom. Car camping offers so much ease. I take about 5 minutes to pack up and leave. I can fit into any campsite. Camping state and county parks are my favorite, and just having my vehicle, I can take advantage of tent and non-electric sites. As long as you can drive into your site, your fine.

Freedom means you can park and camp overnight just about anywhere. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spots, parking lots, casinos, Cracker Barrel restaurants, and truck stops. With a little planning, or with an app like Campendium, you can find places to camp for free.

6. It’s Simple

While car camping requires some advanced planning initially — think bedding, cooking tools, and clothing storage — once you have your gear and a system down, there is nothing simpler than jumping in your car and hitting the road. It’s amazing how little you actually need to be comfortable. Honestly, I am not a “no maintenance” gal. I like my creature comforts, my makeup, and my hair care products, but I manage well.

The same goes for food. I don’t cook elaborate meals when I’m car camping. I carried a one-burner propane stove and one kettle. My go-to meal is soup along with a small cooler filled with fresh veggies, some snacks, and water. Think minimalistic, and you’ll be fine.

Pro Tip: Less is more when you are car camping. For cooking, I carry one medium saucepan, a one-burner propane stove, a collapsible dish pan, a large spoon, a metal spatula, tongs, tin foil, a French press for coffee, a can opener, one plate, a bowl, and a utensil set. It all fits neatly in a tote. 

7. It’s Cozy

When I’m car camping on my solo adventures, I love crawling in the back of my 4Runner, curling up with a great book and my journal, and gazing at the stars through my back window. I have a string of battery-operated fairy lights I hang up above me. Toss in some cute decorative pillows, and my favorite soft comforter just for car camping, and I have a tiny oasis, a space of cozy solitude. There’s not much that makes me happier.

I found I enjoyed car camping so much that I just purchased an SUV tent that attaches to the back of my 4Runner. I’m excited to use it when I want to camp more than a couple nights in my car. It will give me more room and is standalone, so when I leave for a day of exploring, there’s evidence that my campsite is occupied. 

Car camping may not be for everyone, but it’s a way of travel that I love, and it suits solo travelers perfectly. The simplicity, ease of travel, and budget-friendliness appeal to me most of all. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of solo travel, car camping may be the perfect entry point for you. Even if you’ve been solo traveling for a while, it’s worth a try. Who knows? You may find you love it as much as I do.

Fascinated by the possibilities of car camping? You’ll want to read up on boondocking, too.

My husband and I love to travel in the month of January. There are great deals, the holiday crowds have all gone home, and we can enjoy a new place. We also tend to book these trips quite last-minute, making things extra interesting.

Several years ago, we were wrapping up a Christmas trip to Denver, staying at the lovely Brown Palace Hotel. We still hadn’t figured out our travels for the following month, so I was puttering around online when I stumbled upon ridiculously low airfare to Ecuador.

That hatched an outlandish plan for a trip that was so over the top it’s become one of my favorite vacations. Here’s how we did it.

Destination: Quito, And…?

We snapped up those tickets as soon as we found them and immediately started planning the rest of the trip. We were just 3 weeks out and really knew nothing about Ecuador, or its capital city. But I did know we’d be just 2 hours from the Galápagos Islands.

Wait, what? People spend years planning for their trip to this bucket-list destination. It usually includes an expensive cruise and much more time than the meager week we had to spare. We had zero idea about accommodations. It would be impossible to put this together, right?

Wrong. We immediately got to work online and made the trip of a lifetime come to life in just a few days. I’m still amazed we pulled it off!

Our Approach

We knew we needed to move fast and book things even faster. We decided we’d spend 3 days in Quito, fly to the islands, spend 3 days there, and then head home. We kept things light — literally and figuratively. We quickly found outfitters and accommodations that suited our style and went about reserving tours and finding places to stay nailed down. Once the big things fell into place, we filled in the blanks from there.

We also made sure we packed well, embracing a capsule wardrobe philosophy. We knew we’d be at high altitude one day and swimming in the ocean the next. I wore my heavy hiking boots and jacket on the plane and crammed everything else into a small carry-on, plus a backpack.

What, Where, How?

We flew into Quito late at night, took a couple of Advil to fight off altitude sickness, got to our hotel as quickly as we could, and conked out. The next day, we filled up our water bottles, chewed coca leaf gum, and took a free walking tour of the historic city center to acclimate and orient ourselves. 

It was a great opportunity to ask questions, get more details about where we might want to come back to, and get a local perspective on things. We hit the covered markets, strolled along the plazas and colonial architecture, and found small cafés and pubs where we could take our meals with a dash of local ambiance.

We also reserved time for high adventure. Our last day in Quito, we arranged a trip to Cotopaxi. We were part of a small, curated tour with a guide who took us up to the active volcano in a sturdy pick-up truck loaded with sporting supplies. We hiked to base camp, huffing and puffing as we went, and then rode mountain bikes back down part of the way. It was a lot of fun, and the tour was easily booked since our visit took place in the off-season.

The next day, we hopped a regional jet for our 2-hour flight to Baltra Island in the Galápagos. Fortunately, we’d read ahead and were prepared for the $100 cash national park entry fee! From the tiny airport, we first got on a bus to the canal, then hopped on a water taxi that took us to nearby Santa Cruz Island. After that, we hailed a pick-up truck to take us through the highlands to Puerto Ayora, where we’d booked our hotel.

They say getting there is half the fun, right?

Once we got to our hotel, we dropped off our bags and immediately hit the harbor to see about the next couple of days. We were able to score full-day snorkel trips to two nearby islands: Santa Fe and Bartolomé. Once we paid — again, in cash — we headed out to the Charles Darwin Research Station to take a look at its famous resident tortoises, wandered to Charles Binford Street for a lovely open-air dinner, and hit the hay!

Our two snorkel experiences were incredible; we saw so many different kinds of fish, turtles, and even a couple of sharks! A young sea lion swam with us for a while, and on our second snorkel, we caught a fleeting glimpse of the elusive Galápagos penguins. What a treat! 

Our last day, we went to a tortoise reserve to see the creatures in a wild but protected space. I kept pinching myself as we cruised through the azure Pacific waters and tromped through the forests. I couldn’t believe we were actually there and that we’d planned everything — on a whim — in less than a month!

How It Went…

Truly, this was the trip of a lifetime. The key to it all coming together was staying flexible and nimble, while doing as much research as we could beforehand. It paid off with a best-of-both-worlds-type trip: We were able to explore a major city, loaded with culture and history, and then check out some of the world’s most incredible wildlife, all in the same week.

It was remarkable. We left nothing on the table and came home exhausted but amazed by all we had experienced.

Surprises Along The Way

Yes, there were a few surprises, despite our best research efforts. First, the altitude in Quito is a real thing and can be debilitating if you don’t take steps to address it. We chugged tons of water, but thankfully, our guides recommended and supplied us with coca leaf gum and tea. I swear it made a difference!

Another thing that I didn’t initially factor in was the extreme sun. Of course, we brought 50 SPF sunscreen and applied in all the usual spots. But I didn’t think about the part line in my hair, nor did I wear a cap. That was a painful rookie mistake!

Next Time Around…

Without question, if we were to return to Quito and the Galápagos, I would budget much more time to the trip. It’s what we had to spare at the time, and I’m a big believer in the notion that a little bit is better than none at all. But it seemed each island in the Galápagos was more special than the last, and I would have loved to have seen more of them.

If Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands are on your bucket list, find a way to make it happen, even if you have to go DIY like we did. Don’t wait! I’m so thankful we got there when we did, while we were both still healthy enough to take full advantage of the climbing, hiking, and snorkeling.

Related Reading:

• Here’s How Much Living In Ecuador Will Cost You — Our Monthly Budget Detailed
• 7 Unique Experiences In Quito, Ecuador
• 9 Amazing Experiences In Quito, Ecuador

A little miracle in my life has changed my travel patterns. Her name is Layla, and we were already planning our first grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, and baby taste of grand-travel 2 months in.

My son and his wife had their sights set on a beach vacation in December to St. Pete Beach when Layla would be 6 months old and sunscreen-eligible. Avid travelers that we are, however, we couldn’t wait to take her on the road and booked a first mini-vacay to Stuart Beach, a lesser-known shore leave on Florida’s East Coast, at age four months. After that, we immediately began mapping out future destinations with great accommodations to house the five of us near family attractions.

Note: I have been hosted by all three resorts covered, but opinions and recommendations are all my own.

1. Stuart Beach

Aaron, his dad, and I fondly remember trips to Martin County starting when Aaron was a tot and continuing through his surfer-dude teen years. Indian River Plantation, once a single spread-out beach and golf resort, was fondly embedded in our happy memories, so that’s where we threw the first dart.

Now a collection of accommodations that include a Marriott resort and short-term vacation condo rentals through Water Pointe Realty Group, Indian River Plantation’s inventory offers diverse options. We stayed in a two-bedroom beachfront condo with a full kitchen and living area amenities. The elevated (third floor) view of Stuart’s Atlantic-washed tawny sands meant we could enjoy the beach all day long without exposing Layla’s porcelain skin to sun rays.

However, of course, we could hardly take her on her first beach outing without a proper baptism into the ocean. The ritual dipping of the feet took place the first morning under cloudy skies. Layla, dressed in her flamingo-flocked swimsuit and corrective, sea-themed baby helmet, looks skeptical in all the pictures and videos, but only came to the verge of a pout at one point. Mom and dad picked up seashells to decorate a picture frame they later would make to preserve the moment.

Aaron had the rest of the day planned. He has, after all, traveled with his travel-writer mom for 32 years, even collaborating with me on teen travel articles. The first stop after breakfast in Stuart was the Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast in neighboring Jensen Beach. We climbed aboard a pirate ship and played with a model railroad. The highlight was Layla catching a tarpon in the Fishing & Boating Exhibit — with the help of mom and grampy landing the cloth fish with a magnet in its mouth. More photos.

Lunch was adult time at Ocean Republic Brewery in Stuart, family (and dog) friendly with indoor and outdoor seating. For dinner, we returned to Conchy Joe’s Seafood in Jensen Beach, where Aaron once ordered “dinosaur bones” from the kids’ menu. There are still kid-friendly items (no dinosaur bones, however) on a coloring/puzzle menu and an old-island Keys vibe that Layla slept through, but families all around us enjoyed.

The next day, we followed breakfast at Seaside Café, a tiki at Stuart Beach public access, with a visit to the Elliott Museum before heading back home. The Elliott has matured greatly since our last visit with a sophisticated showcase of nearly 100 vintage cars, a 1931 Ford Model-A school bus kids can board, and scavenger hunts to also keep them engaged.

2. St. Pete Beach

Layla’s proper sand immersion, however, waited for her six-month celebration at TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach, the ultimate Florida family resort. With its patent brand of soft, sugary, white-sand beach, it makes the perfect sandbox experience. Watching my granddaughter discover the texture and feel-good fluidness of a puddle of sand, which inevitably ended up in her mouth, was pure glee.

Our two-bedroom villa with a kitchenette well accommodated our schedule of napping and snacking. We briefly considered getting out to explore the wealth of family attractions in the Tampa Bay area — from historic old-school Sunken Gardens to bucket-list Busch Gardens — but found so much to do at the 40-acre resort. We got in the car only for lunch one day at Sea Dog Brewing Co. on Treasure Island 10 minutes away. In case you haven’t discovered, craft breweries are largely designed for family entertainment. This open-air one has game tables and a full food menu with kids’ items.

At the resort, we had our choice of a half-dozen dining options, plus bars, a Pizza Hut, and an ice cream shop at the Island Grand portion of the resort where we stayed. TradeWinds also encompasses its adjacent RumFish Beach Resort campus with a few more restaurants and bars, including RumFish Grille with three saltwater fish tanks. In the largest, at 33,500 gallons, guests can snorkel with local fish. There’s also the Zing Ray Zipline for adventurers at RumFish resort.

Back at Island Grand, the three-story inflatable High Tide Water Slide on the beach is the best kid attraction. Families also love pedaling a paddleboat through the inland waterways around Pirate Island, complete with a beached pirate ship and ducks bobbing alongside.

The family activities are practically endless with a full array of watersports from kayaks and Aquabanas to a floating water park. Poolside crafts, duck-feeding, a touch tank experience, campfires with s’mores, magic shows, pool parties, cornhole tournaments… the list of organized pastimes goes on and on.

Then there’s that beautiful, wide beach overlooking the kid-friendly waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Included in the resort fee, you get a one-day cabana use. That was perfect for Layla’s first extended beach encounter. She could stay mostly shaded, take her 11:30 a.m. bottle and a nap afterward, and get her feet sandy. Like the rest of the family, she’ll be returning to the beach again and again, now a true beach baby.

Pro Tip: Our go-to for breakfast quickly became Skidder’s, a short and pleasant two-block walk away. Greek in heritage, its breakfast menu offers all our family favorites perfectly executed — cheese blintzes, eggs benedict, pancakes, huevos rancheros, and the yummiest home-fried potatoes. Plus, it’s much more budget-friendly than the breakfast options at the resort.

3. Key West

Based on my Florida travels through the years, I am now dreaming of places to which I’d love to return with my granddaughter. Key West isn’t the first place that comes to mind when one is planning a multi-generational getaway, but Parrot Key Hotel & Villas adjusted that picture to bring family more into focus.

Distanced from the famed madness of Duval Street and the Old Town district, it creates its own, quieter mini-version of Key West on the island’s outskirts. This version has all the white picket fences, clapboard houses trimmed in gingerbread, balconies, and Victorian nuances you will find in Old Town and even a great bar with fun craft cocktails.

The best news is it has its own beach on the property, hidden by mangroves and strung with hammocks. Sunset Pier juts out into the Gulf of Mexico for a private, exclusive version of what everyone flocks to Mallory Square and Pier for come day’s end. That legendary sunset celebration may require at least one visit, however, and Parrot Key makes that easily doable with a free shuttle to Old Town or Smather’s Beach on the island’s other side, where the beach scene is also legendary.

For older kids, Old Town has its appeal. Aaron, as a tween-ager, loved quirky Key West Cemetery and the ghost tours. One of my favorite family attractions is free: The Florida Key Eco-Discovery Center. The center lets you explore the exquisite coral reef system that lies offshore completely dry with hands-on (and in the case of a stand-up paddleboard virtual exhibit, feet-on) experiences.

Other nature-related favorites include the Key West Aquarium and Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. The wannabe pirates in the family should not miss the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum. Take a nourishment break along the waterfront. Half Shell Raw Bar at the Historic Seaport has the proper salty air and kid-casual feel.

You could also stay right on property at Parrot’s Key for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at The Grove Kitchen & Bar, nestled among the resort’s four swimming pools surrounded by jungle-like native vegetation. Dig into pizza or go brave with a Key West specialty such as local pink shrimp or conch fritters. Plenty of other family-friendly restaurants plus a supermarket lie within walking distance.

With up to three bedrooms, the villas at Parrot Key are made for families, sleeping up to eight. Clean and roomy by design, they fit perfectly with the easy, breezy, Keys-y lifestyle. The Villa Stay and Play Package includes family excursions out on the crystalline waters the Keys are famous for. The three-night getaway builds in a dolphin tour, scavenger hunt, and other family games.

Pro Tip: The shuttle to Old Town runs until 4:40 p.m. and drops you near the Conch Tour Train station. The train is fun for kids and an easy way to get around to Old Town attractions with a historic overview of the fascinating destination.

Recently, I had the incredible chance to travel to Croatia when I was invited for a 5-day cruise aboard a lovely private charter. As I started making plans — buying plane tickets, snagging accommodations, and the like — it dawned on me.

This would be my first international trip by myself.

In the past, I’ve traveled plenty, and all over the world. But it’s always been with my spouse and son, or in a work group, when my agenda is definitely not left up to me. 

I realized this would be a new experience, and while I looked forward to it, I was also just a teensy bit apprehensive. I’d have 2 days in Split before joining the group on the yacht, as well as an additional overnight layover in Rome. Would I be nervous? Lonely? Freaked out? All of it?

Spoiler: all of it.

Here are seven things I learned along the way.

1. It’s Important (For Me, At Least) To Have A Plan

I am a definite type A. I like things buttoned up, and rarely leave them to chance. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy free time; I certainly did on this trip. But the biggies — what I wanted to see in Split and Rome, where I’d stay in each city, even down to the list of foods I wanted to try — all of that was planned well in advance.

I think there’s a certain comfort in having an itinerary that helped set me at ease. There were likely going to be enough unknowns on this trip; I wanted to make sure I had the big items nailed down well before I was wheels up. I know some people love to make their plans as they travel; I am not one of them, and that’s just fine.

2. Me-Time Isn’t Selfish; It’s Essential!

As a wife and mom, so much of what I do each day revolves around keeping my little family’s planet on its axis and spinning along smoothly. Running the house, double-checking that my son is eating something other than potato chips each day, making sure the pets are healthy, fed, and exercised…

You get the picture.

Knowing that so many things can and do hinge on my presence or proximity, I can feel guilty or even a bit selfish taking time out for myself. In this case, I took me-time halfway around the world, and it was wonderful. When I did return home, I felt fully present and thrilled to see my boys again. This trip helped me realize just how important setting time aside for yourself actually is. Giving myself permission to go have fun, on my own, was a gift of the highest order.

3. It’s Okay To Be Emotional

By nature, I’m not an overly emotional person. I rarely cry, and consider myself a pretty tough cookie. That’s why I was so surprised when a couple of times during my trip, I burst into tears.

Then, I realized solo travel by its very nature is overwhelming. You are seeing new things, experiencing a different culture, and immersing yourself in a place that might be a bit outside your comfort zone. Add a pinch of jetlag and a dash of loneliness and you’ve got the makings of an emotional overload.

When I calmed down, I realized this reaction is completely normal. It in no way marred my travel experience. Rather, it made it all the richer. It’s okay to have big feelings traveling the world on your own! I gave them the space they needed, breathed through it and let them pass, then got back out there to see the next incredible thing on my list.

4. It’s Also Okay To Miss Your Loved Ones

For the first days on my journey, I reveled in my newfound freedom. Time for a pastry after that museum stop? Absolutely! Pop into this darling boutique? That would be a yes. I didn’t have to ask permission to do anything, nor did I have to take anyone else’s schedule into account.

But then there were times when something I saw was so stunning, so beautiful, that I just really wanted my husband there to share it with me. A meal that was so delicious I wanted to pass him a bite. Our junior deckhand was about the same age as my son, which gave me pangs. Heck, I even started seeing stray cats that looked like my two back home.

It’s natural to miss your loved ones when you’re out adventuring. But the great news is you’ll get to go home and share it all with them! Traveling solo made me realize just how much I adore and appreciate my loved ones. All the more if I leave them behind for just a little while from time to time.

5. I Can Make Friends Anywhere

I always suspected this next lesson would be true, and I was relieved to find that indeed, I can make friends anywhere. Even on my own and far from home! 

During my time in Split, I immediately connected with my wonderful tour guide. I struck up conversations with the young barista who prepared my double expresso and almond croissant at the café each morning. I said hello to the people I passed while running in Marjan, Split’s gorgeous park. And once I got on the yacht, I quickly settled in with the other guests, some of whom have already become fast friends with whom I’ve stayed in touch — thank you, social media!

While it was lovely and rejuvenating to have a few days of alone time, I know I love being around others as well. It was a great reminder: A quiet recharge is terrific, but I also get a charge from making new friends, which I can do anywhere! It’s the balance between the two that’s important to recognize and honor.

6. Solo Travel Is An Enormous Confidence Boost

This next lesson cannot be understated. Traveling on my own was such a confidence boost! I made all my own decisions, made all my own arrangements, and didn’t consult with anyone else to do so. I also had to solve little issues that came up on the fly, figure out language barriers, and navigate a new city, all on my own. I thought I could do it, but it’s always great to prove to yourself that you can.

Here’s what I also realized: Many people skip solo travel altogether because they’re not sure they can do it, or at least have a good time. I’m here you tell you: you can, and you will!

7. Some People Might Think You’re Crazy; Ignore Them!

As mentioned previously, I’m married. I’m not a single solo traveler. For some family and friends, that raised questions. Some wanted to know why I’d even entertain going anywhere without my husband. Others wondered how I could leave my son behind. My mother really freaked out, and even called my husband to check in on me when connectivity issues prevented me from texting her daily.

Here’s the thing: Traveling solo doesn’t mean something’s amiss. For me, it was proof-positive of inner confidence, a wonderful, trusting, and healthy relationship with my spouse, and a supportive family. I know I came back having learned a bit more about myself, which is a good thing for me and everyone I’m closest to.

So what if not everyone understands? You do you. You won’t regret it.

Final thoughts: If you’re considering an international solo trip, my advice is to go for it! Take into account your preferences, and plan for them. Take into account your challenges, and plan for them. Last but not least, you know yourself better than anyone else. Have the time of your life just being with you.

Twenty years ago, my husband and I spent six weeks on the island of Inisheer, Ireland, helping locals Anita and Paraic with their new B&B and café — not to mention their farm and four kids. I will always be grateful to them for their hospitality at The Mermaids Garden and for the lessons I learned.

Inisheer (also known as Inis Oírr) is an hour’s ferryboat ride from the port of Rossaveal near Galway. It is the closest of the three Aran Islands to the mainland, and the furthest east, hence its name, which means “Eastern Island.” This tiny island (2.5×1.5 miles) has been inhabited for 3,500 years, and the 281 islanders speak Gaelic. During the summer, up to 3,000 visitors descend on the island every day.

When we disembarked from the boat that bright afternoon, Anita, Paraic, and their children were ready to greet us in their tractor and carry us and our bags up to their spacious home. It would be a whirlwind summer living and working with them on Inisheer, a place that we learned to love. We also learned numerous lessons, and here are six of them!

1. On An Island, You Learn How To Do Everything

Perhaps what struck me right away was how both Anita and Paraic seemed to be able to do just about anything. Anita baked her own soda bread, made ice cream, and turned wild berries into jam. Her energy seemed limitless. During our stay she swam in the sea nearly every day, managed a lunch café and B&B, and mothered four young children.

A native-islander, Paraic spoke two languages. He knew how to birth a calf and butcher a cow. He could build a house, repair a tractor, harvest hay with a scythe, and create soil from stone. Paraic would also not hesitate to clean bathrooms, bathe children, make his own tea, and fry his own steak.

After about 2 weeks, I felt that my skills were also becoming more diversified. For the café, I cooked daily specials, washed mountains of dishes, waitressed, and created flyers. In between all that, I took children on long walks, picked up toys, ironed tablecloths, and harvested peas and root beets.

At one point I was enlisted to paint a mermaid sign for the café. My 3×4-foot sign in seaport green of a bosomy mermaid with a glittery tail was highly approved. “Have you ever done this before?” Anita asked. And I had to admit I’d never painted a sign in my life. Paraic hung my work of art above the restaurant door, and I painted seven more.

Slowly and almost imperceptibly, I was beginning to live in an active and tireless way, experiencing a wide range of activities, some of which were completely new to me. This ability to thrive on the daily tasks that required such varied knowledge and skills would one day become an essential part of my own life.

2. Living On A Tiny Island Is Like Being On A Large Cruise Ship

Despite being busy and our days full, both my husband and I felt nourished by the wondrous views around us. It was as if we had embarked on a large cruise ship, with the winds always blowing and enough paths to always lead us a new way around the deck. 

In the evening we liked to walk east as the sun slipped further in the sky, throwing light on the nearby Cliffs of Moher. Horned cows, their teats like fat milk sausages, fed their calves in knobby fields. Nearby there was a broad sandy beach, and on sparkling, calm mornings, a lone dolphin would jump from the sea and chase cormorants. We quickly grew familiar with the magnificent views of the Twelve Pins in Connemara.

3. Appreciate The Small Things

During the six weeks, we only left Inisheer once to visit Galway, where we frantically shopped for everything unavailable on the island. Anita had asked me to buy running shoes for her two boys, and when I triumphantly returned with shoes in hand, they were thrilled. How many kids would be so grateful for a new pair of sneakers?

Similarly, we also purchased bags of peat moss for Paraic. Soil is precious stuff on Inisheer, and he was equally happy to receive our gift, which he quickly stored for next spring’s seedlings. For Anita we brought primrose soap and vanilla extract; for her little girl, a pink hair bow; and for the baby, a new yellow dress.

I, too, was gaining a deeper appreciation for the simpler things in life — like stone walls and green fields, fresh soda bread, and the smell of a newborn baby.

4. Give Everything The Time It Needs to Grow

Paraic is big enough to fill a door frame and moves slowly and carefully. His eyes are blue and wide, his once-red hair a ruddy gray. Pariac is a man of few words and he carries the wisdom of having to survive on what he can do and grow.

One time, a visitor brought baby carrots from the mainland, and he was quite upset, thinking we had pulled them from the garden. 

“I would never pull a carrot so small,” he said. “We should give everything the time it needs to grow.”

5. There’s An Art To Building A Stone Wall

That summer we watched Paraic complete a stone wall in front of their home, a feat of great strength and patience. Paraic first hauled huge slabs of rock from his fields with his tractor and then spent days fitting them together as if assembling a well-worn jigsaw puzzle. The larger boulders, riddled with shell fossils, were arranged on edge as Paraic sought, cut, and/or chiseled smaller stones to fill the gaps.

Without mortar or cement, he spent hours carefully selecting and positioning each stone so that the winds could freely pass through the finished wall. His creation, ancient in style and technique, resembled a tapestry of silvery blue stone.

6. Seaweed Will Keep You Young

One fine morning, during a low tide, Paraic drove his tractor out to the south side of the island and gathered a bucketful of oarweed (tangle kelp) for us to try bathing in. This is the same kelp that Paraic collects for his rose and potato beds, and he says it’s best used when “first pulled from the sea.” Anita said that he always looked 10 years younger after working all day with seaweed. In fact, iodine is a principal component of seaweed and helps skin to stay firm and supple.

To make a seaweed bath, buckets of seaweed are dumped into the tub, and hot water is poured over it to release the iodine. I descended into the slimy, steaming brown water and floated with the weeds. My skin shined with the slime when wet, and as soon as I stepped out of the bath, the slinky feeling disappeared.

I’m not sure if the seaweed made the bath relaxing or just sitting in hot water was enough. In any case, it was a luxurious experience — I mean, how often does a tractor deliver bucketfuls of seaweed to your bathroom door?

From seaweed baths to learning to make soda bread, painting mermaid signs to appreciating the smallest of life’s gifts, my short time living and working on Inisheer was a true blessing. As the Irish Travel Blessing says:

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been

the foresight to know where you’re going

and the insight to know when you’re going too far.

I turn 71 in 2023 and consider myself, along with many of my friends and travel companions, still “approaching senior status.” It might be because I surround myself with outdoor-fanatic, health-conscious, earth-friendly, recycling gurus. We don’t wait until January to start downsizing, be friendlier, kinder, or start emotional or physical self-care programs because we work on these issues daily as an essential part of our lifestyle. But there is always room for improvement.

I was extremely proud of myself last year for downsizing into a 1,000-square-foot cabin burrowed in a quiet forest from a much larger and noisier home in the city. But I have since realized after a religious study class that I may not be quite at home plate yet. According to our class discussions, my effort to simplify should have brought me joy. 

Hmmm. Instead, I’m frustrated at my mini kitchen, miss everything sold in the garage sale, and complain about the long drive into town to buy groceries. I’m still working on “letting go,” but more importantly, enjoying what I currently have — a roof over my head, good health, amazing friends, and a reliable fixed income provided by Social Security.

Disappointingly, I changed nada in my travel ritual, and wonder if that is why many of my journeys have become less joyful than when I was younger and working an 8 to 5 job. After much thought, I realized that simplicity was only one aspect necessary. I needed to craft more into my journeys of what gives me personal joy on days between journeys.

Here is how I will achieve this lofty goal to experience more joy during future travel journeys with these 2023 New Year’s resolutions.

1. Forget That I Am Working While Traveling

As a travel journalist, I sometimes get so wrapped up in seeing a zillion places, squeezing them into a few days because of cost and missing the joy of the journey. In the future, I will aim for places on my bucket list, enhancing my experiences immediately because I really want to be there.

I also need to acquire a better way to take notes, so I can reduce the stress of missing a detail that might be important later in an article. And most importantly, I will narrow my focus on that particular trip to what is really important to that particular place, and not spread myself too thin. For example, many cities have zoos, but I will only visit those that are unique such as the amazing Africa section at Columbus, Ohio’s zoo. Feeding the giraffes was such a joy!

2. Purchase A Much Simpler And Smaller Camper

I specialize in (and have always loved) nature-based travel and was a tent camper for over 30 years. But as I matured, stiff bones felt stiffer every year getting up from the ground in a sleeping bag. But of course, I went overboard on my first camper. Today, I question whether I really need space and fancy gadgets since I am usually out and about most of the day.

This goal will be my first accomplished resolution. I pick up my “new” used camper in late January, a pop-up that is half the weight and easier to maneuver. Savings on gasoline alone will be a joy! Campgrounds fill up fast these days of COVID, and a smaller RV or trailer fits in most campsites, plus it’s easier to zip in and out of places to see between campgrounds. Less stress equals more joy.

3. Embrace Historic Lodging Choices

I love historic places, buildings, and cars. My home is full of antiques that tell so many stories in themselves. When using my camper is not possible, historic bed and breakfasts will be the first choice for lodging. Not only are these places a beautiful part of a place, but also fit my lifestyle values of recycling an older neighborhood instead of building new.

The hardest aspect of this resolution will be cost, as bed and breakfasts are usually more expensive than the hotels that are affordable on a writer’s budget. However, financially supporting the owners of these establishments will be part of the joy of my travel experience. Sometimes, the house and homeowners become part of the unique story of a place.

4. Let Go Of Luxury

Do I really need pools, spas, four enormous pillows, or deep-pile carpets? Is the food in a five-star restaurant better than an established busy mom & pop café? I’ll do more research and choose small family-owned establishments. The cost savings can be spent on an event, tour, or just more delicious food. In the end, I believe I’ll find joy in meeting people just like me, learning about places that feel like home, and devouring the unfussy cuisine I love to eat — all waiting right outside the door of luxury.

5. Choose Earth-Friendly International Trips

Focusing on nature-based places means I’m already earth-friendly. But the situation changes when traveling to a different country or my destination is a large city. In the past few weeks, I have learned of many “green” and carbon footprint-sensitive travel companies and the list is growing. My goal for 2023 is to choose one of these travel agencies for my next international trip.

In addition to visiting “green” destinations, rubbing shoulders with fellow travelers that support my values will give me great joy. A good example is a trip a few years ago to Guatemala that was lovely and inspiring. This small, beautiful nation banned plastic bags and liquid containers throughout the whole country. I sent many photos to friends of stylish glass water bottles, products wrapped in leaves, and cloth-lined trash cans. I have my eyes on similar places in Africa, Thailand, Borneo, and Norway.

6. Support Environmentally-Conscious Businesses

I belong to many reliable non-profit organizations for resources to find businesses that support “green” services or products. I am now planning road trips for 2023, and this goal is at the forefront of deciding where I stop along the way to various destinations. Historic lodging choices are part of this goal, but I will add businesses that sell or support green products and services ranging from clothing to electric cars and bicycles. Organic wineries and farmers markets are top of my list!

7. Dine More On Vegan Cuisine

Dining while on a trip sometimes does not match my preferred healthy choices. I am not vegan but I eat more veggies than meat and prefer foods grown organically. The farm-to-table trend is growing, and many food establishments offer at least one vegan dish on their menu. I love to learn how chefs do their magic with a simple potato or locally grown vegetables, so this year I will research chefs instead of places and focus on vegan cuisine. Devouring a delicious chef’s signature vegan dish and writing about it will give us both joy.

8. Refuse Plastic

I have often written about the hazards of plastic to our planet, and now carry my own metal straws, cloth bags, and silverware in my car. I refuse plastic straws at every restaurant I visit and give my elevator speech to the trapped table service person. They are always very kind as they take the straws back. Some even thank me. This year I will go a step further and carry tin or glass containers with lids to carry leftovers from a restaurant if they do not offer no-plastic options. I will also support businesses that strive to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing their use of plastic.

9. Drive No Faster Than 65 Miles Per Hour

I already made a pact to use airlines less and drive more. Driving at 65 mph has been proven to be a conservative use of gasoline. Many of my road trips are off-the-beaten-path country roads, so this is not usually a hindrance. However, in 2023, I will drive no more than 65 mph no matter what the speed limit. And who knows — maybe slowing down will uncover a secret place perfect for a leg stretch break.

10. Take The Train Or Bus More Often

I have considered a train trip for many years, but for some crazy reason hop into my car instead. This year, I will really do it, for at least one trip. A little research has already got me excited about Amtrak’s Yosemite Vacation Package. A peek at the new amazingly comfortable Greyhound buses was also a nice surprise. Instead of renting a car when flying into a large city, I’ll first consider their city bus, taxi, subway, or trolley systems.

The best part of my travel resolutions will be knowing I made a difference to mend our planet, followed my principles, supported vendors that also share my ethics, and stayed healthy along the way. All this will give me great joy, and the icing on the cake is telling my story to my readers.

I think I’m going to hike the Grand Canyon.

The words felt preposterous as they tumbled out of my mouth at a pre-holiday girls’ night out. But they also felt true. The only thing more surprising than this sudden verbal outburst was when a friend, Carver, said she’d join me.

Maybe the fact that I had turned the page on my 40s and was stepping off into my 50s weighed on my mind. Perhaps it was the fact that I was a soon-to-be empty-nester. Regardless, I couldn’t stop thinking about trekking to the bottom of the canyon.

That evening, armed with a glass of Cabernet and aided by a Google search bar, I made the necessary reservations to stay at the Phantom Ranch, reachable on foot or by mule, almost a year to the day later.

Have I mentioned that I had zero hiking experience at the time?

I began preparing for the trek with weekly training hikes. As it turns out, the trail is an excellent teacher. Here are nine lessons I learned as I prepared to hike the Grand Canyon.

Be Prepared

According to the National Parks Foundation, hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon — or a Rim-to-Rim hike — is a classic bucket-list adventure. An adventure that can end in catastrophe for the unprepared. The site offers assurance that the trek is well worth it for those who have appropriately trained, have the correct gear, and know what to expect.

Since I was new to hiking, I joined a couple of online hiking groups; one was specifically for folks contemplating a hike into the Grand Canyon or having completed one. Many of them were locals with loads of intel about the area. And all of them were happy to share logistical information, training tips, and how to stay safe on the trail — a particular concern for me as a woman traveling solo.

These days, it’s easy to find a group for practically any endeavor you can imagine. Take advantage of the many people who have been there before you and are willing to share.

Hiking Boosts Mindfulness

Spending time in nature without devices and distractions helped me become more mindful and in the moment. I felt genuinely alive. Placing one foot in front of the other, over and over, I began to notice my breath and bodily sensations while becoming more aware of my intention to connect with something bigger than myself.

I turned down the constant chattering of my inner monologue and put physical distance between myself and the hectic pace of everyday life while enjoying the beauty and majesty of the great outdoors.

Reconnecting With Nature Is Good For The Soul

I knew it when I was a kid. I’d just forgotten.

We are meant to explore and be outside, not stare at a screen for most of our waking hours. Venturing out and immersing oneself in nature is a proven stress buster. I learned (or rather relearned) to slow down and notice my surroundings, taking pleasure in the tiniest details.

No one can take in a panoramic view, listen to churning water as it tumbles over rocks, watch a blazing desert sunset, or gaze upon a field full of wildflowers without feeling more connected to yourself and the universe.

By reconnecting with nature, I reconnected with myself.

Hiking Is Better Than The Gym

Hiking is an excellent exercise, offering both cardiovascular benefits and muscle strengthening. As with any good cardio workout, you’ll lower the risk of heart disease, improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and help to control weight. Hikers burn anywhere between 400 and 700 calories per hour depending on their size and the terrain. The bonus is that this all happens with lovely views, fresh air, and the sounds and smells of nature. It has been proven that people who exercise outdoors are more likely to stick with it.

How about a mood boost? “Research shows that walking outdoors has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety,” says Gregory A. Miller, Ph.D., president of the American Hiking Society. “Being in nature is ingrained in our DNA, and we sometimes forget that.”

Kick Fear To The Curb

Don’t get me wrong. Some concern is a good thing; it can keep us safe. But it can also be crippling.

My hiking buddy, Carver, had to bow out of the trek unexpectedly. It wasn’t until the last minute that I reluctantly made the trip solo after nearly a year of preparation. As I stood on the rim the night before my hike, the canyon stretched out before me, at once breathtaking and formidable. I began having doubts. Panic swelled in the back of my throat as fear crept in. I took a couple of deep breaths, reminding myself of the training I had put in — all of the preparation.

What if, just this once, I trusted the training? Once I made the conscious decision to do so, like magic, those negative thoughts disappeared, and I had an incredible experience.

Solo Travel Is Incredible

Admittedly, the idea of traveling for a week solo and embarking on a serious hike was scary. In fact, it was downright terrifying. But I did it and discovered the pure joy of solo travel. For me, a trip in which all decisions were made solely by me, with no one else’s opinions or preferences to be taken into consideration, was pure unadulterated joy.

Get up at 5 a.m. to catch the sunrise in Sedona? No problem. Moroccan food at 9 p.m. after an afternoon hike? Delightful! Going solo allowed me to travel at my own pace and do exactly what I wanted when I wanted, even if that meant doing nothing at all at times.

Pro Tip: If you are apprehensive about solo hiking, remember that popular trails, such as the Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail I used, are usually quite busy. It was rare to go more than 10 or 15 minutes without seeing another hiker. Be sure to let someone know what trails you’ll be using and when you expect to be back.

Nothing Meaningful Is Easy

It’s just not. Think about it. Have the most meaningful moments or things in your life been given to you, or have they been earned?

We all live in a culture of fast fixes and instant gratification. On the trail, I worked hard for those views, for the chance to experience things that few do. I braved the elements, logged the miles, and climbed the mountains.

It wasn’t always easy, but I conditioned myself to sit with discomfort for a short period to achieve my goals. Once I’d learned to sit with some discomfort, I could move forward, knowing it was only temporary and would pass. That I will attain my objective.

Even now, 5 years later, when faced with a difficult task, I can look back and know I can do hard things.

One Step Is Progress

No matter how small that step is, it’s progress if you move forward. If it’s hard, take one step. Then take another. Keep moving in the direction of your desire. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Progress is progress.

After my hike out of the Grand Canyon, I was asked by another hiker how long it took me to complete my trek. Overhearing the question, a woman at the bar piped up, “Who cares how long it took? This morning she was down at the bottom; she is now, this afternoon, drinking a beer at the top!”

You know what? She was right! Who cares how long it took? I did it.

And at the end of the day, that’s all that mattered.

Don’t Forget To Look Up

It’s easy to become so single-mindedly focused on the goal that we miss the entire journey. Head down, heart-thumping, pushing through, we rush to the end with dogged determination.

I learned to stop and look up now and then. To take it all in. After all, wasn’t this what I’d come for? Sometimes it was discouraging to look ahead and see how far there was left. When that happened, I learned to turn around and look behind me. I was always astonished at how far I’d come.

I’ve found that the lessons I learned during my hike are equally applicable in everyday life.

Hiking the Grand Canyon reminded me that nothing is impossible, that I can achieve anything.

The hardest part was deciding to go.

Last year around this time, I wrote an article for TravelAwaits describing my travel goals for 2022. That was the first time I’d ever set goals of this type. I don’t think they’re necessary for everyone, but in my case, they helped me think about not just where I wanted to go, but why. What did I hope to experience when I arrived at my destination?

Although I didn’t succeed at each one, when I look back, I realize setting goals did help me be more mindful. Here were the goals I set in 2022 (and how I did):

1. Deepen my connections with people while traveling (Yes) 
2. Keep working on my Spanish (I did, but not that much while traveling) 
3. Overcome my reluctance to approach strangers (Yes, significant progress) 
4. Explore archeological ruins and Pueblo Mágicos from our Mexican home in Guanajuato (Absolutely!) 
5. Visit more places by water (Yes)
6. Pack light (Getting there — it’s a process!)
7. Take a long trip in our camper van (Nope)

Having decided this is a worthwhile exercise, I’m repeating it this year. Here are my travel goals for 2023:

1. Keep Traveling Close To Home

In 2022, my husband Barry and I had all sorts of mini-adventures near our home in Eureka, on California’s North Coast. For instance, we discovered a beautiful riverside trail, Redwood Creek, part of Redwood National Park; we learned more about the history of several nearby trails; and we took a guided tour of a protected beach called Lanphere Dunes. 

Because Barry writes about the history of the county in California where we live, Humboldt, we often combine local travel with research. This year, for example, we discovered a historic smelter on a beach near Eureka and learned that you can see WWII bunkers on another beach nearby. Our trips whetted my appetite, and I’m looking forward to more mini-adventures.

2. Visit More Ruins

My motto is “You can never see too many ruins.” In 2022, we visited the semi-circular Tzintzuntzan ruins near the Mexican Pueblo Mágico of Pátzcuaro, and we explored many Roman ruins in Bulgaria. This year, one idea is to revisit the Yucatan, which is dotted with ruins — far more than just the famous ones like Chichen Itza or Tulum.

3. Stay Active

Wherever we are, Barry and I like to be active. Last year, in addition to hiking near our two homes, we climbed a volcano outside Pátzcuaro; explored the mountains above Sofia, Bulgaria; and hiked up the Baker Preserve, a 1,000-foot hill on Lummi Island, just outside Bellingham, Washington, with our teenage grandsons. We didn’t find any of these strenuous, but they would have been if we weren’t in shape. A lot of the travel we do involves physical activity, which means that the older we get — Barry is an agile 80 while I’m 71 — the more important we find being in good physical condition.

4. Return To Eastern Europe Or Visit An Islamic Country

Last year, Barry and I spent a month in Bulgaria. We love Eastern Europe for its architecture, cafes, parks, public transit, slower pace, and low cost. We look forward to visiting other countries in that part of the world. But an even higher priority for us is to visit an Islamic country, which we have not done in over a decade. 

I miss the call to worship, which is heard five times a day in Muslim countries. I’ve never forgotten staying in a hotel across from a mosque in the city of Trabzon, Türkiye, during the 20-month sabbatical Barry and I took. The haunting sound of the adhan woke us about 4:30 every morning. Once we got used to it, this was a beautiful way to usher in the day. 

Our goal for the spring is to travel to Morocco, where we’ll hike in the Atlas Mountains and explore the port city of Essaouira. Eventually we’ll make our way to Spain, where we’ll visit the southern region called Andalusia, home to the historic Moorish city of Granada, which I have never seen.

We may make it as far north as Madrid, which is said to be a terrific city for walking. (And from a previous visit to Spain, we know we can get a 50 percent discount on train tickets by spending only €6 for the senior discount Tarjeta Dorada card).

5. Travel Flexibly

For years, we’ve bought one-way tickets, figuring out our return date only when we’re ready. But we always had certain restrictions — mainly flying to Pennsylvania to see my aging father, who my sisters and I took turns visiting. Because he died last fall, I no longer have that constraint. So this spring, when we’re in Morocco and Spain, we may decide to stay longer and go somewhere else, maybe to one of the Eastern European countries we haven’t seen. 

6. Revisit Places Where I Used to Live

In May 2022, I returned to New Orleans for the first time in 30 years. During my visit I remembered why I loved the city so much when I lived there as a college student. I stayed with my first mentor, who lives only two blocks from Audubon Park. One day she and I had crayfish at Frankie and Johnny’s, and the next day my old friend Jennifer drove me around the city. We visited old haunts like the Bayou St. John, Tremé, and various viewpoints above the Mississippi River. As I rode the St. Charles streetcar and wandered side streets, I was reminded of how much fun it is to revisit places that evoke powerful emotional memories.

7. Experience Fall Foliage

As much as I love our two homes, in neither town do I get to experience the fall season. So this year I’d like to spend a few days in Washington, D.C., Boston (both of which are also cities where I once lived), or other areas where I can bask in fall colors.

8. If In Doubt, Say Yes

A few years ago, when we were doing a home exchange in Medellín, Colombia, Barry and I had the opportunity to go paragliding. We had already done it in Turkey 10 years earlier, so I decided I didn’t need to paraglide again. Big mistake! When Barry returned from his adventure, his dreamy descriptions and photos made me regret my decision. Lesson learned: If in doubt, say yes!

In Bulgaria, we had the opportunity to “say yes” several times, visiting people we met at their homes. In one case, a friend of my stepbrother’s not only invited us to stay overnight at her family home in a small town near Plovdiv, she also lent us her car the next morning to visit some nearby dolmens, or megalithic tombs. 

To be invited to visit people in their homes feels like an extraordinary privilege and an act of intimacy. So even when I hesitate, usually out of a sense of awkwardness, I’m always glad when I say, “yes.”

9. Keep Going To The Ocean

I can’t seem to get enough of the ocean; it’s deeply medicinal and therapeutic for me. After my father died, I was in a deep gloom, and only by taking long walks on the beach did I finally get out of my funk. This year, beaches in Mexico, California, Oregon, Spain, and Morocco are calling me.

10. Bring My Sketchbook When Traveling

I’ve been faithfully and happily using my sketchbook several times a week for six months. I take photos of appealing scenes and then copy or adapt them, using watercolor and ink.

My supplies are pared down to a simple bag, so I can easily travel with them. Not only is keeping a sketchbook fun, but spending an hour or so every day or two painting while on the road will give my travel a bit of structure, which I find helpful.

11. Accept And Enjoy The Transitions That Travel Entails

Any kind of travel is composed of at least three stages: leaving one place, getting to the next place (which usually involves several mini-phases), and arriving. 

As I get older, it seems to take me longer to move through these transitions. For example, after arriving somewhere, it takes me awhile to re-establish my routines, like journaling or using my sketchbook. Traveling and adapting to unfamiliar places is physically tiring, especially when different time zones, jet lag, and elevation gain are part of the change. I need a lot of in-between time.

In recent years, we’ve spent more time in each place, getting to know it better, experiencing our version of slow travel. I want to continue to take it easy and not push myself as I navigate each transition. 

What I like most about travel goals is that they’re adaptable and not too serious. They provide a sense of direction, but if something else shows up, that’s okay too. Last year, for example, I had no plans to visit New Orleans, but unexpected circumstances conspired to make it a good decision. So I hold my goals lightly and see what happens. That’s a good philosophy, wherever I happen to be.

More From Louisa:

• Why This Scenic Coastal Drive Is My Favorite Annual Tradition
• How My Quirky Approach To Making Changes Is Helping Me In Retirement
• 9 Joint Interests My Husband And I Have Cultivated In Retirement

Retirement is one major decision that is truly difficult to make. The losses are easy to identify. And they are not the same for different people. However, as I look at my life now, I realize that all those losses were compensated for by considerably substantial gains.

5 Things I Lost When I Retired

In 2004, I retired and migrated from the Philippines to the U.S. At the time I decided to retire, I was CEO of the country’s e-procurement hub. I stood to lose many things that I had been accustomed to which provided me with a comfortable life in the Philippines. Looking back, here are the five things I lost.

1. Money, Money, Money

First of all, I lost my income as a CEO. And that was a huge sum, even in pesos. Given the low cost of living in the Philippines, it was so much more than what I needed. But my children were already working and did not need so much support except that we lived in the same house (before they left for the U.S. and Canada).

I had so much discretionary income that I was able to build a modest retirement fund. The most difficult question was, “How could I do without all that manna from heaven?” I was only 54, and I probably could expect 10 more years of high-income compensation by just continuing to work. That last decade of employment would have ensured a golden retirement.

But finally, I did say goodbye to the black Volvo sedan, a handsome executive car to use for all my meetings around town, together with allowances for fuel and a full-time driver. I also lost all the paid-for trips — domestic and international — that came with the job. And what about all those free lunches and dinners at business meetings?

Money-wise, I surely gave up a lot!

2. Status And More Status

Secondly, I lost the status associated with my position. Having been lucky enough to break the glass ceiling, I had earned the right to sit in organizations like the Management Association of the Philippines, the country’s prestigious club of CEOs.

I was also called upon to influence significant national goings-on. For example, I was invited to sit as a pro bono en banc consultant to the Commission on Elections while they were automating the country’s electoral processes. I loved those times when I was doing important work for the country and the Filipino people.

3. A Vocation And A Way of Being Useful

Giving up the post and getting off the career train (a risk even if for just a short break) would make me lose my vocation and my credentials as a professional that I had built up through all the years. The information technology industry is a fast-paced one, and I would soon surely lose my brand as a tech-savvy executive who could launch and manage major innovative start-ups in the country, like the ATM network and the country’s internal revenue automation.

4. My Community And My Country

Because I moved to the United States, I lost the comforts of living in familiar surroundings: my own home, neighborhood, and country. I can’t tell you how big a loss I felt this one to be, bigger than the previous three. I was born in the Philippines, was raised there, and flourished there. I am a Filipino and that will not change. I was so glad that the U.S. has a dual citizenship agreement with my home country that I was able to retain mine. Otherwise, the certain sense of betrayal I felt for a time could have been a deal breaker.

5. The Company Of Loved Ones

And my best friends are still there: most of my elementary school classmates, high school and college mates, and colleagues in the industry. And, though I had lost my parents earlier, I still have two sisters there, all my aunts and uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews. It is so good that technology somehow bridges the communication gap. I was able to visit every 2 years in the beginning, but now that I do not enjoy long-haul flights anymore, I haven’t been able to visit for the past 5 years. The ache and the longing are there.

5 Things I Gained When I Retired

When I retired, the gains were not as easy to identify as the losses. In fact, those that I wanted to have were not guaranteed to happen. One must imagine all the possibilities that are opened and move to make them happen. I did, and here are the five that have materialized.

1. More Time With Family And At Home

This was the main reason why I migrated to North America. My daughters married American and Canadian citizens and moved to Seattle, Washington, and Calgary in Alberta, Canada. My move allowed me to live with one of them and visit the other often.

Some of the happiest times of my life were when I took care of my newest grandsons, one born in Calgary and another born in Seattle 7 months later, for 3 months each. It allowed me to shower them with the love and care I could not offer my own daughters when I was too busy with my career.

And I have even become a homebody when not traveling. I have been able to prettify our small Arizona home and even tend to a small garden, keeping both the flowering shrubs and fruit-bearing dwarfs alive and well. And I have learned to cook in 13 cuisines from my travels: a far cry from the Philippines, where I left the household to cooks, nannies, and drivers.

2. A Travel And Life Partner

There was a second motivation for me to retire in the U.S. There is no divorce in the Philippines, just a long and costly annulment process. It took the intervention of my boss, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. But even after the annulment ab initio of my failed marriage to the father of my children, a consequence of my busyness, there were no available partners. At my age, they were either just confirmed bachelors or plain adulterers. The good ones, as they say, were all taken.

So it was the best of luck when I met and married my travel buddy and life partner. We fashionably met on the net. I would not have had the chance to get to know him had I been in the Philippines. One of his requirements was that the lady was to be no more than 25 miles from him for convenient dating. He was going through a divorce and was living alone in Puyallup, Washington, while I was with my daughter in Renton (a Seattle suburb), just 24 miles away. Whew, I barely qualified!

3. A New Way To Be Useful

While I was taking care of my new grandson in Seattle, I volunteered for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). Word got around and I was invited to teach at three institutions of higher learning. I thought that could be my new career; but after just one year of teaching, my groom took me away on a “never-ending honeymoon” in an RV across North America.

That got me blogging about our travels which led me to write two travel books: Cruising to an American Dream and Cruising Past Seventy, both available on Amazon. And then it also led me to the popular online magazine TravelAwaits, for whom I now write regularly as an expert/contributor. This is my new avocation: travel writing, complemented by my other hobby, photography. I found a great new way of being useful.

4. Extensive Travel

What is so gratifying is that I always have fresh material for my writing. And it’s a much better kind of travel than I ever had with my job in the Philippines. My husband and I traveled full-time for 8 years when we were RVing. Now that we have a home in Phoenix, Arizona, we travel only 6 months a year, still a lot for two septuagenarians. Together we have visited all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and seven Mexican states, plus 28 countries around the world. And may I say that travel is one thing we do very well together!

5. A New Ministry

My hunger to mingle with fellow Filipinos led me to meet another alumna of the University of the Philippines in Phoenix. Together we co-founded the UP Alumni Association in Arizona, and we applied to be the first chapter of the UP Alumni Association in America, a nationwide organization. Both have given me the fire to help the disadvantaged in the Philippines through scholarships we award.

It is a full retirement life I have found. It may not give me the money I used to earn, the status I enjoyed, the career I depended on, the familiar surroundings that gave me comfort, or the many people who were my emotional support. But it has certainly given me the spiritual growth I was yearning for. I have more time for family and a second chance to nurture young ones, even a second chance at becoming a wife, a satisfying way to be useful, extensive travel, and a new ministry to help others in need. I could not have asked for more.

The calling card I used in the Philippines used to read: “Carol E. Carreon, President & CEO.” But now I proudly flash my prized new one: “Carol E. Colborn, Wanderer, Writer, Wife.”

Unless you live in Scotland, Canada, or the northern part of the United States, your first introduction to the sport of curling was probably through watching it being played during the Winter Olympics. Though some may consider curling to be a novelty, a game not worthy of Olympic status, curling is indeed a sport, one that you definitely should try.

Recently, my sister invited us to visit her in Minnesota. When she suggested taking curling lessons, I jumped at the chance.

Our curling lessons and subsequent game (or match) took place at the Dakota Curling Club outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota — about 250 miles south of Bemidji, Minnesota, the Curling Capital of the USA. 

I’ve always thought curling was interesting. Players sliding a rock down a prepared ice surface looked like a simple enough part of the game, but what’s with all the sweeping? And why were they doing it? I was about to find out.

Curling Has A 450+ Year History

The sport got the name “curling” from the path a stone can take when “thrown” by a skilled player. The curved path is called a curl. Curling is also called The Roaring Game due to the sound the stone makes as it slides across the ice.

The history of curling can be traced all the way back to 16th-century Scotland. Back then, it was played outdoors on frozen ponds and lochs. The game eventually made its way across Northern Europe, over to Canada, to the United States, and even to New Zealand. Nowadays we have refrigeration and can play the game on indoor as well as outdoor rinks.

Though the game has been around for more than 400 years, curling did not become an officially recognized Olympic sport until the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

The Winter Olympics now feature mixed-gender teams, and the Paralympic Winter Games include wheelchair curling.

The Rules Are Easy To Learn

The rules of curling are many, but they are very easy to learn. At first glance, the game looks like a cross between shuffleboard and bowling. It is played on a rink called a sheet. Other curling terms you need to become familiar with include

• center line
• tee line
• back line
• hog line
• hack line
• hack
• stone (rock)
• skip
• sweep
• end

It may seem overwhelming at first, but you will pick them up quickly as you watch or play the game.

I am still learning the scoring rules, but simply put, at the end of each “end” (like an inning in baseball), the winning team scores a point for each stone that is closer to the “button” or “tee” (similar to a bullseye on a dart board) than the opponent’s closest stone.

During our game, because my son’s team scored first in the previous end, my team got to throw the final stone, called the “hammer,” in the next one. I admit, I took no small amount of pleasure in being the one to throw the hammer. 

Curling Is Good Exercise

Lunging to deliver the stone builds flexibility. Getting into the lunge position helps improve your balance and stability. So does standing up from the lunge position (ideally without comical pratfalls). Sweeping requires the most effort. In some situations, you can actually work up a sweat, which our instructor did by sweeping furiously to help my shot become a winning one. 

Though the professionals make it look easy, curling is more physically challenging than it appears. But do not let that stop you from trying it.

Chess On Ice

As you learn the basics and start playing the game, you’ll begin to see where the strategy part comes in. Good placement of the stones is crucial for your team to score — and to prevent the other team from scoring. This is why curling is also called chess on ice.

We learned the opposing team doesn’t have to stand by helplessly on the sidelines as the other team’s stone nears the button. Once a stone crosses the tee line, the line that runs the width of the sheet through the button, your team can start sweeping to make the opposing stone slide further away from the button.

Once you begin playing a game, you will start to see how important teamwork becomes. The skip (team leader) needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of each team member to be able to win the chess match. 

In the second end, we employed a bit of strategy by intentionally aiming one of our stones so as to knock our opponent’s stone out of the house (the concentric circles marking the scoring area). As skip, I directed my sister to aim at such a stone. And it worked; she delivered a great curling shot, bumping one of the opposing stones out of scoring contention. 

Our two-end game resulted in a 1-1 tie.

Curling Is Gaining In Popularity 

If after watching or trying curling you find yourself enjoying it, you’re in good company. Curling has been experiencing a boom in popularity following the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The growth in interest in the sport can be seen not only in the United States, where 185 clubs host 23,000 participants, but in Asia as well. There’s even been a resurgence in Scotland, where the game originated. It has truly become a worldwide sport.

Upon returning home, I looked at the USA Curling website and was pleasantly surprised to find out there is a curling club about 90 minutes from my home. In Canada, visit the Curling Canada website. You can also search the web to find a curling club or bonspiel (tournament) near you. 

Curling Pro Tips

• Dress warmly but in layers. If you’ve ever been on an ice skating or hockey rink, you’ll know what to expect.
• You will be dropping down into a lunge position many times during each game. So you’ll need to wear stretchy or loose-fitting pants that will allow you to get into that lunge position. If you have mobility issues, check with the venue. They may have equipment that will allow you to join in the fun.
• You will also need a fair amount of arm strength to properly perform the sweeping duties and to deliver the stone. If you’re concerned that might keep you from playing, again, check with the venue. You may be able to use a specially made stick to help you throw the stone.
• Mind your hands and fingers around the stones, especially when one is in motion. They weigh around 40 pounds. Our instructor made sure we were aware of this during the safety briefing.

Want more on curling? Check out Why This Olympic Sport Is Popular With Folks Over Age 50.

When mapping out your travel plans, consider including a trip to your school reunion. I’m not a gung-ho reunion person, but this year I ventured to my 50^th college reunion. And what a delightful time I enjoyed, for many reasons. If you have a reunion coming up and you’re on the fence about whether to attend, read on for inspiration. I learned so much, and the reunion was definitely a highlight of my travels this year.

1. Reacquaint Yourself With The Area

Go a day or two early and explore something fun to do in the area. Sure, you are traveling to your school for the official reunion (unless you still live in the same city). But wherever you are going, you will likely find something of interest to enjoy before the festivities begin. My college is in the foothills of Santa Barbara, a city known as the American Riviera, so it was easy to grab a bike from the hotel and cycle along the coastline. Relaxing in the sun, later walking out on the harbor’s breakwater, and sitting down to a fresh seafood dinner left me feeling like I’d already indulged in a wonderful getaway even before the reunion began. Once the days full of planned activities started, I didn’t feel frustrated because I wished I could play tourist in Santa Barbara. I’d just done that.

2. Once The Reunion Starts, Participate In All The Activities

My Golden Reunion proved to be three amazing, jam-packed days of activities. I took in everything from the welcome time on the lawn to the formal lunches on campus to the banquet at an elegant local restaurant.

One of the most memorable times of the long weekend came when my class marched in commencement with the current graduates. Bagpipes led the procession, and we who graduated 50 years ago wended our way through lines of clapping professors and family and friends. Donning a cap and gown again was so fun (though I did lose my tassel sometime between the class photo and the ceremony). My overwhelming emotion was gratitude that I was able to be there 50 years after my college days. I can still travel to another city, I’m able to walk, and the gift of an education I received all those decades ago has informed my life in more ways than I know.

A few of my classmates told me beforehand that they didn’t want to wear a cap and gown. They didn’t want to process with the young people. They missed much joy, as I see it. The exuberance of all of us who slipped on our caps and black robes to become part of that grand day is something I will always remember. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Throw your hat in the ring (even literally) and go for it!

3. Don’t Let Shyness Keep You From Going

Driving onto campus the first morning, I was definitely feeling a bit apprehensive. Would I remember classmates after 50 years of living life without seeing them? Would anyone talk with me? How should I open a conversation?

As I walked through the rose garden to sign in, all my fears immediately dissipated. Everyone is there to talk to others they haven’t seen for years. A simple hello and a smile are all you need to enter in.

I found that the easiest conversation starter was “Where do you live now?” From there, it’s easy to talk about moving around the country, jobs, family, health, and travel.

I’m guessing many felt as I did, wondering who they would see and if would they remember back through decades to shared experiences. Don’t let fear keep you away.

4. Laugh Plenty But Also Delve Into Serious Discussions

Of course, you and your classmates will enter into lighthearted conversations. You may laugh together as you recall your favorite (or least favorite) professors. You may fondly remember shenanigans you got up to in your youth. But also, be open to deeper discussions.

During the reunion, I talked with classmates about issues with their jobs, the recent loss of a spouse, our classmate who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, a grown child with a drug addiction, and severe health issues. One friend talked with me about whether or not she should retire. Another wanted to bring her husband with her, but he was too sick to travel.

When you have only a few days with people, you don’t have time to ease into the serious side of life. It worked out well for me to sometimes head right to the heart of people’s worries. If you are compassionate, you will be able to connect in a sensitive way.

5. Volunteer To Help Out And Get Involved

A reunion calls for lots of planning. More than 200 people attended my reunion weekend. Imagine the myriad details involved. While the college administration headed up all of the lunches and meetings and tours, volunteers pitched in to pull it all off. Some helped with food. One friend made a run to a big box store for lasagna. Another lined up a faculty member to gift us dozens of her homemade cookies. People planned a program at the banquet. A fun classmate made up a trivia game of music from our era.

When a friend asked me to sing in the ensemble at the banquet, I jumped at the chance. It turned out not only to be a great musical experience. The real joy was getting in touch with the other singers and working on our music ahead of the performance. As we finally gathered in Santa Barbara, we hugged and greeted each other like old friends because we had been corresponding for weeks already.

Whether you prefer making decorations, lining up people to speak, or contacting restaurants for reservations, contribute to the goal of a first-class reunion. By being invested, you will reap more benefits than you can imagine.

6. Think About Reaching Out To A Classmate Who Is Unable to Attend

When you are decades past your graduation, you will have classmates who are too ill to attend. Think about ways to reach out and send greetings. My class got a frame that has room for signatures and put a photo of the college stone entrance gate in the middle. Then we signed the frame for our long-ago friend who couldn’t make it. People were eager to participate, writing little messages in different-colored ink.

You can also make the effort to take photos of groups of friends and send these to classmates who are stuck at home. My college roommate deals with several health issues and couldn’t attend our reunion. But ever since, we have been writing and I’ve sent her photos of our college gang as we look 50 years on. She’s loving this.

7. Carry The Reunion Reconnections Home With You

Collect phone numbers and emails along the way. I’m amazed at the reconnections I made in a few days. I’ve enjoyed texts, phone calls, and emails in the months since the reunion. One friend invited me to visit her on my way home from a trip. What a fantastic time we had reminiscing and touring the redwood forest together. Another classmate invited me to dinner. We sat on her backyard patio as twinkling lights came on and we chatted for hours.

An occasion such as a 50^th college reunion comes once in a lifetime. Take the plunge and go to the reunion. Enjoy it to the fullest. Revitalize precious friendships. Play tourist in the city where you went to school. What a rich, memorable experience this can be!

America tends to treat Christmas like a grand party that’s especially meant for the young. But as Catholics, my husband and I have always looked at it as much more than a party: a very special time with family, much like Thanksgiving. So in the summer of 2009, when we decided to go RVing full time after our wedding, we wondered how Christmases on the road would be.

1. Our First Christmas In Florida

That year, after a cross-country trip from Seattle, we arrived at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, on the afternoon of December 24. The cooking and dining space in our 24-foot RV was so cramped, and disaster struck as our camera fell when Bill was trying to slice the turkey breast roast. The short lens was forever ruined. Still, we were happy. We had just established a tradition of a Christmas ritual on wheels (hopefully, minus a broken camera).

On Christmas night, we went to a very lively concert, a tribute to the Eagles. The park is Florida’s biggest music venue, with several halls for indoor gigs and a large space for outdoor events. But soon we headed south to Thousand Trails Orlando RV Resort.

It eventually became one of our favorite campgrounds, only a few miles from Disney World with the city perks we’d been missing. The New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance Party was a blast. With blinking lights on Mickey Mouse ears from EPCOT, I danced the night away to the music of a live band. At the stroke of 12, 100 balloons dropped from the ceiling, and our first Christmas season away from family was not bad!

2. A Hybrid Christmas In Chehalis, Washington

The following year, a letter from the Commission on Immigration told me I had missed an important appointment for my citizenship application. Luckily, they granted an appeal. Taking a different cross-country route, we were back in Seattle in time for the interview, right before Christmas.

We found the Chehalis RV & Camping Resort 2 hours south of Seattle. We bought our little tree, ornaments, wreath, garland, stockings, and lights at the Christmas Crafts Fair at Yard Birds, a large shopping complex that started as a military surplus store in 1947. 

Because we were close to the city, we spent Christmas Eve with family and Christmas Day with friends from church. Poker, soup, Wii nights, and waffles morning led into the New Year’s Day party. And a day before New Year’s Eve, the ladies of my former “Estrogen Book Club” came for a potluck dinner at the campground.

We loved our hybrid Christmas — camping and seeing loved ones.

3. Overcoming A Setback In Treasure Island, Florida

After the oath-taking ceremony on Valentine’s Day, we took our RV all the way back to Florida on another cross-country route. We got back to the Orlando resort in early December. But the morning after we arrived, my husband felt pain in his chest. We hurried to an urgent care center. They told us to waste no time and go to the Orlando Heart Center. Bill had a heart attack that ultimately required three stents to be put in.

After the surgery, we booked a unit at the Sand Pebble Resort in Treasure Island, Florida, 2 hours from Orlando. We relived the comfort of condo living. There was a view of the Gulf of Mexico and activities around the hot tub, pool, and bar on the ground floor — but it was the beach at the back where we spent our time.

But we had to get back to shopping for Christmas Eve and exploring the beauty around us. We went for long drives along Gulf Boulevard, which connects all 10 barrier islands and the Tampa Bay Beaches.

On December 24, after mass, we had a simple Nochebuena meal with ham, cheese, crackers, and stollen. At the stroke of 12, my husband loved his new jammies, hankies, and a hand warmer. But he didn’t stay on budget. I got new diamond earrings, fit-over dark glasses, and a leather purse.

We rediscovered Christmas in those gifts, the simple meal, and the beauty of Tampa. And we found it with each other. We decided to continue RVing; we had just begun.

4. A Different Christmas In The Caribbean

Fast forward many years. We had given up our RV life and settled at the Viewpoint RV & Golf Resort in Mesa, Arizona. We were looking forward to our first Christmas in our home when our timeshare called. We would lose 5 weeks’ vacation if we didn’t use our points by year’s end.

So for a different kind of holiday, we flew to Cozumel, Mexico, an island in the Caribbean, just a 35-minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun. A rental car enabled us to explore the island. I wrote more about it in Celebrating a Cozumel Christmas.

San Miguel de Cozumel, where most of the island folk live, was all bedecked for the season. It’s where we shopped, dined, and found a brightly decorated church for a Christmas mass in Spanish. El Cid La Ceiba Hotel De Playa en Cozumel, where we stayed, was beside the island’s International Cruise Terminal. On any given day, huge cruise ships docked seemingly right at our doorstep. We saw the first, second, and third largest vessels in the world! We postponed buying until the cruisers who swarmed the shopping villages were gone — that’s when prices dropped.

I got a taste of home when I found YES, a Filipino restaurant that caters to the thousands of Filipinos who manned the ships. The Christmas Eve party was at La Ceiba’s waterfront restaurant. And we rocked New Year’s Eve at Hard Rock Cafe, dancing to a live band and eating traditional Mexican round fruits at the stroke of 12.

Yes, Cozumel has plenty of ways to ease the longing for loved ones during the special time that is Christmas.

5. A Meaningful Christmas In Tucson, Arizona

Beginning December 29 the following year in Mazatlán, we extended our timeshare ownership to spend three winter months a year in any of seven hotels around Mexico. To break up the 17-hour drive there, including a long border wait time, we booked a week at the Star Pass Golf Suites in Tucson, Arizona. 

We heard Christmas Eve mass at the oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the Mission San Xavier del Bac, founded in 1692 — and it feels like it. Temperatures were in the mid-40s, our clothes were suited for Mexico, and the church didn’t have any heating. We were shivering until we found seats in a corner away from the door. That night, there were about 200 of us who felt 300 years closer to the reason for the season.

After mass, we looked for a place to have Nochebuena, but all the good restaurants were closed. We remembered Mary and Joseph and found the same relief they must have felt at finding the Inn as we came upon a Denny’s, that old reliable American diner. It was the only place open on Christmas Eve, but the simple meal filled our hearts.

We spent Christmas Day hiking the 2.5-mile Star Pass Trail, soaking in more of His wonderful creation. That night, we stayed inside and kept ourselves warm and cozy by the fireplace. There was no need for a party. On the road, we have found the true meaning of Christmas. So close to New Year’s Day, it is not only about a birth. It is our annual rebirth, wherever we happen to be. 

On the 25^th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, corresponding this year to the evening of Sunday, December 18, Jews around the world will begin the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah, sometimes referred to as the festival of lights. Hanukkah, or Chanukah, commemorates the Jewish victory in 165 B.C. over the Syrian-Greek oppression led by King Antiochus IV.

Under his reign, the Temple in Jerusalem was converted into a pagan shrine and the Jews were prohibited from performing any of their traditional religious practices. When the Jews, led by Judah Maccabee and the Hasmonean family, regained control of the Temple, it was cleansed and rededicated. Only one small jug of oil for the Temple’s menorah (candelabrum) was located. After the High Priest rekindled the oil, he anticipated that it would last only 1 day. Instead, the flame remained for 8 days.

For centuries, Jews have recalled this historic military victory and the rededication of the Temple — along with the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 days — by celebrating Hanukkah, the Hebrew word for rededication. A hanukkiah, or menorah with nine holders, is used for a family’s nightly tradition of lighting candles. The ninth candle, called the shamash, lights the other candles. On the first night, only one candle is lit with the shamash. On each successive night, another candle is added to the hanukkiah and lit.

Since the Hebrew calendar is configured differently than the Gregorian calendar, Hanukkah can start as early as the very end of November or as late as the last few days of December. The new day on a Hebrew calendar always begins at sundown — so Jewish holidays and festivals commence at sundown.

Why We Started Celebrating Hanukkah Aboard A Cruise Ship

Decades ago, we came together as a family with our four sons to light candles and sing songs every night and celebrated Hanukkah at least one evening with extended family members. We wanted our sons to experience this home-based holiday with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Gifts were exchanged by everyone.

They grew up eating traditional foods like latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly donuts), homemade Hanukkah cookies baked in the shape of dreidels, menorahs, and six-pointed stars, and chocolate in the shape of a coin covered in gold or silver foil. These semi-sweet and milk chocolates are referred to as gelt and recall the Eastern European Jewish tradition of parents giving money to their children during the holiday. Another annual tradition was playing a game called dreidel. Most of the time, we used a diaspora dreidel with the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hay, and shin, standing for Hebrew words meaning “a great miracle happened there.”

Celebrate With Folks From Around The World

Family gatherings became more challenging when our eldest sons went to college. To accommodate their conflicting schedules, we embarked on our first Hanukkah cruise and fell in love with the concept of cruising during the festival. Our family gathered in our cabin to light our electric hanukkiah and had the opportunity to join with Jews from around the world for a short Hanukkah program each night. However, due to safety regulations, we were unable to light actual candles.

The chefs created a variety of latkes and sufganiyot that we ordered throughout the cruise. The festive ambiance aboard the ship, along with the fun times in port, created memorable experiences.

Why We Continue To Celebrate Hanukkah Aboard A Cruise Ship

One by one, our children became engaged and then married their significant other. A few years later, grandchildren added a new dimension to our growing family. Early on, we introduced the next generation to our family’s traditional songs, holiday foods, and ritual observances.

Escape The Cold

For the last couple of years, we have coordinated our travel plans so our growing family can be together for at least one day during Hanukkah. While our preference is to ski during the winter months, we usually avoid the holiday crowds on the Colorado slopes until New Year’s Day.

Deciding whether to stay home or travel during winter break is a toss-up. Taking a cruise to a tropical climate is always enticing, especially when we are celebrating only one day of Hanukkah with our children and grandchildren.

Cruising and celebrating Hanukkah go hand in hand. On board the ship, we thrive in a festive environment filled with theatrical performances, live music, the opportunity to dance, an abundance of activities, and amazing food choices. At ports of call, our desire to explore and participate in outdoor adventures is fulfilled. We also have quality time relaxing on our balcony or on outdoor decks.

Enjoy Traditional Foods

During Hanukkah, many cruise ships offer early evening programs with traditional foods. Our experience aboard Celebrity cruise ships has been positive. A cantor or rabbi leads a short service that includes songs along with the lighting of an electric hanukkiah. Afterward, the group is treated to kosher wine, latkes and sufganiyot, and challah if the day coincides with the Jewish Sabbath.

We have had the good fortune of chatting with people from around the world during these celebrations. Sometimes these encounters have blossomed into relationships that continue after we return home.

As empty nesters, living mostly in a quiet house, we find it uplifting to be aboard a cruise ship during the holiday season. While the decades of being surrounded by children every day are behind us, we can reap the benefits by having holiday family gatherings and filling the remainder of our time with energizing experiences. Perhaps when our grandchildren are a little older, they will join us on a holiday cruise so we can introduce them to another one of our traditions.

The most popular sports in Ireland are rugby, football (soccer), Gaelic football (called “Gaa” by the Irish, they tell me), and hurling. In July, I was fortunate to be in Dublin when the finals for both hurling and Gaa took place. While there is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) experience to learn about these Gaelic Games near Glasnevin, I lucked out when I researched it. They had an abbreviated class, Warrior Ways, right on Trinity’s campus a block from our home. Sign me up!

We live a block from the Trinity College Dublin campus, so when given the option of taking the bus or taxi over to Glasnevin or walking over to TCD, I chose the site near me. I signed up online to reserve my spot.

That part of campus — with the playing field and Pavilion — always seems rather posh and exclusive. It was good to walk out there and feel as though I actually belonged, kitted out though I was for a workout.

How I Approached The Trip

My primary goal for this event was to learn more about sports important to my Irish heritage. Nothing in any other nation compares with the depth and width of the GAA’s integration into the life of its people. A map of the 2,000+ GAA clubs closely follows the Irish map. Local people of all ages play the national sports that continue to promote the culture. According to Cormac O’Donnchú, one of the class’s leaders, the GAA has developed into the largest social organization in Western Europe.

For the day, I stretched before I went and wore comfortable clothing and good running shoes. Despite being an athlete pre-injury, I haven’t run since my 10 years in a wheelchair, so was curious about how this would work.

Getting Ready

From home, I walked to the pavilion, signed the release forms, and waited for Cormac and Vinnie to give me the information I needed.

“GAA is the most successful cultural organization for the protection of indigenous culture,” Cormac explains. “Our sports are part of our heritage, and the king of these sports is hurling. It’s older than our recorded history.”

Then they sized me for my helmet, gave me an ash wood hurling stick, and offered a sliotar (pronounced “slitter”) made of a cork center covered in leather, the “little ball” so important to this fastest of all sports, where the sliotar can reach 180 km/h (112 mph).

Good Surprises

A very small class size allowed the coaches to provide me with extra attention. They didn’t worry about my being middle-aged or overweight but acknowledged the athlete within and were patient and kind. That’s just about the perfect way to start any sport, especially one that requires skills you don’t have. I retained some hand-eye coordination from childhood tennis but never played soccer or lacrosse, so they started from square one and built me up from there.

They told me I was the best athlete they’d had all day. Never underestimate your ability to do something new, regardless of your physical condition and medical challenges. If you can meet the basic criteria for the sport, go experience it.

Other Surprises

After “holding up” so well during hurling, I was disappointed that my energy was spent before we started Gaelic football. The field much larger than a football field, measuring 142 to 159 yards in length and 87.5 to 98 yards in width, was physically impossible for me to cross. To put it in perspective, an American football field is 100 yards in length and 53 yards wide.

Comprehending all the rules that differed between both American football and soccer was difficult. It’s a true testament to Irish athletes that can keep all the rules straight for all four sports. The good news? My coaches reassured me that I would pick up the game with repeat attempts and practice. They never gave up on me.

My Biggest Challenge

I overdid it. I tore a couple of muscles while hiking the 16-kilometer Stairway to Heaven too close to this event and should’ve been evaluated sooner. I also wish I had attended games in person at Croke Park so I knew what was expected of me.

Growing As A Traveler

If you love sports in America, you’re bound to love sports when you travel. Embrace that. Get out of your own way and have fun where you can.

There are so many things to love about traveling to Ireland. The English language, ease of euro use, safety, clean water and air, and beautiful beaches, cities, and countryside all make it easy for Americans to travel. Making the effort to learn just a little more about uniquely Irish sports makes all the difference in feeling included within these communities.

Cormac explained that they hope to interest international visitors in the culture and heritage of these two mostly unknown Irish sports.

I’m already looking forward to my next lesson!

To have an abbreviated version of the Warrior Ways, attend a session at Trinity College. For a half-day version, attend the Gaelic Games experience in Glasnevin.

Pro Tips

• First, seek out the unfamiliar. The more you connect to something uniquely “theirs,” the more you may find you endear yourself to people you visit.
• Second, search online for some information about the basic rules, policies, and procedures.
• Third, if given the opportunity, go and see the game or event in person to have a better understanding.
• Finally, go with a couple of bottles of water, an open heart, a happy attitude, and plenty of patience.

I’ve never done much exercise. To be honest, I never enjoyed it and there was always something else I’d rather be doing — reading a book, watching a movie, house chores. Anything except exercising. I think, over time, I got it into my head that exercise just wasn’t my thing.

And that was fine while I was younger, but when I hit menopause things started to change. I began to experience pain in my knees and ankles, and some days just going up and down stairs was a struggle. I was only 50, so I knew I had to do something about it.

Running’s In The Family

Running wasn’t an obvious thing for me to do, but I feel like running came to me rather than me choosing to take up running. My sister has been a keen runner for years and my sister-in-law also runs. I saw how much they enjoyed it and how motivated they always were to get out there and run. Then my daughter, aged 22, also took up running. It seemed like everyone around me was now a runner.

I have always enjoyed walking and hiking, so it felt like it would be a gentle and natural progression from there to start running. To be honest, I’m not sure if I would have done it if my family weren’t all doing it already. I felt comfort in the act that I could talk to them about it, run with them, and share the experience.

From The Couch To The Field

There’s an NHS app in the UK called “Couch to 5k” that has been specially designed to get older people up off the couch and out running. It starts off very gentle, just a minute jogging at a time, interspersed with walking, and it gradually builds up over 9 weeks until you’re running for 30 minutes without stopping. This sounded like it was made for me, which it kind of was!

So I decided this would be the best way for me to begin. The app gives you tips while you’re running about breathing and about how to land and take off with your feet for each step. Music plays in between the narration, which I found motivating. The app also tells you how far you’ve run and how many minutes you have left, which I found spurred me on when I felt like stopping.

The Great Outdoors

I’ve always loved walking and hiking, and a big part of that is being able to get out in nature and walk through some stunning scenery. I was never going to be the kind of runner who stays home and completes the course on a treadmill. One of the reasons I felt running might work for me was the nature element. It’s like walking, but a bit faster. And at first, that’s exactly what I was doing.

I’m lucky enough to live close to parks, fields, and areas of open countryside. I started off in the local park, but I soon felt there were too many other people walking dogs and taking children to the playground. There’s a field near my home that is used for school football teams at weekends but is mostly empty during the week save for a few dog walkers, so I decided to try this out.

There’s a lovely riverside track and then a large open field, which I could do circuits of pretty much by myself. My sister has taken her running gear to Barcelona and Rome with her, so I’m planning some interesting runs on trips.

Find The Right Kit

Before I started running I bought myself some good running shoes, a sports bra, and some workout pants. The shoes are the most important thing, especially if you already have any aches and pains in your feet and ankles as I did. I wear a baseball cap when it’s sunny, mostly to shield my eyes, but also to protect my head from the sun, and high-factor sunscreen. I have a hoodie and a raincoat for the rain, but to be honest I don’t mind running in the rain as I am. It’s actually quite refreshing!

Start Slow

It’s important when starting any new exercise over the age of 50 to take it easy at first. The app is great for easing you into running if it’s your first time, but you could also time yourself, use music segments to run to, or just run as much as you feel comfortable with. You need to be patient as well.

Because I’d never exercised much before, I didn’t realize how patient I’d have to be when it came to seeing benefits and results. The process is slow, but sticking with it really is worth it. I’ve dropped a dress size and best of all, my knees no longer hurt when I go up and down stairs and I feel much stronger.

Facing A Challenge

I’ll admit it’s been hard. There are days when I don’t want to go out and run and there are days when it feels like I’m trying to run through syrup. Because I’m older and because I’ve never exercised much before, it’s been tough. I don’t have as much energy as I did when I was younger, and I don’t have muscle memory like someone who’s exercised for years. My legs often feel weak and my feet hurt.

I think the idea of running didn’t seem like such a big deal when I thought of it as just faster walking, but the truth is, it’s much harder than that. A couple of times I’ve ended up in a heap on the ground at the end of the 30 minutes, I was so exhausted. The idea of going from a 10-minute run to a 20-minute run began to feel like a hill I just couldn’t climb. And yet, I made it to 30 minutes in the end.

I Never Knew I Was This Determined

In the face of the aches and pains, the tiredness, and the lack of motivation, I’m amazed I saw this through, and even more amazed that I now want to keep this up. My family has told me how proud they are of me, which means a lot, but really I’ve done this for myself and I’ve found something I now love doing.

The biggest surprise for me on my running journey is that I now enjoy running. I never thought I would. I viewed it as something I had to do for my health, but it turned out to be an activity I love. I get half an hour to myself during the day. I run down by the river and over the field. I feel free and I can clear my mind of any worries and thoughts of the things I have to do that day.

Running was meant to be something that helped my physical health, but it’s much more than that. It’s meditation, physical fitness, breathing exercises, and a good mental clear-out, all in one. And I love it.

Running Tips And Motivation

• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If all you can manage at first is a very slow jog, like I did, that’s fine.
• There’s no rush to make progress. Choose three days of the week to run, four if you like, and give yourself the other days off in between. This makes it feel more manageable and you’re more likely to keep it up if you have days off.
• Don’t stop when you’ve reached your goal. It’s better to see running as a new part of your life rather than something you have to complete. You can take as long as you like to make it to that 30-minute run, but when you’ve made it there, your running journey continues.

Two weeks after I retired at age 62, I was in Italy to soften the abrupt change from being employed to being retired. That’s where I learned the word attraversiamo, Italian for “Let’s cross over,” usually meaning the street. What a melodic — and misleading — word for crossing a Roman road. Those zebra stripes on the street declare that pedestrians have the right of way. Italians confidently step into six lanes of smart cars, taxis, Vespas, trucks, and gargantuan tour buses, expecting traffic to eddy around them. No one ever actually stops — particularly the pedestrians. Their part of the bargain is to walk at a steady, confident pace while drivers zoom around them.

I followed nuns and seminarians across frenetic Roman streets for a month. Then, one day I realized I was confidently crossing alone. After I reached the other side, I hummed “Pomp and Circumstance.” I had graduated into the class of those who cross Roman roads.

Crossing over from full-time employment to a pastiche of life in retirement took 3 years and was as fraught with hazards as the Roman roads. But I kept moving, made mistakes, and learned I needed to make some changes.

1. I Realized Busy Isn’t Best

Often, I stood in the middle of my passage like a deer in headlights, splattered by my own insults: Who do you think you are? You’re too old. Why don’t you take up needlepoint? I avoided these annihilating thoughts by going to Italy with a purpose, researching a historical novel; going to India with a purpose, philanthropy; and going on a cruise with a purpose, taking my grandson on vacation.

I am not the retired type, so I knew I had to keep busy being productive when I was home. I signed up to be a substitute teacher in two nearby school districts. I took every press trip I was invited on and accepted every freelance writing job I was offered. I worked 70 hours a week before I retired, and I was a success. I was working just as hard after I retired but in a far more scattered fashion. Even though I was earning less and had even less of a work-life balance, I called that success.

This 3-year journey might have been easier if I had not thought of it as an easy right turn in my life, instead of a passage. All life passages are difficult. Safe passage requires a confident, unbroken stride, knowing dangers are looming but will flow around you given faith in yourself. Stop and you will be stuck in a disturbing place. I had not crossed that road; I was simply in the middle of a traffic jam I had created myself. I was too busy to figure out why, some days, I woke up wondering if this was the day I would reach the acceptance stage of being roadkill.

Obviously, things had to change.

2. I Learned To Say No

To say “yes” to myself and my new vision of a successful retirement, I had to say “no” to some of the work that defined me. I did not want to go back to my window office with a plaque on the door and I did not want to continue the chaos I had made of my retirement. I hung a page of printer paper in my home office with a red magic marker sign that read “Carol.” Whenever I walked into my office, I knew my job was to be myself.

For substitute teaching, I realized that there were retired police officers on the roster who were better qualified than I was to handle unruly students. I made a “no-no” list of classes that the district should pay me $1,000 a day to teach, deliver a gourmet lunch, and send a limo. I found an informal underground of substitute teachers. We exchanged our no-no lists and updated one another when a class went from manageable to impossible, and when a bad class made a positive turn. By being selective, I remembered why I had earned a teaching certificate decades ago. Rather than crowd control, learning went on in my classes and I loved being a part of it.

I set aside some days and evenings for freelance clients. A folder for that line of work had a no-no list as well. In the communications business, one always has the client from hell and clients from another planet. As a freelancer, I had the option of politely answering their calls and saying “no” before they wasted my time outlining a job they would micromanage until I felt like mincemeat. By choosing clients who were reasonable to work with, I rediscovered the joy of delivering a complicated job on time.

After I retired, weeks — even months — went by and my office accumulated dust. I like to travel, so I travel frequently. But I travel on my terms now. Press trips are free trips, and I’m not one to turn down a freebie. A few press trips from hell inspired a no-no list for that activity as well. I am not going back to the place in India where they forgot to pick me up at the airport and housed me in a five-star hotel that gave two-thirds of the guests dysentery. I was not afflicted, but few listened when I warned: Don’t eat the lettuce. I am not going back to that Midwestern region that thinks fried food is the only food group. Nor will I return to that resort in the Dominican Republic where “just steps to the beach” was just steps to a jeep and then a 20-minute bumpy ride to a dirty beach. When invited on a press trip, I research the destination, hotel, tour company, and public relations firm before I say “yes.” I still have travel mishaps but not because I failed to do my homework.

3. I Took The Next Step

When I decided to relocate from a Chicago suburb where I’d lived for more than 20 years to a place I knew little about, I hesitated for a moment on the cusp of that idea. Then, I remembered crossing Roman roads and stepping confidently into the chaos of relocation. That passage was easier. After all, I had survived the most difficult passage of my life when I stepped out of the window office into a life I had defined for myself. To find out how that turned out, you can read this article.

After two major post-retirement adjustments, if anyone said, “Let’s cross over,” I would say, “Ask me in a few years. I need some easy right turns for a while.” After crossing a major Roman road at rush hour, I need some downtime with a gelato or an adult beverage. Recovery from life’s crossings can take months, even years. Give it the time it needs. In my case, crossings led to lifestyles that suited me well, once I figured out how to live with them.

Don’t miss out on the rest of our retirement tips, including:

• The Happiest Retirees Invest Their Time In These 5 Things
• 9 Joint Interests My Husband And I Have Cultivated In Retirement
• 5 Key Questions To Ask When Deciding Whether To Rent Or Own In Retirement

Finding a community to feel welcome and comfortable in is a goal of many when they’re looking for a place to retire. Having hobbies, interests, and activities to spend time on is an important part of picking the perfect place. For Sue Roper, finding an active community with a diverse selection of clubs and activities to get involved in wasn’t the only reason she picked The Villages in Central Florida.

“It is also a very patriotic community with a large veteran population, both male and female, and veterans are highly regarded.”

Sue was born and raised in South Florida and joined the Navy in 1974 as a nursing student at Jackson Memorial School of Nursing. After graduation in 1975, she was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy Nurse Corps. Her duty stations included:

• Naval Hospital, Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia
• Naval Medical Center in Yokosuka, Japan
• Naval Hospital in Millington, Tennessee
• Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia
• Naval School of Health Sciences, Portsmouth Detachment in Portsmouth, Virginia
• Naval School of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland

While on active duty, she was also assigned Duty Under Instruction orders to Maryville University in St. Louis, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (graduated 1985), and to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where she received a Master of Science in Education (graduated 1991).

“I loved the years I spent in the Navy and was able to travel to many places throughout the country and overseas. I especially loved the friends I made and the wonderful comradery we shared. Being a woman in a predominately male-oriented institution, it was challenging at times, but I had some great mentors that guided me and helped me to hone my leadership, management, organizational, interpersonal relationships, and teaching skills.”

In 1995, at 42 years old, Sue retired from the Navy as a Commander (O-5) after serving 21 years. After living all over the country, it was time to figure out where she would settle down and enjoy retirement.

She decided on The Villages, a 55+ retirement community located in the heart of Central Florida. With over 138,000 residents, there’s something for everyone from recreation facilities and golf courses to parks, shopping, restaurants, and medical care.

We talked with Sue about the top 5 reasons, as a veteran, she loves spending her retirement at The Villages.

1. Clubs And Activities 

Sue has been the president of Tri-County Women Veterans, Inc. since 2017. It’s one of the clubs at The Villages geared toward veterans. It has more than 250 members that meet monthly and hold various fundraisers to assist women veterans and other veteran groups. It also has the only all-female military veteran Color Guard in the area.

“Being involved in these clubs provides veterans with the same sense of comradery they felt while serving on active duty. It provides them with a non-judgmental ‘safe place’ where they can share their common experiences.”

A few clubs available to veterans include American Legion Post 347, which is the largest American Legion in the world; Villages Honor Flight, which has flown veterans to DC on 55 flights including the first all-women veterans’ flight from Florida; Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter; Disabled American Veterans chapter; and many more. 

There are dozens of groups that provide information specific to community resources available and updates on pending legislation that affects veteran benefits and those currently serving on active duty.

2. Serving The Community

With dozens of clubs and resources available to veterans at The Villages, Sue says she’s proud to serve the community alongside others. There are numerous ways she and others do so year-round.

Groups provide scholarships, assist homeless veterans, conduct food drives for local food banks, provide essential equipment to severely injured veterans to increase their independence, and effuse a true sense of patriotism throughout the community.

Many of these clubs such as Villagers For Veterans, Operation Shoebox, and Retired Military Family Group are open and available to all Villagers.

3. Patriotism

Speaking of patriotism in the community, Sue says most clubs open their meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance, and you will hear the Star-Spangled Banner at various ceremonies held in the community. She says the song, “Proud To Be An American” can be heard at various concerts held in the town squares or at various restaurants and country clubs.

American flags are proudly displayed at individual homes throughout the community. Most of the veteran organizations have a uniformed Honor Guard or Color Guard that presents/posts colors and marches at numerous events and local parades.

4. Veterans Memorial Park

While you typically won’t hear a veteran asking for a thank you, Sue says veterans living in The Villages are highly regarded, recognized, and honored.

“Both male and female veterans are proud to wear something, ball caps, shirts, vests, pins, patches, etc., reflecting their military service, and not a day goes by without veterans being individually thanked for their service.”

The Villages also has its own Veterans Memorial Park where 10 patriotic ceremonies honoring active duty and military veterans are held annually. The park is made up of thousands of bricks etched “in honor of” or “in memory of” veterans who are villagers or family/friends of villagers.

5. The Villages Outpatient VA Clinic

The Villages Outpatient VA Clinic provides a broad range of medical services, including primary care and specialty medical services, a pharmacy, diagnostic services, physical rehabilitation, and more.

For services not available at the clinic, Sue says she drives about 45 minutes to the Gainesville VA Medical Center.

While Sue has retired from the military, her duty to serve her country hasn’t slowed down. Keeping active in the clubs and organizations, giving back to those in need, and finding a sense of community were goals she’s accomplished in her retirement. 

To read more articles geared toward veterans, check out: 

• Military Veterans Travel Discounts
• Margaritaville At Sea Giving Away Free Cruises To Military, Teachers, First Responders — How To Book
• Deals And Discounts Veterans Can Access Every Day Of The Year

After a satisfying career as communications director for an international charity, I wanted my retirement to reflect my values and my dreams. For weeks, I explored options, then someone suggested I make an equation: values + dreams = ? I boiled values down to two words: “social justice.” Then dreams: “foreign travel.” Now, I had to solve the equation. My friend suggested I list opportunities that would combine working for social justice and foreign travel. She really should get an award.

I had connections with a community development organization in Nagpur, India. The president said he would welcome my volunteer assistance with programs, translation, and grant writing. Plus, the local college would like for me to teach English classes pro bono. The organization committed to providing a room in its three-story, secure facility, meals, and local transportation. The hostel was on the third floor, the office was on the second floor, and an auditorium and dining hall for conferences and events were on the ground floor. I was expecting to “give back,” but I gained far more than I gave to poor families and students in India.

1. I Won’t ‘Settle’ — No Matter What My Age

I had settled into a relationship that seemed ideal for a 60+ woman. He was secure financially and emotionally. He was kind, intelligent, and loved to travel. My India plans revealed the fatal flaw in our relationship. He would take a luxury rail journey through India, but his only involvement in charity work was writing checks. I chose India over him. Now that I am even older, I would not trade my lifestyle for security, companionship, or convenience. My love for adventure trumps my need for a committed relationship.

2. Making Do With Less Is Not A Sacrifice

I moved from a three-bedroom ranch in suburban Chicago to a cement block hostel in a small town in India. My hosts proudly introduced me to my room, the only one in the hostel with an ensuite bathroom. It had a two-burner stove with no oven. The walls were cement and the floor was cracked linoleum. My bed was so hard I could butcher a water buffalo on it. I had no TV or Wi-Fi. The shower was not enclosed; it simply rained on the entire room including the toilet. At three drops per minute, the shower was simply decoration. Bucket baths in a warm climate are easy and refreshing.

Soon, that one room became my cozy home. Life was easy. I had none of the homeowner headaches that plagued me in Illinois. I reveled in the simplicity of coffee, toast, and local honey in the morning followed by a one-flight-of-stairs commute to the office. After the workday, I unplugged: no TV, radio, or internet. I read more, walked more, and visited with my new friends. They took me to weddings — both Hindu and Christian — temples, festivals, a tiger preserve, the town’s one coffee shop, and lovely parks for picnics.

I had no car and none of the related hassles. The organization’s driver drove me to work related-sites in the office car. For other trips, I rode on the back of a friend’s motor scooter or took a tuk tuk: a three-wheeled motorized rickshaw.

3. I Can Depend On The Kindness Of Strangers

“It’s love gift,” exclaimed Dolly, refusing to take money for my haircut and eyebrow shaping. Vasanti massaged a clay pot of yogurt into my short hair to make it shiny while Vinta made a henna design on my hand. My little room became a spa that afternoon, and my new look was certainly different.

Colleagues gave me inexpensive earrings and bangles as I had left most of my jewelry at home. They also gave flowers, from leis of marigolds to vases of fragrant blossoms. It was Valentine’s Day several times a week. A co-worker’s “mummy” sent me a plate of samosas and another sent homemade sweets. But the greatest kindness was from a man I had never met and will never see again.

Several American men joined me for lunch one day in the facility’s dining hall. They were attending a conference in the building’s auditorium. When they invited me to accompany them on a visit to a mosque, I said “yes.” At the mosque, the gate opened for the men, then slammed shut in my face. I turned around and saw a crowd gathering. People were smiling and shouting questions in a language I did not understand. I did not feel threatened, but the crowd was overwhelming. I saw no way to return to our car through the street teeming with curious people.

The gate opened and an Iman stepped out. He was tall, had a long, grey beard, and was dressed in white. “Woman,” he said. “Where is your husband?”

I ducked my head and lied, “widow,” wondering if “divorced” would get me stoned.

“Where is your father?” he asked.

“Dead,” I said, looking up. His eyes were kind.

“I will be your father,” he said. He opened the gate, locked it behind me, and escorted me across the marble courtyard to a shady spot on a thick white line. Later, I learned this is the line women must not cross. He placed a metal folding chair right on the line, then brought me a glass of water. He vanished. I waited in comfort and peace for the American men who had abandoned me to the curious crowd. They returned excited about the ancient manuscripts they had seen, oblivious to the white line and its meaning.

4. The Difference Between Me And Indian Women Is A Sari

The main task of the organization I worked with is microcredit, also known as microfinance — giving small loans to people, mostly women, to start small businesses. A tea stand beside the road, a treadle sewing machine, kitchen utensils, and basic ingredients for a bakery are just a few of the microbusinesses these women own and operate. 

Microloans, some as low as $25, enable mothers to feed their children nutritious meals and send them to school. As their businesses grow, a mud floor is replaced with cement, a tar paper shack becomes a one-room house, and an impossible dream, such as giving a daughter a dowry, becomes reality.

I was asked to “say a few words” to a group of 100 entrepreneurs who had gathered for a seminar on good business practices. I was at a loss. What could I possibly say to encourage and inspire women whose life experiences were so different from mine? I stepped to the podium with a paper scrawled with platitudes. I looked at the women. Like me, they wanted the best for their children; like me, they worked hard to provide nutritious food and educate their offspring. The glaring difference was that I wore a dress and they wore saris.

After greeting them, the words came like a gift from the universe. I began, “While men are making war, we women are cooking dal and raising children.” The connection was strong. I could see it in their eyes and smiles. I talked about our importance to our families and the world and sensed I was speaking to women everywhere. Most importantly, I was speaking to myself.

I spent four winters volunteering for that organization. I let acquaintances assume that I did it to escape Chicago winters. My family and friends know my reasons were more deeply rooted.

Read more about volunteer opportunities all around the world:

• 5 Amazing Ways Retirees Can Volunteer And Give Back
• 5 Places To Volunteer With Endangered Wildlife In Costa Rica
• Giving Back While Getting Away — 6 Amazing Volunteer Vacations

When I was a teenager, I developed an unhealthy habit of repeatedly making promises to my mother that I would go on a diet, then fail to keep my promise. For this reason, I’ve found that one of the best ways to make a change is not to make a promise. 

If that sounds strange, it’s hardly the only quirky way I’ve found over the years to make lasting changes, and now that I’m 71, it’s much easier than it once was. Here are 11 more strategies I use, culled from my professional background, my spiritual practices, and my life experience:

1. Writing A Note And Putting It In My “God Box”

This sounds like I’m a religious person, but I’m not; I believe in entropy, gravity, inertia, and other natural forces, but not a supreme being. Yet counter-intuitively — perhaps similar to a placebo — asking for help from a God I don’t believe in is one of my most successful strategies, especially when my approach is playful. For example, one day when I had eaten practically a full day’s food by late morning, I wrote:

(Sarah is my first name.)

“Footwork” means I can’t ask God to help if I’m not willing to step up myself, so I always offer what I’ll do. We’re a team.

My God Box is a small tin box from childhood, which ironically — given that many of the changes I’ve wanted to make are related to food — once held pieces of toffee. On the outside, it says in cursive, “Take The Home Sweet Home.” The box reminds me of myself as a playful little girl. 

After asking for help from God, I always feel lighter and like I can more easily make the change I want. 

2. Asking My Long-Gone Family Members For Help

Seeking support from my mother and my sister, Arabella, both of whom died decades ago, also really helps. Not because they were always models of success — in fact, both of them found it difficult to make changes in their lives, especially, like me, in the area of eating. But the fact that they too struggled is exactly what I need because I sense their empathy, which helps me feel less alone. This is important because, for me, a sense of isolation increases my sense of anxiety and almost guarantees I won’t succeed. 

3. Using Timing To My Advantage

During the ’80s, when I was eating two bags of Doritos a day, my sister, who was visiting, told me she was concerned about my nutrition. After our conversation, I agreed not to have any more Doritos for the duration of her visit. 

The day after she left, my husband Barry and I went sailing in the Gulf Islands, one of my nine happy places, off the coast of British Columbia. Back then, Doritos were not available in Canada. Since I somehow managed to restrain myself from buying any Doritos to take on the trip, by the time I returned home, I hadn’t eaten them for 10 days — long enough to have passed the worst of my cravings.

I use timing, too, by tagging a change to a significant event, like when I gave up drinking Tab, Diet Coke’s precursor, on the day my sister went into labor. I recently told my now 36-year-old niece that her birth was pivotal in helping me overcome my Tab habit!

4. Bookending

When I used to drive to a nearby town for a class, I’d often stop at a particular grocery to buy an irresistible bag of chips that I couldn’t find easily in Eureka, the “Victorian seaport” on the North Coast of California where Barry and I live part of the year. I’d sit in the car after my class, devouring the whole bag while reading a magazine. Bliss! But afterward, I’d feel bloated and almost sick. 

Finally, I asked a friend if I could call her before and after the drive and leave a message letting her know what happened. No promises! Only an update — for good or for ill. Communicating with her on either end of the drive made all the difference, and after calling her a couple of times, I stopped buying the chips.

5. Imitating

I am the fastest eater I know. Once, at a retreat, when I was more mindful than usual, I decided to consume my meal at the same speed as the other participants sitting at my table, who were all eating at what looked to me like a painfully glacial pace. Only when the man next to me would pick up his fork, would I pick up mine. It was a huge challenge, but I forced myself to slow down. 

At home, I can’t use Barry as a guide, because unfortunately he’s imitated me and has also become a fast eater! But I try to remember my former companions and take bites more slowly, which helps me not only savor the meal but digest it better.

6. Creating A Ritual

I believe changes are best made when they use both the left and right parts of the brain. Ritual, which harnesses the power of the senses to symbolically convey meaning, is one example. For example, when I realized my bathroom scale was not my friend, following my therapist’s advice, I mangled it into shards and framed the innards. Another time, I created a candlelit ceremony to enjoy my last cigarette, and soon after giving up Doritos, went to a Halloween party wearing a dress with empty Dorito bags pinned to it. 

7. Keeping Records

I’m a huge fan of record keeping. Research shows that record keeping in and of itself brings about change. I’ve been amazed at how it has helped my business clients achieve difficult goals, not to mention myself. Over the years, tracking habits on a chart has helped me succeed in flossing my teeth, eating more greens and fresh fruit, running a marathon, making cold calls, saying hello to strangers, doing more upper-body exercise, practicing Spanish, and increasing my writing output.

Writing a checkmark on a page at the end of the day when I have accomplished something gives me a huge sense of satisfaction. And knowing that I’ll see an ever-growing line of check marks at the end of the week also motivates me.

Many people use computer software or apps to track their habits, but I’m still old-fashioned and prefer paper and pen.

8. Befriending My Resistance

If, after several attempts, it’s obvious I don’t want to make a change, I don’t fight it. Sometimes I’m just not ready. Instead, I say to myself, “Okay, I’m not willing to make this change right now. But am I at least willing to want to be willing?” Usually I am. Sometimes I write a note to God asking for willingness.

9. Forgiving Myself

I have learned over the years the importance of being kind to oneself, and now I’m pretty good at it. When I make a mistake, I say, “Well, Sweetheart, así es (so it is).” Or I’ll repeat the Sufi poet Rumi’s beautiful verse, “Come, even if you have broken your vow 1,000 times, come, yet again, come…” 

I know from hard-earned experience that self-criticism is not the way to create change; in fact, quite the opposite.

10. Drawing And Painting

Any activity that involves both the mind and body helps me get out of my head. When I’m struggling with something — wanting to change a habit or facing a tough decision — I sometimes use art to depict my mental state. For example, many years ago, after an unproductive conversation with Barry, in my sketchbook I painted the background in sunset pink with blue streaks, with a green leafy tree, and then in letter form, added this suggestion to myself: “When I start reacting to B, walk away. Get some space. Thanks, God.”

Another time, frustrated with my pattern of overpacking, I sketched and painted several light suitcases. 

Once, I was worried about what to wear for a keynote speech I was giving. Worn out by my habit of overthinking, I painted a row of dresses on a clothes rack with the message, “But what will she wear?” And underneath, “If only she could wear her art pages!” 

The playful act of painting the dresses helped me relax. Like my notes to God, art enables me to lighten up, a key ingredient for changing a habit. 

11. Writing In The Third Person

As I did above, referring to myself as “she,” using the third person helps me detach.

Willpower, self-control, 5-year plans, New Year’s resolutions, and promises don’t work well for me. But getting help from others — even if it’s only in my imagination — engaging in rituals and mind-body activities, and being kind to myself have helped me find the willingness and creativity to overcome many unhelpful habits.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania for an epic safari in the Serengeti. It was an unforgettable experience, but the process of getting there and back was daunting. My first flight from Los Angeles to Doha, Qatar, was 16 hours, followed by a 6-hour layover and another 6-hour flight to Arusha. The way back was similar, but this time with a 9-hour layover in Doha. This was not my typical flying experience, so I knew I needed a plan.

How I Handled My Long Layovers

After spending considerable time researching all of my options, I moved forward with two strategies: one for my outbound and one for my returning flight.

For my outbound flight, I spent most of the 6-hour layover in the Priority Pass Lounge of Hamad International Airport called Al Maha. This large and comfortable lounge is well equipped to handle hundreds of guests, but at times it does close when it reaches capacity. Fortunately, they had space when I arrived. I ate, read, and chatted with other guests. The food was good, the staff was very friendly, and it was a nice way to spend several hours between flights.

However, for the 9-hour layover of my returning flight, I knew I needed sleep. So a few days before departing for Tanzania, I reserved a sleeping pod at Sleep ‘N Fly. These compact spaces offer a bed, pillow, blanket, reading light, and outlets. Different size pods are available and can be reserved from 2 to 24 hours.

Finding Sleep ‘N Fly Doha

The most difficult part of this experience was finding the Sleep ‘N Fly. I had watched a YouTube video with specific instructions on its location but still found myself wandering aimlessly for about 15 minutes before a kind airport staff member gave me directions. Fortunately, there is a large information desk in the airport in front of the famous yellow teddy bear sculpture, and they are happy to direct you.

Getting A Few Hours Sleep

Check-in at Sleep ‘N Fly was quick and easy since I had prepaid online. The receptionist walked me to my pod and told me I could stay for up to 5 hours. I had only booked four, so I was pleasantly surprised.

The pod is small and easy to use. I put away my carry-on bag, took off my shoes, plugged in my cell phone, turned off the lights, and quickly went to sleep. 3 hours later, I woke up and realized I had slept soundly. I wasn’t able to fall back to sleep, so I gathered my bags, checked out, and headed to the nearby Starbucks for breakfast.

While I kept the bed flat the entire stay, it is possible to move it into a seated position as well. This would be a great option if you wanted a quiet space to read or work.

You are allowed to leave and return to your sleeping pod during the reserved time. This is a good option if you want to grab a drink or snack during your stay.

What I Liked

I was able to sleep soundly because the pod is soundproofed and I heard nothing from my neighbors. For someone who can’t sleep on flights, getting 3 hours of really good sleep before my 16-hour flight to Los Angeles was definitely appreciated.

I also approved of the cleanliness. Each pod is thoroughly cleaned between guests, something I watched a staff member doing as I was departing.

What I Didn’t Like

While the Sleep ‘N Fly is next to the airport bathrooms, it would be nice if they had their own restroom facilities. I know similar businesses in other airports do offer these. Airport restrooms are large, bright, and not always clean. Facilities just for the guests would be ideal.

Don’t Rely On Your Priority Pass

Priority Pass Lounge access is one of my great joys when traveling. It’s a membership that allows access to thousands of airport lounges around the world. Technically, Sleep ‘N Fly is available to pass members for a significantly discounted rate.

However, you can’t make advanced reservations with the pass, and the sleeping pods often are fully booked. While I was checking in, several pass members were turned away. So if you really want to sleep like I did, pay full price and book online at least a day in advance.

Alternatives For Getting Rest During A Long Layover

If Sleep ‘N Fly doesn’t appeal to you, there are a couple of options. First, Oryx Hotel is located in the airport. And while it’s not cheap, it would provide much more space, private bathrooms, and probably a more comfortable bed. If my layover had exceeded 9 hours, I definitely would consider this.

The Priority Pass Lounge and Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge offer quiet rooms where guests can lay rest. These rooms were full at the lounge I visited, so it was not an option for me. 

Finally, adding a day or two to your trip to explore Doha is a fun option. There are many hotels in the city at all price points. My trip was already 16 days long, so I didn’t want to extend it any further, but Doha has many sights and attractions.

Tourists flock to the McLaren Vale wine region in South Australia. An estimated 160 vineyards and 80 cellar doors combine world-class wines and local produce from pristine seas and land. Bounded by hills to the east and 20 miles of glorious coastline to the west, the backdrops of the sun setting over the gulf are endless. This is one of Australia’s prettiest, most progressive, and environmentally conscious wine regions.

Known primarily for producing Shiraz, it was during the region’s celebrations of their Grenache when my interest in a unique tour was piqued. Little did I realize how much I would learn when I booked a tour to roam Grenache vineyards with donkeys, visit a cellar door, and have a farmhouse lunch paired with a range of Grenache. All this was conducted by Jodie, a local viticulturalist and small-batch winemaker. Here’s what I learned on an enlightening day:

1. The Value Of Donkeys In Ethiopia

No, that’s not a typo. This story begins in Ethiopia. Jodie had held a fascination for donkeys for some time before a personal circumstance in life lured her to travel to Ethiopia. Ethiopia has 8.8 million donkeys, reportedly the most in the world. They are used for providing transport and income generation to the poorest households. It was here Jodie met a couple of guys who were in the country working on a donkey project. One of these men had previously been a saddler in the Queen’s Mews in London, and the other had worked as a harness maker for Hermes in Paris.

Together, they designed a pack saddle to put on donkeys. It was made of a chaff bag stuffed with straw and stitched with baling twine. This alternate method for carrying hefty loads doubled the donkey’s life span and the number of days they could work. Before that, the donkeys were overworked, overloaded, and regularly suffered from sores and abscesses. Using the new pack saddles eradicated these issues and contributed to social improvements. If the donkeys weren’t lame, sick, or recovering, it meant that on the days when the market wasn’t on, the women could use them to collect water or firewood. It gave women and deeply impoverished people empowerment through their donkeys, provided companionship, and improved their social standing in their remote communities.

2. Why Donkeys Help Lead The Tour

When I heard of Jodie’s passionate reason for starting the Grenache Grazing Donkeys tour, I was honored to be one of the first to experience it. Once the tours are established, her dream is to put money back into the donkey project in Ethiopia to keep improving the lives of the people and the donkeys.

As nine other tour guests and I arrived at Jodie’s homestead set amongst vines, we introduced ourselves over coffee. We then met our four-legged, long-eared, 3-year-old assistant tour guides, Agatha and Winsome, before setting off on foot toward the nearby rows of meticulously pruned vines.

3. The World’s Best Grenache Comes From McLaren Vale

After a short walk, we stopped to look at the vines. Reaching into Winsome’s pannier, Jodie pulled out a bottle of rosé and the box of glasses our donkey assistant had been carrying. As we tasted the pale salmon-pink liquid, Jodie explained this wine was 50 percent Grenache and 50 percent Gamay, the Grenache being the dominant taste.

“Grenache loves to sink its roots down, and the deep sandy soils in this part of the region are perfect for developing the elegant, pure minerality of flavor to the wine,” Jodie described.

Grenache has become a significant grape variety for McLaren Vale as it thrives here. It has previously been suggested the world’s best Grenache comes from the southern Rhône region in France and the Rioja region in Spain. However, McLaren Vale is now being touted as worthy of holding that mantle.

4. La Niña And The Effect Of Weather On Grape Growing

Rainfall and temperature play a big part in viticulture. The Grenache vines had just 3 inches of jelly-bean-green colored shoots emerging from the gnarly stems. Jodie points out that “bud burst” is 20 days behind the norm. Today we have blue skies above, and the sun is warming our backs as we walk, but despite it being mid-spring, days like this have been scarce.

She predicts the Grenache harvest won’t be until late March as we are experiencing the climate driver, La Niña. This typically results in increased rainfall across most of the country and cooler daytime temperatures in the south. The current conditions mirror those of the early 2000s.

“Irrespective of arguments about global warming, the seasons and conditions are cyclic, and as a viticulturist, we work best with what we’re given,” Jodie outlines.

5. How Proximity To The Coast Is Beneficial To Grape Growing

The McLaren Vale wine region benefits significantly from the maritime influence of the nearby coast. Some vineyards in the area are as close as 6 miles to the sea. The ocean’s impact has a profound effect on minimizing detrimental conditions. Creating warm but not hot summers and cool but not cold winters extends the growing season and reduces the risk of frost. Heat can reflect off sandy soils, putting the bunches of grapes at risk during summer; however, the cooling breezes from the ocean can alleviate this issue.

6. The Importance Of The New Buds Of Spring

We lick our lips after our small serving of Grenache rosé, then pack our glasses away into Winsome’s pannier while she is doing a tasting of her own on a clump of grass. Before we start down the side of the vines to our next stop, Jodie pulls off one of the buds to show us. “Already in this bud is all the information,” she says. “There’s baby bunches and the tendrils.” Pulling the bud apart, she continues, “When it starts off as a little bud, we can make fine slices through them and work out how many bunches there are per compound bud. Then we can get a ‘guesstimate’ of our yield and alter our pruning for that.”

The aim is to balance the productivity of the vine and the amount of leaf and shoot growth. As a consumer of wine, I must admit I don’t often give a lot of thought to what happens before it is poured into my glass. Spending time in the vineyard has been eye-opening.

7. How To Combine Wine And Cheese Tasting

As we arrived at Geddes Wines, sprawling green lawns, an outdoor table shaded by a white umbrella, and a black Labrador dog greeted us. Here we were introduced to the Grenache made by the owner/winemaker, Tim Geddes. Tim sources all his fruit from local McLaren Vale growers.

As Tim’s wife, Amanda, poured us all a glass of Grenache, and a tasting platter with a range of cheeses was placed on the outdoor table. It is essential to taste wine in isolation before tasting the cheese. First, taste the wine on its own. Then try the cheese before tasting the wine again. If the wine and cheese are a compatible match, then the fat and protein left on the palate from the cheese will hold some of the fruity aromas and body of the wine longer. Some of the wine’s cherries and savory aspects remain and resonate on the palate for extended periods.

8. How Food And Wine Bring Strangers Together

The walking part of the tour ended at Jodie’s home. Agatha and Winsome reluctantly returned to their yard while the 10 guests eagerly sat for lunch. We were 10 virtual strangers from different parts of Australia. We came together via a mutual interest in wine and a desire to take a tour with a difference. We not only learned so much about viticulture, winemaking, and donkeys in Ethiopia, but as Jodie served a delicious lunch with wine, we learned so much about each other. I had never laughed so much as the wine, and humorous personal stories flowed bringing the end to a very enlightening day.

During my senior year in college in the early 70s, my friend Jennifer and I would hitchhike from the Tulane campus to Bud’s Broiler, the best hamburger joint in New Orleans. Devouring our juicy burgers at one of Bud’s funky wooden tables, Arlo Guthrie thrumming The City of New Orleans on the jukebox, beat having dinner at Galatoire’s or Commander’s Palace or any other legendary New Orleans restaurant, hands down.

These days, the thought of hamburgers rarely crosses my mind, though, because about 6 years after my outings to Bud’s, my new husband Barry and I decided to stop eating meat. For me, this wasn’t difficult. Although I was raised on my mother’s fried chicken, Southern ham, pork chops, and ribs, I never learned to cook meat myself. As a single woman in my 20s, the closest I came to meat was ordering chili at the corner diner.

We had different reasons for our decision. Reading Frances Moore Lappé’s Diet for a Small Planet, I was appalled to discover that in rich countries like the U.S., the proportion of grain used for animal feed is around 70 percent. If all food crops grown globally were fed directly to humans instead of animals, the world’s supply would be enough to feed over half the humans on earth, let alone the 828 million who face hunger every day. 

Barry, meanwhile, had just read Peter Singer’s 1975 expose, Animal Liberation, and was outraged learning about the cruel treatment animals received in factory farms.

So, armed with the Moosewood Cookbook as my Bible, I started to prepare dishes without meat. We weren’t vegans, and we didn’t even call ourselves vegetarians, since we occasionally ate fish. Like other non-meat-eaters I knew back then, we over-relied on cheese as a transition food, consuming huge amounts of quiche and other rich, creamy meals, oblivious to the fact that dairy can be as damaging to the body and the planet as beef. 

More than 40 years later, I’m grateful for our decision to stop eating meat. Here are eight reasons why.

1. I Love Vegetarian Food

Barry and I eat a varied and interesting diet, often influenced by Southeast Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Beans, sesame, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, stir-fries, salads, soups, greens, grains, you name it. 

Black beans, especially. So versatile! Add a shot of cumin and cut-up mango or chutney, and they taste Indian; add orange juice, and they turn Brazilian. Add coffee or cocoa, and they taste “haunting,” as one recipe described it.

A friend described the early years of her marriage, when she and her husband were chronically broke, as “the rice-and-beans days.” I laughed because I could live on black beans and rice for the rest of my life. When we visited Cuba, we ate the delicious local version, called Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) every day.

2. Plant-Based Cooking Is Creative And Fun 

I love experimenting and improvising with different foods, and I frequently make up recipes. For instance, I recently invented a new soup, consisting of chickpeas, miso or umami paste, coconut milk, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, and ginger. In a word, delicious!  

Miso is a form of umami, which, along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, is one of the five essential flavors. If you think vegetarian food is boring, try a dish with umami paste — it will wake you up faster than a strong cup of coffee.

When I run out of ideas, I look for recipes on Meatless Monday, a site that encourages people to reduce their intake of meat, or 101 Cookbooks, one of my favorite vegetarian blogs.

3. A Plant-Based Diet Is Much Healthier

Research shows that a low- or no-meat diet reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and even early death. Three members of my family have had cancer, so I’m happy to do what I can to reduce my risk.

Some data also suggests that a vegetarian diet can help with weight loss and maintenance. This has been true for me. In my teen years, my weight fluctuated much more than it has since I stopped eating meat.

4. I Get Plenty Of Protein Without Meat

The average omnivore in the U.S. gets more than 1.5 times the optimal amount of protein, most of it from animal sources. Although vegans need to take a Vitamin B12 supplement, Barry and I don’t, because we still eat some dairy products (though nothing like when we started).

5. I’m Rarely Constipated

Because I eat so much roughage, my digestion system works like a charm. Eating a lot of meat and dairy, neither of which contain much fiber, can cause constipation. My microbiome seems to be in good shape.

6. Not Eating Meat Helps The Environment

Animal agriculture is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also a leading cause of land and water use, deforestation, wildlife destruction, and species extinction. About 2,000 gallons of water are needed to produce just one pound of beef in the U.S. And according to Grist, an environmental online newsletter, one pound of cheese requires 10 pounds — about 5 quarts — of milk from a cow, which emits the greenhouse gas methane. Not to mention the grains that go into feeding the cow.

7. It’s Economical

It turns out skipping animal protein isn’t just good for my body, it’s good for my budget. Research published in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, suggests vegetarians save at least $750 a year. 

8. It’s Simple

I can’t keep up with the number of health-crazed diets promising weight loss, longevity, youth, vitality, and so on. The Whole 30, the Paleo Diet, the Keto Diet, the Gluten-Free Diet, the Raw Foods Diet — it never ends. 

I agree with Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, that too many options imprison rather than free us. Limiting my choices and knowing what I eat and don’t eat helps keep me calm and sane.

Barry and I are still part of a minority. Whereas the number of adult Americans identifying as vegans or vegetarians is about 10 percent, I was surprised to read that as of 2017, the U.S. had the second-highest per capita meat consumption in the world, second only to Hong Kong. 

Vegetarians have a reputation for being sanctimonious, but I don’t feel morally superior to those who eat meat, nor do I judge people for their decisions. As someone with a history of compulsive eating dating back to adolescence, I know firsthand that making decisions about food can be overwhelmingly complicated and confusing. People have to figure out their own path. Besides, there are plenty of unhealthy foods I still eat, like chips, crackers, and cookies. I do find it funny when, if I mention to someone that I eat a plant-based diet, they’ll often say, “I rarely eat meat,” or “I only have meat once or twice a week,” as though they’re worried about my reaction. 

But I almost never bring it up. Barry and I have eaten a plant-based diet for so long, it’s just become a river that flows quietly through our lives.

Maybe you’re fully employed but love to paint. Your friends say you should be selling your watercolors; they’re that good. Maybe you’re retired but could use some extra cash. Maybe you work part-time but can’t save on your current income. Maybe you’re okay financially, but, like me, you just love to earn.

The freelance, self-employment gig economy has exploded in the last 20 years, and now everyone’s taking advantage of it. And not just from home. Wherever and whoever you are — a retiree, a snowbird, an RV lover, an expat, a grandparent, or someone who happens to own a cabin in the mountains — you can continue to earn from multiple sources. And the pandemic has made it even easier because you have a worldwide audience greedy for stimulation.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of earning extra income, the first step is to identify your passions and skills. Usually, these two areas overlap. You get good at something because you love it, and vice versa. For example, my husband, Barry, loves science and mourns the fact that many people he meets are science-averse. His mission is to demystify science to the lay reader, and his vehicle for achieving this is a column he’s written for 10 years for our local weekly in California.

Your skills and interests may be entirely different from your career. In my case, I get paid to teach classes on cooking and decluttering, though I’ve never made a living as a chef or a professional organizer.

If you’re not sure what your skills are, ask your friends to help you discover them. Reflect on questions like, “What do I love to do?” and “What do other people ask my advice on?”

Once you’ve identified your skills, you’ll find you can earn money by offering them in a variety of ways and formats. Here are eight opportunities for creating revenue.

1. Become A Freelance Writer

In spite of the dramatic decline in the publishing industry, this is a great time to be a part-time writer. After all, it requires no overhead other than a laptop or iPad and a Wi-Fi connection — and you can freelance wherever you travel. Websites and magazines abound with opportunities for writing.

Search for markets to expand your repertoire. Both The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazines offer sections on where to market, only available to subscribers, but you can view them online through most libraries. MediaBistro has an excellent feature called “How to Pitch,” which is behind a hefty $120/year paywall, but you can join for two weeks for free. No-cost Pitchwhiz sends out weekly freelancing opportunities from editors throughout the world. And don’t forget to browse the internet. Try a search like “websites that pay for travel articles.”

International markets are another option. Britain, Australia, and other countries have their own print and online market guides.

Consider writing pro bono guest columns for blogs if the owner is open to paying you once you’ve proved yourself. I wrote some unpaid articles on personal finance for a blog called Get Rich Slowly, which later paid me for my posts.

2. Explore A Freelancing Platform

On sites like Upwork, where companies and individuals connect to conduct business, you can negotiate for assignments to write podcasts, ebooks, grants, speeches, and professional bios. A friend who has worked through the platform recommends searching for clients who have a large number of assignments to fill because Upwork’s fee structure rewards working with the same client.

3. Sell Your Musical Abilities

A singer and performer I know teaches singing — which is why I can now belt out Amazing Grace sounding like Aretha. (Well, sort of!). My sister, meanwhile, studies piano with a teacher on Zoom.

4. Become A Coach

Coaching is a huge industry these days. According to the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, it’s the second-fastest-growing sector in the world. People offer coaching services on business, marketing, career transitions, wellness, personal development, finances and prosperity, aging, sexuality, and more.

Unlike medicine or law, coaching isn’t highly vetted, so all you need to market yourself is a Facebook page! You can get certified, of course, but I doubt your clients will care. I’ve always subscribed to the motto a colleague passed on to Barry when he was starting out as a consultant: “If you wear a cowboy hat, you can call yourself a cowboy.” In other words, if you look, sound, act, and deliver, the business will follow. In my case, it always has. In the ’80s I coached women on body image and weight loss based on my own personal history. Ten years later I became a business consultant, training and coaching government leaders and senior managers, even though I have no MBA or certifications. I learned about successful leadership by reading, attending seminars, observing great leaders, and following my intuition.

5. Teach Classes Live

You can offer classes through university continuing education departments, community centers, YMCAs, and more. Barry and I teach for OLLI, a nationwide educational institution for people 50 and up. Its faculty are people like you and me — folks in our generation who want to share our skills, interests, and hobbies. I’ve taught classes on travel, writing, wellness, and more. Like many other adult education centers, our OLLI branch splits the profits 50/50. (But be aware that not all OLLI chapters pay).

During the pandemic, all classes are on Zoom, which makes it easier for people like us who want to travel. In fact, now that people are used to taking classes in their sweats or pajamas, online learning will continue long after the pandemic. I’m currently taking an art class for $180 on Zoom that taken pre-COVID would have been in-person and cost me over $2,000 for tuition, airfare, and accommodation.

6. Teach Passively

“Passive instruction” means you produce a course and then you let it sit on the web, earning income without you doing a thing. A friend who is both a book author and a painter introduced me to a teaching platform called Skillshare, where people design and produce their own classes using just an iPad and a microphone. I produced a class on food writing and now watch the revenues trickle in.

My friend took advantage of extra time during the pandemic and created 20 classes in eight months. Her income is now just over $1,000/month. She recently began cross-posting her classes to another teaching platform, Udemy, to increase her profits.

The beauty of Skillshare, Udemy, and other teaching platforms — as well as institutions that offer live classes — is that they do the marketing for you. You can help by posting your classes on social media and your website, but the teaching platform does the heavy lifting.

7. Create An Airbnb Experience

These activities, part of the Airbnb empire and hosted by local experts, can be on any subject imaginable, from cooking to ballet to writing to nature. The good news is you don’t have to host guests overnight in your home or space to create an Airbnb experience. While the teacher sets the fee, Airbnb charges a 20 percent service fee to help cover the costs of the products, services, liability insurance, and other support.

Browsing the site, I noticed classes on a dizzying range of topics, such as Pilates, jazz, taco preparation, Jamaican dance, and archeology. And the prices! One class called “Pasta With The Grandmas” costs $878 per person for 90 minutes. I can’t imagine paying that much for a class of that length, but it was by no means the only one in that range.

8. Rent Out Your Vehicle Or Second Home

Did you know it has been next to impossible to rent or buy an RV, van, or travel trailer during COVID because the market is saturated with renters and buyers desperate to leave home safely? If you have a vehicle you’re not using, you can rent it on sites like RVshare. Likewise, if you have a winter cabin or beach cottage you use only part-time, check out the opportunities to rent on Airbnb or Vrbo. (We’ve been successfully renting our Mexican home on VRBO when we’re not there).

9. Consult For Your Former Employer 

When my husband was launching his desktop publishing company, he started off writing newsletters and other PR communications for the engineering company where he had been an employee. Similarly, many kinds of work can be done on a consulting basis, where you can charge more than you’d earn in-house because they aren’t covering your benefits, sick leave, and vacation time. Plus, you get to choose your own hours.

10. Go Into Business As A Virtual Assistant 

If you have good office skills or can do research and data entry, sign up with an agency like Priority VA to become a virtual assistant. And if you like working with figures, bookkeepers will help you design and grow a bookkeeping business.

11. Rent A Room Or Part Of Your Home 

If you have extra unused space in your home, advertise a room on roommates, nextdoor, Craigslist, or another local site to find someone to help pay expenses. I was surprised to find that rooms rent for an average of $800/month in the rural northern California county where I live — Humboldt (not an outrageously pricey area). Not too shabby!

12. Walk Dogs 

If you’re an animal lover, put a notice up on nextdoor or Craigslist that you’re available to walk dogs. If you don’t mind having animals in your home or sleeping in other people’s houses, you can earn even more cash by becoming a pet sitter with agencies like Rover.

13. Drive An Uber Or Lyft 

If you like to drive, consider working part-time for a company like Uber or Lyft. You decide how much or how little you want to drive and at what time of day. According to USA Today, Lyft pays $24/hour, including tips and bonuses. This figure is a national average, so earnings vary depending on the region. Uber pays somewhat less at $22/hour.

14. Deliver Packages Across The Nation 

Websites like Roadie and Curri offer the opportunity to earn extra income by delivering packages while you’re already traveling — perfect for TravelAwaits readers. You could get paid to deliver a package all the way from Connecticut to California — or just deliver a package to the other end of town. And unlike Uber, you’re not driving people, so you can drive an old beater for all the package cares!

15. Offer Eldercare 

If you like hanging out with the elderly, you could work part-time for an agency like Visiting Angels. Or you may be able to find eldercare opportunities through networking. A friend of mine was hired by the daughter of a 102-year-old woman to provide 24-hour care. My friend contracted with several women who each worked a day a week, earning approximately $16/hour, though rates can be as high as $25/hour.

16. Help People Get Rid Of Their Clutter 

If you’re good at organizing, you can advertise locally to help people who accumulate too much stuff. You’ll never run out of work! While there’s a National Association of Productivity and Professional Organizers (NAPO) with chapters all over the country, you don’t have to be certified or a member to help people get rid of their stuff. 

17. Wash Windows 

A friend of mine started her part-time window cleaning business 15 years ago, investing $1,000 in a water-fed pole system that reaches two- and three-story houses. The investment paid off, because she now earns $60/hour washing windows for businesses and private residences, making even more money by selling a package that includes cleaning gutters and power washing.

18. Sign Up To Be A Poll Worker 

Every level of government holds elections and they need people to help temporarily. You’ll work long hours and won’t get rich (on average, about $150/day), but if you need extra cash, it’s a quick way to earn some money. If interested, contact your local board of elections.

19. Become A Tutor 

Do you enjoy sharing your skills with others? Many parents hire tutors online or in-person to help their kids in math, language skills, and other topic areas. Starting pay is on average about $21/hour. This site lists the most popular tutoring agencies.

20. Offer Translation Services

Are you fluent in a second language? A friend of mine earns over $1,200/month translating Spanish healthcare documents into English for her former employer. She loves earning while she reinforces her language skills. There are numerous translation companies on the web.

21. Provide Gardening Help

If you have a green thumb and enjoy being outside, consider offering gardening services, since many professional couples simply don’t have the time to take care of their yards. The average gardener earns about $17/hour.

22. Market A Range Of Skills

If you have a whole spectrum of skills, consider signing up with Rent A Grandma, where you create a profile and describe your various offerings — whether it’s child, pet, or plant care, or house cleaning.

I hope these ideas have encouraged your imagination and helped you uncover the skill or passion that the world is waiting for. Remember, you can unleash it from anywhere — your living room, your vacation home, your garage, or your camper van. Don’t hesitate! Now is the moment to set your idea free and watch it soar.

For more inspiration, consider:

• Doing These 5 Things Gave Me The Confidence To Travel Solo Over 50
• Social Distancing? Here’s How To Learn A Language At Home During Your Downtime
• The Rich Rewards Of Volunteering Abroad As An English Immersion Facilitator

It was my first trip to Cornwall in 20 years, and things had changed. The towns were either more built up or more run down. And there were way more tourists on the streets and on the beaches than there used to be. What hadn’t changed was the beauty of the coastline in this southwestern area of England. Dramatic cliffs, rocky shorelines, soft sandy beaches: Cornwall has it all. 

The last time I went to Cornwall, my children were still young. They enjoyed getting out on the waves on bodyboards and splashing around in the sea, but as a mother watching her kids, I was the one sitting on the sand with all our belongings. This time, at 51, things would be different — it was my turn to get out on the water.

North Vs. South

The north and south coastlines of Cornwall are very different. While the north coast has soft sandy beaches and crashing waves that are a surfer’s dream, the south coast is pebbly and has calm waters that paddle boarders love. Both coasts are beautiful in their own way, but it was on the south coast, with a still sea, that my partner and I saw paddle boards and kayaks lined up on every beach. We began to think about having a go for ourselves. 

We didn’t fancy surfing on the north coast (maybe next time), and the beaches on the south coast are mostly shingle, so not great for sitting on. It was lovely and calm on the south coast, and we decided to spend some time at Swanpool Beach, but we were looking for something to do. The kayaks looked very inviting, waiting by the shore in bright blue, yellow, and red. As my partner and I watched couples going out on the water and arriving back with big smiles on their faces, we decided to try it out.

A Kayak Convert

The closest I’d ever got to kayaking before was rowing a boat on a river, which has some similarities, but still isn’t quite the same. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous when I put on the buoyancy aid and listened to the safety demonstration. The man who ran the kayaking hire explained how to use the oars and then told us it’s really difficult to get back in a kayak if you fall out of it; “so don’t fall out of it,” he said. 

He told us about some hidden coves along the rocky cliffside and led us down to our kayak. For our first time, my partner and I chose a double kayak so we could go out together. There were plenty of single kayaks but the double ones did seem more popular. My nerves soon dissolved once I was out on the calm sea paddling around the shoreline. I really enjoyed the experience.

It’s All About The Technique

Before we get into paddling and steering the kayak in the direction you want to go in, there’s the little issue of getting into it in the first place. My first attempt at getting into the kayak was very ungainly! We pushed the kayak down to the edge of the water, so its nose was in the sea, and I stood ankle-deep in the water and tried to step into it. I can tell you how much this does not work. All I did was push the kayak farther away with the foot that was in it, while my other leg was still standing in the water! I soon learned that the way to successfully get into the kayak is to sit in it, bottom first, as if sitting on a chair, and then swing your legs around and into the kayak. Getting out of the kayak is the same in reverse. You swing your legs around to one side and stand up. Simple. 

Your kayak guide will show you how to use the oars before you start. It’s a very simple case of plunging the oar down into the water in front of you and scooping it back up behind you, and then doing the same on the opposite side. It forms a nice flowing motion that’s easy to keep going. To turn left, paddle on the right side, and to turn right, paddle on the left side. This is called opposite-side paddling.

Everything Looks Different From The Water

I’ve been on river cruises and I’ve been in a rowing boat on a lake (and a river), and it’s true what they say — experiencing a place from the water is very different to the perspective you have on things from land. Being out on the sea brought a whole other dimension to this and I loved kayaking around the rocky coastline, finding caves and hidden coves that no one else could see from the beach. 

We stopped off at one of the tiny beaches in an inlet and took some time to just enjoy the beauty of our own quiet little bay. I had a small wobble of nerves when I got back in the kayak at this hidden cove, as I could see how far away the beach was and how far from it we’d traveled. But once I’d got back in the kayak and I was paddling again, I felt secure and safe, and we headed back to the beach.

It Gets Wet In the Kayak

Before we set off, our guide told us we should leave all of our possessions behind. There was a hut with spaces for shoes, bags, and any belongings we had with us. You need to be aware that a fair bit of water does end up in the kayak, so the bottom half of your body is going to get wet. 

While we were having a day at the beach, we were already wearing our swimmers, so we just kept a T-shirt on top, but if you aren’t prepared, you will end up with wet clothing. I hadn’t realized that we would need to leave everything behind. My partner did take his phone onto the kayak with him, even though the guide recommended leaving them behind. If you have a waterproof phone, like my partner does, you can take it with you, though this is obviously at your own risk. It would have been a shame if we weren’t able to take any photos while we were out on the kayak.

Tips For Kayaking For The First Time

• Choose calm waters for your first kayak, either a gentle sea like we did, or a lake.
• Watch out for rocks or anything else that might be in the water, like reeds if you’re on a lake. Don’t panic if you’re heading for some rocks, just use opposite paddling to avoid them. 
• If you decide on a double kayak like we did, the lightest person goes at the front. 
• Your paddles need to be held body-width apart with both hands, and your paddle should enter the water with the rounded side away from you. Take a good look at your paddle before you start so you know you’re holding it the right way.
• If you stop off somewhere, don’t try to get back into your kayak while you’re in the water; it’s incredibly difficult. Take your kayak to an embankment or onto the beach to get back in. You can position the kayak so that you are standing knee-deep in water, but not deeper than that.
• Relax and have fun. You’re unlikely to fall off the kayak, they are very stable, and if you do, you have your buoyancy aid. 
• Make sure to take in the scenery as you travel along the water. This is a unique way to view the land.

For more inspiring stories and tips on kayaking, check out these articles:

• I Tried Ocean Kayaking In The Azores, Here’s How It Went
• A Beginners Guide To Kayaking: From Learning To Paddle To Buying A Kayak
• My 10 Favorite Places To Go Kayaking In Texas

When my 93-year-old mother, Val Kimber, lost her husband of 69 years, her two sisters rallied around her. Nothing extraordinary about that, but for this trio, it meant packing up the car and heading off for a road trip. Again, nothing too remarkable about that, even — except her sisters were 94 and 84 years old.

Mum and Dad were married to their best friend for 69 years. Dad was a wheat and sheep farmer in South Australia who retired at age 58. He and my mother sold the farm and moved to the regional city of Port Lincoln. They were two of the lucky ones. They enjoyed good health for the next 35 years until Dad’s passing at the age of 93.

Why A Road Trip At This Time?

My father’s death was challenging for my mother to contend with. They lived in their own home with a large garden and managed without outside support. At 93, they were both still driving and cuddled together in their double bed every night. Sharing similar passions, they were entirely devoted to each other. Mum was lost without him. Everywhere she looked, there were memories of Dad; his empty chair, the smell of his clothes hanging in the robe, his towel hanging in the bathroom. She slept on his side of the bed because she couldn’t bear to see it empty. 

When things settled down a little after Dad’s funeral, Mum’s youngest sister, 84-year-old Shirley, came to stay. She traveled from her home in Geelong, Victoria, 830 miles away. She soon saw that Mum would benefit from getting out of the house and taking in a change of scenery instead of being stuck in her usual patterns of living that were glaringly devoid of Dad. Shirley suggested they go on a road trip.

A Lifelong Connection To Open Spaces 

My parents owned caravans (towable travel trailers) for as long as I can remember. The first one was just 12 feet long and housed our family of six, albeit in a cramped way. Mum and Dad slept on the bunk bed, my eldest brother camped on the floor, and two other brothers and I slept crossways on the folded dining table. 

Dad was a member of the Royal Automobile Association for 73 years, having joined when he was 20. Just four months before his death, they attended the Association’s Gold 50 event to recognize people who had been members for 50 years or more. Of the 200 guests at this commemorative occasion, Dad was honored as the longest individual customer, being an RAA member since 1946.

Over the years, he utilized various services offered by the RAA and planned many of our caravan road trips with the aid of strip maps posted out to him on request. He loved studying the maps and the details contained in them. While he hated and avoided city driving, he loved the open road and had a thirst for learning and seeing new places. 

In their 35 years of healthy retirement, they traveled throughout most of Australia. Mum had always enjoyed watching the changing scenery as they drove, journaling as she went. She jotted down information about the trees and birdlife they saw, the fuel cost, and the weather, and she captured the memories with her camera. 

Now in her time of grief, she agreed with Shirley that heading off on a road trip would give her something else to think about and do. Their elder sister, Yvonne, a mere 94 years of age, was also keen for some quality time with her two siblings.

Choosing A Peaceful Destination

Mum’s hometown of Port Lincoln is a city on the southern end of the Eyre Peninsula. It is famous for its fishing and seafood industries. A popular place for retirees, its casual, country feel makes it a very livable city with a Mediterranean-style climate. Shirley nominated they drive to Streaky Bay, a quiet seaside town 190 miles away from Port Lincoln, for a 3-day getaway. 

Aware of how emotionally delicate my mother was, she opted for a destination that wouldn’t stir up anything sensitive or bring back memories for Mum she couldn’t deal with. She was also mindful of the physical limitations of her very aged sisters. While the road journey in itself would be stimulating, the destination needed to give peace and tranquillity. Looking ahead at the weather forecast, they picked a day to head off when the winter weather was favorable.

Shirley booked pet-friendly accommodations with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and living areas, so they could each have privacy as required. On a mild, overcast day, the sisters set off on their road trip with food essentials, warm clothes, and Shirley’s little dog in the car.

Add A Bit Of Sightseeing On The Way

Shirley moved away from the Eyre Peninsula 64 years prior. However, she regularly travels long distances in her campervan to visit family, with only her dog to keep her company. She is no stranger to driving and was quite happy to drive her big sisters on this trip. 

Their first stop was at Coffin Bay. Coffin Bay was named by the English explorer who discovered South Australia after his friend, Sir Isaac Coffin. The locals affectionately refer to the town as “Coffins” and never consider it a morbid name. Surrounded by national parks and a stunning coastline, this pretty town is famous for oysters, spectacular fishing, and relaxing vacations. The usually sleepy, seaside village, where kangaroos and emus wander the streets, is home to only 700 lucky inhabitants. However, tourists flock to this destination in the summertime to enjoy boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, water skiing, paddle boarding, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and more. It is a water lover’s paradise.

From Coffin Bay, the sisters continued north on the Flinders Highway, then called into Locks Well Beach near the town of Elliston before stopping to marvel at a fascinating rock formation called Murphy’s Haystacks. These wind-worn pillars and boulders of pink granite were sculpted into their present form about 100,000 years ago and attract photographers, especially in the late afternoon golden hour. From there, it was just another 30-minute drive to arrive at the bed and breakfast in Streaky Bay. 

Time To Connect And Reflect

Their accommodations were on the seafront and boasted a large timber deck with an outdoor dining setting and barbecue. This was an ideal place to overlook the sparkling waters and views of the town jetty with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Basking in the rare winter sunshine and breathing in the fresh sea air, the only noise interrupting their conversation was the low, throaty sounds as pelicans flapped their wings and croaked to announce their daily arrival.

Reminiscing about days gone by, Shirley talked of her road trips and quest to track down family history in regional towns. She enjoys her time on the road meeting people of varying ages, interests, and nationalities, and confirms she never feels lonely. Country historical societies are always a wealth of information, and cemeteries with old graves regularly provide clues when tracing ancestors.

“People are very friendly to solo women travelers, especially an old white-haired lady with a cute fluffy dog,” Shirley quipped. 

How Travel Can Be Used As Grief Therapy

After three deeply therapeutic days of close sister bonding, lots of childhood reminiscing, and support for Val in her grieving, they extended their stay an additional 2 nights. The time away gave Val comfort and a real sense of family support from those who had been by her side all her life. While her sadness and grief would remain, she gathered some strength and resolved to return to what would be her new everyday life.

After returning home from almost 440 miles of travel and spades of priceless memories, these life-loving oldies proved that you’re never too old for a road trip.

When Barry and I met more than 40 years ago, we knew we had many interests in common, among them hiking, backpacking, bicycling, camping, road trips, international travel, and explorations wherever we happened to find ourselves. Back then, for example, every Sunday we’d check out a different scenic spot in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area, where we lived. And on one of our first dates, we visited the airport, gazing up at the posters of exotic places on the walls, a portend of what was to come.

What I didn’t realize then was that as the decades passed, we would find even more things in common. Sadly, we are not part of a trend. I was surprised to learn that divorce rates among seniors, known as “gray divorce,” have surged in recent years. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2021 found that while the overall divorce rate in America is around 34 percent, the percentage of adults who divorce between the ages of 55 and 64 is statistically highest, at 43 percent. 

In our semi-retirement years, Barry and I still love spending time alone, but we also have found more and more shared interests, including:

1. Paddling

Barry was already a kayaker when I met him, having first kayaked in his early 20s. He had even built two kayaks. He loved being on the water, but never had the opportunity to do it on a regular basis until we moved to an apartment in Old Town, Eureka, 1.5 blocks from Humboldt Bay. 

I tried kayaking but wasn’t excited about it, so Barry would always go out on his own, until one day about 8 years ago. Strolling along the Eureka Boardwalk, I saw a figure in the distance who seemed to be standing on water. I was transfixed. Could all those stories about Jesus be true, after all?

As the man got closer, I saw he was on what looked like a long surfboard. I later learned it was called a stand-up paddle board (SUP). Within a month, I bought an inflatable one and gradually learned how to paddle. Now Barry and I go out both together and alone, not only in Eureka but on trips in our van.

On the water, we’re like kids doing a parallel play, wandering at our own pace, meeting up somewhere. We don’t paddle side by side or at the same pace, because kayaks are usually faster than SUPs.

When I go out by myself, I love debriefing afterward — filling Barry in on where I went, how the conditions were, what adventures I had, if I misjudged the tide and got stuck in the mud (which has happened more than once!), and describing the seals, herons, and other wildlife I noticed. Barry paddled recently while I was out of town and sent me a photo of a sea lion perched on one of the docks in our nearby marina.

2. Exploring The Pacific Coast In Our Camper Van

On a trip to Britain before we were married, Barry and I bought a Bedford Dormobile van and traveled around the country for 3 months, visiting many of Britain’s spectacular national parks and selling the van at the end of the trip. 

Although we loved the experience, owning a van was never practical after we got married because we couldn’t afford (or justify) three cars. But after our Honda Civic died, we decided to replace it with a van, and now we are the happy owners of a VW Eurovan. 

During COVID, it was the ideal way to self-isolate, driving to remote areas that were virtually empty. And Humboldt County is the ideal place to own a van because every direction offers beauty: north into Oregon, south to Mendocino County, and west, where we hike in the three wildernesses: the Trinity Alps, the Russian, and the Marble Mountains.

Occasionally we go on long trips — to the Southwest, an area we love, to Joshua Tree National Park, and other parts of southern California, or to Bellingham, Washington, and southern British Columbia, where we visit our daughter and family. We call our van our third home, after our house in Guanajuato, Mexico, where we live part of the year, and our apartment in Eureka.

3. Dancing

In the summer, the city of Eureka hosts a different band once a week on the Madakat Plaza, a block from our home, and Barry and I join a group of other locals to dance. It’s a very fun affair, everyone doing their thing, and we see the same people there year after year — folks who we only know through this annual tradition. We aren’t trained dancers by any means — in fact, our British niece calls Barry’s style of dancing “psychedelic” — but we enjoy it so much we dance as often as possible, even if no one else joins us. 

4. Writing And Editing

I became a freelance writer in my 20s, but when I launched my business as a management trainer/coach, writing had to take a back seat. I didn’t have the time or bandwidth to focus on both, and training was more lucrative, which was important because in that era we lived in the pricey Bay Area. 

In my semi-retirement years, though, I’ve happily returned to writing, and my articles regularly appear in TravelAwaits and other publications. Meanwhile, Barry is the author of three books, and currently writes two columns, one on science and one on whatever he chooses. 

We edit each other’s writing and aren’t afraid to critique ruthlessly, knowing it will help the other end up with a stronger piece.

5. Lying Under Trees

Recently Barry and I discovered that we like lying on the grass under a tree, gazing up through the branches. I like to place my bent arm above my face to form a square and look up at the pocket of sky I can glimpse. Sometimes we talk about this or that; other times we just lie in companionable silence. 

Unfortunately, neither Eureka nor Guanajuato are great places to enjoy this activity. Eureka’s trees are bristly and many of the branches don’t extend that far, while Guanajuato, located in high desert, doesn’t have that many trees. But we love it when we’re on the road.

6. Visiting Ancient Ruins

I used to consider ruins just “a pile of old rocks,” as my mother-in-law used to say, but over the years, I’ve learned to love them as much as Barry does. Mexican ruins are especially evocative because they harmonize so seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

7. Afternoon Lie-Downs

For as long as I’ve known him, Barry has always taken an afternoon nap when he could. These days, after lunch, he and I usually lie down on the sofa for a half hour. I rarely nap — my body isn’t wired that way — but I love our afternoon cuddles.

8. Mid-Afternoon Meditation In Different Places

We have been part of meditation groups off and on for years, including one in Guanajuato that meets weekdays from 8 to 9 a.m., led by a Japanese teacher. During COVID, it stopped meeting, so Barry and I decided to sit in one of several rotating churches in el centro most afternoons. Although I’m not of the faith, I love meditating in Catholic churches, staring at the icons and statues. 

In Eureka, meanwhile, we live opposite the Redwood Curtain Theater, whose Board has kindly given us permission to enter the building when it’s not in use, so most afternoons we meditate there.

Although it’s recommended to meditate in the morning, I like doing it mid-afternoon, which is my bio-rhythmically low time, what the ancients called acedia, a Greek word meaning listlessness and ennui.

9. Sunday Roast

Barry and I don’t eat meat, but we remember Sundays in childhood when, for both of us, that was the one day of the week when our main meal was lunch. In my case, Mother always prepared pot roast, whereas Barry’s “mum” cooked whatever the butcher delivered on Friday. In postwar Britain, meat, milk, and bread were delivered to homes.

Once a week, we enjoy our version of Sunday roast. I’m not much of a baker, so instead of making the pizza from scratch, I buy a thin-crust one, adding beets, mushrooms, caramelized onions, red pepper, and feta or goat cheese.

Of course, Barry and I have plenty of separate hobbies. He enjoys stargazing, for example, while I’m loving my revitalized sketching practice. But even when we don’t have the same interests, we encourage each other.

Yesterday, for example, I joined him nearby to take photos with his new drone, both of us getting an adrenaline rush when we’d watch the drone disappear in the overcast sky, wondering if it was gone for good. And for my birthday, he built me an artist’s table so I can have a dedicated place to sketch and watercolor. I feel deeply fortunate that I have a supportive life companion.

When I was a child, many moons ago, we traveled down to Cornwall every summer. Towing a trailer behind our car, we pitched up at campsites around the southwest of England. I spent my honeymoon in Cornwall, and when my children came along, we took them down to the sunny southwest every summer as well. 

Those trips were full of sand, sea, sun, and a slower pace of life lacking in most other parts of the UK. We only stopped going when the drive became too long and too deadlocked with traffic. It also became quicker and cheaper to travel to Greece! 

Twenty years later, I began to miss this part of the UK that has sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and warmer air than where I live in the north. So, we decided to take a trip back down. Many things were different than how I remembered them, and many things we chose to do differently this time. 

Here’s what’s changed in beautiful Cornwall over the past 20 years.

First Time Flier

Remembering the reasons why we stopped going to Cornwall all those years ago, we decided to fly down for the first time this year. We flew with Loganair, who made it a smooth and pleasant experience, from Manchester to Newquay. There are pros and cons to both the flight and drive to Cornwall. The drive from where we live in Yorkshire is long, especially in the summer when everyone is traveling down. Cornwall attracts a lot of families, and with school out for the summer, the roads get very busy. We were looking at a 6–8 hour drive — maybe longer — if the traffic was really bad. We are also facing high gas prices right now in the UK, so we had to consider the cost of filling up the car. 

Flying is quicker. The flight is just over an hour, though it is probably still a little more expensive than the cost of driving. I certainly found flying a more relaxing way to travel. There was no frustration at being stuck in clogged-up traffic and both of us could chill out in the airport instead of one of us having to drive. Yes, there is an environmental aspect to consider when flying, but the last time we drove to Cornwall 20 years ago, it took us 12 hours. Traffic, road work, and long tailbacks of cars with their engines running for hours are also environmental issues. All in all, I enjoyed flying down. The big downside is not having your car when you get there to explore the area.

Two Different Coastlines

We spent two nights around Newquay and Mawgan Porth, on the north coast of Cornwall, and two nights in Falmouth, on the south coast. The two coastlines are very different. The north coast is the home of British surfing. It’s breezy and the waves crash against the sea with great passion. This creates soft sand beaches that attract a lot of people. It did feel a lot busier than I remember. You can still find smaller quieter beaches on the north coast, but there were more people around compared to when I was younger. The towns are also more built-up than they used to be. I guess this is to be expected, but the small-town atmosphere I remember is gone. 

The south coast has pebbly beaches and the sea is much calmer. There were a lot more water sports going on here than there were 20 years ago. Paddle boards and kayaks were lined up on every beach, even the really small ones. Again, it felt busier than it used to on the beaches, but in contrast to the north coast, the towns were quieter in the south. We chose to spend half of our time on one coast and half of our time on the other because of how very different they are. Newquay and Falmouth are only an hour apart by car, but they are a world away in atmosphere, landscape, and style.

Mawgan Porth

The loveliest thing for me was discovering something completely new. If I have ever been to Mawgan Porth before, I don’t remember it. There’s a good chance I have — since I don’t remember everywhere we went when I was a child — but for the 51-year-old me, this small resort was a real find. It has a beautiful beach that surfers and families were out playing and relaxing on until well into the dark hours. Hotels and houses are perched up on the hillside overlooking the bay, and a small village of restaurants, bars, cafes, and surf shacks gives the area an “other place” feel to it. I could have stayed there much longer and I’ll definitely be back.

The Old Cornwall Is Still There

At the heart of it, Cornwall is still the same laid-back beach resort it always was. People still walk through the center of town in Newquay barefoot with a surfboard held high above their heads. They still gather on the beaches in the evenings to light campfires and toast marshmallows while the waves tease the shore. The seafood is still amazing and there’s still a slower pace of life than there is in cities and other parts of the UK. After all this time, it was lovely and comforting to find the soul of Cornwall still the same as it was 20 years ago.

Times Have Changed

In Newquay, I was surprised by how many new buildings were there. It’s inevitable — when a place is this popular with visitors — that more and more attractions and amenities will be built. And I’m not against that. I like new and exciting attractions as much as the next person, but the Newquay I remember was a much smaller and quainter town. 

The south coast was the opposite. I feel like very little has changed there, but not in a good way. The town of Falmouth felt a little tired and I think it would benefit from some investment. A happy medium, somewhere in the middle, for both places, would be nice. But with Newquay being so popular, it’s unlikely the push for development will stop.

Getting Around In Cornwall

If you do decide to travel without a car, like we did this time, National Express runs a great coach service that gets you from one place to another quite easily. You need to buy your tickets in advance, so you have to be organized about where you want to go. The service is also quite limited to once or twice a day, but it’s a good affordable way to travel. There are good bus services and the staff in the information centers are very friendly and happy to help. We rented taxis for short journeys, but they can be expensive. 

Note that Uber does not operate in Cornwall, so you’ll need to call a local taxi company for a quick ride. Perhaps the best thing was the taxi service directly from the airport at Newquay when we landed. Newquay airport is very small, but there’s a great taxi service that takes everyone in a people carrier around the hotels, dropping them off as it goes.

Road Trip It

As much as I enjoyed flying down to Cornwall this time, we will take the car next time. Flying was a much more relaxing way to travel, but we were limited as to how far we could go once we were there. There’s so much to discover in Cornwall; so many interesting places to see and beautiful landscapes to find. It’s a shame to be limited to a small part of it. I think some careful planning can make the trip to Cornwall easier by car.

Check out the rest of our Cornwall coverage, including:

• The Historic Canadian Town You Need To Visit This Fall
• Cornwall Vs. Devon: The Contentious Cuisine Debate Dividing The UK
• Have A Pint And Spend The Night At One Of The Oldest Inns In Cornwall (Circa 1312)

Have you ever considered a girls’ trip to Disneyworld? Disney World is the perfect girls’ trip destination for women 50+.

The home of Mickey Mouse may seem like a vacation destination just for kids, but it’s the perfect place for adult fun as well!

I speak from experience as a group of us traveled together for a girls’ Disney trip during the Christmas season. It was a great time to visit with all the holiday decorations, Christmas music playing, and everyone in a festive mood. The decorations go up right after Halloween and remain until mid-January. We found Disney World to be an exhilarating experience for the over-50 crowd. Here’s what you have to look forward to.

1. The Rides

Yes, you can feel and act like a kid again! You’re in Disney World! Not everything has to be grown-up fun.

Feel like a kid as you ride the various rides. Splash Mountain was our favorite. We also enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland and Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. It gives you a great overview of the park in the Magic Kingdom. Of course we rode the traditional “It’s a Small World” ride and heard the song in our heads for the rest of the day.

Soarin’ Around the World

Our favorite ride in EPCOT was Soarin’ Around the World in The Land pavilion. It is a hang glider simulator that “flies” over various locations across the world. The IMAX digital projection dome, with its spectacular aerial footage, pleasant scents, and graceful motion, makes you feel like you are actually gliding over the sites. We rode it numerous times. While waiting in line for the ride, you and your over 50 girlfriends can enjoy a travel-themed trivia game using your mobile device. It is fun and makes the time pass quickly.

Spaceship Earth

A close second in EPCOT was Spaceship Earth. It is an 18-story-tall geodesic sphere located at the front entrance of EPCOT. You can’t miss it when you enter. The 16-minute ride tells the history of human communication with a focus on the development of cultures and the future of technologies. At the end, you can send a picture of yourself home to friends and family.

Rides For Thrill-Seekers

Remember no ride is off-limits when you vacation with the girls. If you are a more adventurous thrill seeker, you and your girlfriends can climb the mountains while running from the Abominable Snowman on Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Zoom through the darkness of outer space on the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain. You could also rock out to some Steven Tyler tunes on the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Hollywood Studios. These are just a few of the thrill-seeking rides perfect for adults in Disney World!

2. Channel Your Inner Child

If you really want to feel like a kid, get your picture taken with Mickey, Elsa, or Aladdin. Ride the teacups or Dumbo the Elephant. Buy mouse ears and wear them for pictures. It’s the most magical place on earth, and no one will look twice when you’re acting like a kid again. Have fun!

3. Travel Around The World In A Day

EPCOT is one of the best parks for adults. It is home to the World Showcase, 11 pavilions each representing a different country. You can visit each of the countries as you stroll around the World Showcase attractions. The United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Japan, Morocco, France, America, China, Germany, Mexico, and Italy are represented. Restaurants, rides, shopping venues, and other attractions are located in each country’s designated area.

We enjoyed a meal in the Mexican pavilion. We ate at San Angel Inn Restaurante. The restaurant overlooks an indoor lagoon with a themed backdrop of another pyramid and a smoldering volcano in the distance with themed lighting and smoke effects. You eat by candlelight — even during the day. To the left of the restaurant is a boarding area leading to a boat ride, Gran Fiesta Tour starring The Three Caballeros. After dinner, we enjoyed the festive and amusing ride.

4. Enjoy An Adult Beverage In 11 Countries

In EPCOT, you can have a margarita in Mexico, a green tea wine slushy in China, a pilsner in Germany, and a glass of vino (wine) in Italy — all without leaving the property.

If you’re adventurous, keep up your bar crawl in Norway, America, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Remember, with a Park Hopper pass, you can pace yourself, spreading the enjoyment out over multiple days!

5. Relax At The Spas

Get a massage, treat yourself to a facial, or indulge in a pedicure. These and many other services are available at Disney’s premiere spas on the various resort properties. Nothing makes you forget the stresses of life like a massage. Reservations are required.

6. Dance The Night Away

Get movin’ on the Boardwalk at Disney World’s Atlantic Dance Hall. Open Thursday through Sunday, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., this is the perfect venue to dance with your girlfriends in an adults-only environment.

7. Shop ‘Til You Drop

There is no shortage of places to shop in Disney World. You can find items for yourself or gifts for others in the various stores in each of the parks.

If you are a serious shopper, I recommend the Disney Marketplace Co-op at Disney Springs. Shop clothes and Mickey Mouse apparel, bath bombs, hand-decorated cookies, souvenirs, and more.

8. Carry A Tune

Enjoy dueling pianos and sing along to your favorite songs at Jellyrolls dueling piano bar. Come prepared with your requests as you watch the dazzling lights and listen to the music from masterful ivory ticklers. Jellyrolls is located on Disney World’s Boardwalk.

Jellyrolls is a popular nightspot in the Orlando area for the 21+ crowd and fills up fast, so arrive early to get a table.

9. Take In A Show Or Two

Many of the shows in Disney World are great for all ages, but odds are you’ll enjoy them more when you are on a girls’ trip and don’t have to worry about children behaving or the husband being bored. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. A few of our favorites included The Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom and the Festival of the Lion King live onstage in Animal Kingdom.

10. Attend A Festival

EPCOT is known for its yearly festivals. Think art, flowers, food, and wine. All ages can enjoy the festivals, but I can tell you doing them with adult friends is way more fun than the family experience. The festival sights and treats (especially the wine) are meant to be savored and appreciated, which is hard to do with younger ones in tow, especially when you’re in a hurry to get to the rides.

Bonus: Tour The Christmas Decorations

If you visit Disney World over the holidays, plan an afternoon of touring the various resorts and looking at the Christmas decorations. This was a fun activity on our last day. Each resort’s decor and every Christmas tree is different. All are completed to perfection. We used Disney transportation to get from place to place.

When we visited, Disney Springs had an organized tour, the Christmas Tree Trail. It included 22 themed trees and provides spectacular photo opportunities. Whether you go on your own or on the tour, it is a must-see!

The flowers and gardens at EPCOT are beautiful year-round, but they are especially gorgeous during their festival in the spring. All the festivals are well worth your time, and you can spend a full day or two just enjoying them.

Planning a trip to Disney World during one of the festivals makes your 50+ girls’ trip even better.

Disney World is so much more than a children’s theme park. Relive the Disney magic you felt as a child, or experience the parks for the very first time with friends in tow!

Wind whipping through the open air creating a tangled mess of our well-coiffed hair and copious amounts of mud speckling our glasses making it difficult to see didn’t deter our whoops of excitement as we sped along the red clay roads. A small group of us, intrepid travelers that we are, decided to take a heart-pumping ride through Aruba’s semi-arid, desert-like terrain located on the rugged northern shore of the island in a UTV.

A utility task vehicle (UTV) is a two-four passenger, all-terrain vehicle with a roof and a bare-bones frame, whereas an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is designed for a single rider with no frame. Both typically are quads (four-wheelers) and are designed to get you off-roading. They are perfect for tackling rough terrain where the freedom of the open road takes on an entirely new meaning.

If you have never been off-roading in a UTV or ATV, you might want to include it in your next adventure itinerary.

Note: Some information in this piece was obtained during a sponsored press trip, but all recommendations are my own.

Street Legal Vehicle

Ladies and gentlemen, roll up your neck gaiters and start your engines.

I began my UTV off-road adventure with a healthy dose of fear and anxiety. I knew I would be expected to take my turn driving — and I truly wanted to drive the buggy — but that little voice in my head was throwing shade on my girls-just-wanna-have-fun vibe.

I was fortunate enough to share my UTV with a friend who was willing to take the first shift as the driver. That didn’t sound too overwhelming until we realized we were a 20-minute drive away from our off-roading destination. This means we needed to drive a UTV on the road — with cars… and trucks!

Aruba prefers rotaries to traffic lights. If you have never driven around a rotary in Aruba, let me tell you, it’s not a simple task. They have bumpers in the road separating the lanes so you can’t just switch to a different lane. So, if you get in the wrong lane, you need to go around the rotary again and again until you can cross into the one you want.

Now picture a UTV convoy — with untrained drivers — careening along the road at 50+ miles per hour and circumnavigating multiple rotaries. I was very happy I had a harness holding me in — seat belts wouldn’t have done the trick. I was over the moon that I was simply the passenger during the rotary adventure.

Several times we had to forcefully throw our arm out the “window” and hold up a hand to make a much larger vehicle stop. My driver would scream a very forceful “NO,” and surprisingly it was a great tactic — at least we are still here to tell the tale.

On The Northern Part Of The Island

We finally reached our destination: Aruba’s rugged terrain. A sprawling desert-like oasis on the north east side of Aruba. The lush, tropical landscape gives way to towering cacti, enormous rock outcrops, rugged shorelines, and barely plausible “roads.” The so-called roads are essentially tire tracks running through the sand.

The scenery is spectacular, and it is difficult to simultaneously watch where you are driving and enjoy the vistas as they are whizzing by. The area has a magical quality in the juxtaposition of turquoise blue waters crashing against massive ochre rocks.

A Fun Surprise

The Island averages just over 17 inches of rain per year. We were scheduled for an afternoon tour, and that morning it poured; buckets of rain fell. For Aruba, it was a deluge. Guess what happens to hard clay when it gets drenched in rain — lots and lots of sticky, slippery mud.

Adding to our already hair-raising adventure, our UTV tires were slip-sliding sideways up mud-covered rocks, spinning out on hairpin turns, and sliding down embankments even though we were gunning it in reverse. My OMG telepathy was going completely haywire.

Valid Driver’s License

We stopped at a beautiful overlook. After we extricated ourselves from the safety harness and attempted to wipe the mud from our glasses, we were awestruck by the view. The beautiful blue ocean waves thundered against rocky outcrops while the post-torrential rain sunshine warmed our skin chilled from the wet mud. Cue the rainbow.

My turn to drive…

Yes, I have a valid driver’s license. It is required to drive this spider-like buggy on the road. We switched seats.

Mechanically, it is a simple vehicle. When you take your foot off the gas, it stops. We were instructed to only use one gear, so how difficult could this be? After all, my last car was a 4-on-the-floor VW Beetle; I should be able to handle one little UTV.

And we are off…

I queued up in line with the rest of my fellow UTVers and hit the gas. It was slow at first. We had stopped at the Natural Bridge (which has collapsed — nothing to see here) so I needed to navigate through the parking lot and around innocent bystanders. Done.

After a few tentative turns and getting a feel for the slippery back tires swinging of their own volition, my confidence grew. When we hit the flats before the Alta Vista Chapel, I had that thing up to 65 miles per hour. My passenger was more than slightly alarmed — she was bouncing around in her harnessed seat with a few “OMGs” and “whoa girls” emanating from her lips.

I couldn’t help myself, it was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I wanted to spin a few doughnuts on the flats. I wanted to go fast, fast, fast. I was whooping it up like a girl on a bucking bronco.

Off-Road Vehicles

I’m not sure if I consider myself an off-road enthusiast, but next time I have the chance to drive a UTV, I’m ready. I still need to tackle the on-road UTV driving — those cars and trucks are huge compared to this little buggy — but I’m going to employ the hand out the window with a firm “NO” method of navigating paved roads.

Now, I need to muster up my courage to get behind the wheel of an ATV — no roof, no harness, no problem!

Are You Ready To Drive A UTV?

When you are ready to experience your own UTV excellent adventure, I suggest starting with a group tour. A trained guide will help ease your anxiety and get you through the first hurdles.

The Aruba Effect

After you are finished with your drive, check out these great Aruban restaurants. You will definitely need a spot to rest your head during your stay. The Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino is the perfect resort to recuperate from your amazing off-roading adventure.

Enjoy the Aruba Effect and create your own excellent adventure that you will never forget.

Sixteen years ago, I contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome. In a nutshell, GBS is an autoimmune response generally triggered by a viral illness. The body attacks the virus, which is good, but then gets confused and attacks the myelin sheath, or the protective covering on the nerves, which is not good. I spent 7 weeks in intensive care, paralyzed, kept alive by drugs and machines. It took a further 2 months in rehabilitation before I could stand up, walk, or care for myself and slowly return to everyday life.

You could forgive me if I chose to avoid medical institutions forever after a horrible event like this. But with a fascination for medical science and a desire to give back, I applied to participate in a clinical research trial as an inpatient rather than taking a 2-week trip away.

CMAX Clinical Research: My Destination With A Difference

CMAX Clinical Research, located in Adelaide, South Australia, is one of Australia’s largest and most experienced clinical trial units. Their world-leading research has advanced global medicines and technologies, from cancer treatment and pain control to early warning bio-devices and hormone replacement therapies. 

My trial involved testing components of probiotics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Animal studies have shown that microorganisms found in fermented food can have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is an area that scientists want to investigate further.

The Check-In Procedure

My partner drove me 40 minutes from our home to the city of Adelaide. After passing the compulsory rapid antigen test, I checked into the research facility with minimal luggage for a 15-night stay. 

As a nurse inspected every item in my suitcase and read the labels on my toiletries, I realized quickly that this was a rigorously controlled environment. Maybe I could’ve pretended I was going through security at an airport to enjoy this scrutiny. I did feel easy knowing I had adhered to the list of approved and non-approved items.

That was until she confiscated my small block of hotel-sourced soap, which was out of the packaging and consequently forbidden. I accepted unlabelled shampoos and lotions were a no-no, but my little piece of soap?

My second realization, and one very different from an airport, was that everything runs by the clock to the absolute second. When data is collected, every patient must be on the same schedule with the same amount of time between events.

A Room With A View

The facility resembled a hospital ward with 16 beds separated by curtains running on a track. Clinical staff, their faces illuminated by computer screens, collated data in the adjacent glass-fronted office. A dining room and three bathrooms made up our level on the six-story city fringe building.

I was fortunate to be placed at the end of the row. My cubicle had a wall of windows and a bed with a view. It wasn’t an ocean view; I didn’t overlook the pool or mountains or see palm trees, but the Adelaide skyline was a better view than my fellow “guinea pigs” had, and I adore natural light.

Not Quite Resort Life

A timetable was posted on the wall every morning to outline the day’s activities. Alas, there was never mention of snorkeling, wine tasting, or a cooking class. Daily activities, while varied, consisted of blood tests, electrocardiograms, stool sample collection, and blood pressure checks. 

Every day I was required to lie supine in bed at precisely 10:50 a.m. for five minutes, after which a nurse took my temperature and blood pressure. At 11:10 a.m. on the dot, I swallowed 10 capsules of either a probiotic or placebo under the watchful eye of two nurses. A quick torch shine in my mouth ended the day’s dosing regime.

I referred to the schedule on the wall to see my meal times. 5-4-3-2-1 — a staff member counted down the seconds until I could start the fifteen-minute eating window. She would then record everything I ate or left on the plate. We all received the same meals except those with specific dietary requirements. Although far from lobster thermidor or tropical resort cuisine, the meals were wholesome and did help to relieve the monotony. 

Fond Memories And Unexpected Highlights

With a broad demographic of participants, or inmates, as we jokingly referred to each other, it was interesting to watch how like-minded people gravitated to one another.

Younger university students filling in their summer vacation tended to spend time playing video games, while others read books, practiced yoga, or binged on Netflix with the free Wi-Fi. A few of us over-50s walked laps around the perimeter, dodging clinical staff pushing trolleys and carrying clipboards. We were probably quite a nuisance as we completed our 2 kilometers per day before settling down to a game of cards or Scrabble. 

I didn’t expect to make ongoing friendships but have remained in contact with three other participants and still socialize with them today.

The More Difficult Elements Of Being An Inpatient

One of the most challenging elements I found was spending so long away from loved ones. My partner missed me greatly because I later learned he went out and purchased an engagement ring for me during this time!

Participants in a clinical research trial cannot leave the building, and they spend the duration in an air-conditioned space. The air conditioning was a little erratic, and I often had to put on an extra layer of clothing as I felt cold. As I pressed my hand against the warm glass, I longed for the sunshine and fresh summer air I could see outside my window.

I missed drinking coffee or having a glass of wine. Hot beverages weren’t available, and abstaining from alcohol during the trial and for a week afterward was difficult.

Tips To Consider Before Applying To Participate

Clinical trials are age and gender-specific and conducted over varying time frames, from 1 night to 1 month. A screening visit takes place within a month of the trial commencement. Staff record baseline medical data here and ensure you understand the trial and associated risks.

Dosing methods vary, including oral tablets, inhalation, injection, or intravenous delivery. You can select a trial with a dosing method that suits you. Being connected to an intravenous drip for the duration doesn’t sound fun, and I would avoid studies that required this method of dosing.

A clinical research trial is not for everyone. Specific personal attributes make participation easier when attending the facility. Everything happens to the second. Being methodical helps you abide by the schedule. You only have a small area for your belongings. Be organized and tidy. The trials are in a disciplined environment. Be compliant; you can’t change the system. Many people cohabit in a confined space, so respecting other participants and the clinical staff is imperative. Participants come from all walks of life. You won’t connect with everyone, but it is important to be accepting of others. Be open and receptive to new friendships. Finding people you bond with helps pass the many idle hours. Be prepared to attend follow-up visits at the facility after your in-house stay. The number of these visits varies with each trial.

Would I Participate Again?

Yes, I would. I may not choose a trial as long as 15 nights, but there were enough positive elements to make it enjoyable.

More On Why I Opted For A Clinical Trial Instead Of A Real Vacation

Beyond the warm and fuzzy feeling of contributing to medical science, having an insatiable desire to help my fellow man, and wanting some absolute downtime for self-analysis, I refer to this experience as a “reverse vacation.”

Typically, if I went away for 2 weeks, I could spend $5,000 AUD. However, for my commitment to the clinical trial, I received compensation of $5,290 tax-free. Hence a “reverse vacation.”

No, it wasn’t a trial for hay fever, but the amount of compensation is not to be sneezed at and can be used to fund my next real vacation.

With more than 100 years of combined experience, these flight attendants have seen just about everything. They’ve flown all over the world and now share some of the sweetest moments they’ve experienced. From the kindness of a stranger to a precious moment with a senior couple, these stories will surely bring a smile to your face.

True Love 

Heather Earl spent 20 years flying with Delta. On this particular flight, she noticed an elderly couple in their 90s during pre-boarding. With some clear discomfort, they slowly moved from the aisle and settled into their seats.

“I saw that the gentleman had two hair ties wrapped around his wrist. I noticed because they were bright blue and peeked out from under the cuff of his nicely pressed navy blazer. This couple was from an era when flying was an occasion to get dressed up.

As I passed, they asked me how much time they had before the other passengers would be boarding. I said that they would be boarding any minute. The woman patted her husband’s knee and turned her back to him. 

He immediately pulled a comb out of his breast pocket and began combing and braiding his wife’s long gray hair. He smiled at me and said he learned how to do her hair because her arthritis prevented her from doing it. He told me with pride that he was very efficient at it and was sure he could finish before the other passengers arrived. He had just finished wrapping the hair bands on the end of her braids as the other passengers began streaming down the aisle. 

I noticed that the couple smiled and greeted the arriving passengers. Every time I passed this couple, they were holding hands.”

Now that is true, unconditional love!

A Song Saved The Day

Lara Ketterman is always up for a good challenge. While she still flies, she will never forget a very delayed flight out of the busy Newark airport. 

“We were flying a Boeing 757 with 190 passengers to Phoenix. It was the first flight in the morning, and everyone was on edge because they woke early to catch this flight. I do not want to disparage a particular city, but this is a New York airport full of short-tempered citizens. 

We pushed back on time, and so did all the other airlines. After we finished the safety demonstration, a few of us flight attendants congregated in the aft galley during what we knew would be a long taxi to the runway.

After about 15 minutes, the pilot made an announcement that we were number 68 for departure! The passengers groaned and started ringing their call buttons for news about their connections. You could feel the tension in the aircraft.

We had this cute family in the very last row with a young child around six years old and a lap child, too. I felt badly for them to remain seated for so long before we even took off. The six-year-old was this sweet little girl with a fun ponytail and pink glasses. 

I was standing in the aisle and talking to them while everyone around was complaining to me about the delay. The little girl asked what was going on and I told her we were delayed for take-off and that put some people in a bad mood. She replied, ‘Well, we should sing the Oscar Meyer song! No one is in a bad mood when you sing that song!’ I laughed and said, ‘Okay sweetie, you start and I will follow.’

Her little sunny voice started, ‘I wish I was an Oscar Meyer wiener, that is what I’d truly like to be-ee-ee, because if I was an Oscar Meyer wiener, everyone would be in love with me.’ 

I said, let’s sing it again, and this time I joined in and so did her parents. Then another flight attendant walked up to sing. We sang multiple times and like magic, the passengers stopped complaining and started listening and with each song, more and more people started singing. When we stopped, everyone cheered and clapped! That little girl knew way more than most adults how to change negative into positive.

And that ladies and gentlemen, is how I got 190 New Yorkers to sing the Oscar Meyer Wiener song!”

The Kindness Of A Stranger

Flying for almost 40 years will give you plenty of stories. Lara shares one more about the life-saving kindness of a stranger. 

“We were boarding a flight from Raleigh to Phoenix. Everyone was settling in and the aircraft door was still open. Earlier, I had greeted a very frequent flier that was already hard at work on his laptop. I was in the aft galley preparing the beverage carts for service when I heard a passenger call button. I walked out into the cabin, saw the light on above a lady in the window seat. She was turning around and looking for me. She looked stressed and anxious. 

I asked her what I could do for her and she told me that the battery in her insulin pump died and did I have a AAA battery onboard. I thought hard. This was the first time anyone had asked me for a battery for an important reason. I looked up and everyone was listening and watching. I said I wasn’t sure but I would call up front and ask the gate agent to get one. 

Just then, the frequent flier held up his hand. I walked over and he was taking apart his laptop mouse. He handed the battery to me and returned to his work. No words, just actions. I thanked him profusely and he just waved me away. Some of the passengers clapped but the man just continued to work away, and we left on time with a working insulin pump for a diabetic passenger.”

Passenger Gratitude

Kentrell Charles flew with American Airlines for almost 25 years. He loved his time in the sky with his passengers. So it’s no surprise they showed their appreciation.

“Our flight was full and already delayed for hours. Our goal was to quickly and seamlessly board the passengers, safely push back from the gate, serve snacks, and enjoy the long flight. Several of my first-class passengers said they didn’t appreciate the delays and were upset about it. All I could do was listen and apologize. It’s always hard when delays are out of your control.

Well, I guess my service made up for it. After arriving at our hotel, I saw several of our passengers in the check-in line. We wave and smile. Some time passed and I received a call from the front desk. They said a complimentary dinner was waiting for me. All I needed to do was call room service and order whatever I wanted. 

I was so touched and I suggested there had been some mistake. The front desk told me that two guests of the hotel told the manager about my excellent service. I was so moved and couldn’t wait to place my order. 

Our layover was cut short due to the delay so all I wanted to do was relax and stay low. I left a nice thank you note at checkout and had a great flight home. I hope my passengers understood their gratitude meant the world to me!”

New ‘Dos’ For The Crew

You might say Nancy Lee has seen it all! She’s been a flight attendant for more than 40 years and still loves it! Her story is a fun one, and actually, I wish I was on that plane!

“Around the mid-’90s, I flew a late flight from Orlando to Los Angeles. I noticed a passenger with the most gorgeous hair color and cut. She said she was a hair model. It turned out there was a hair stylist competition in Orlando. And the winner was on our flight! Because all the other passengers were asleep and we were bored, he gave us all free haircuts on the plane. We looked great, and someone got a lot of free drinks from us.”

Alaska is often a place on a must-see list, but out of reach for financial and time constraint reasons for many people. My husband and I were no exception. However, a few years before we were ready to retire, our investments did extremely well. It was an easy decision to turn our Christmas gift to each other into a trip to Alaska.

We love to travel in September, mainly because school has started reducing the crowds at our nation’s favorite hot spots. A side benefit of fewer crowds is the increase of competition among places where tourism is their main revenue, so prices fit our budget better.  

The big downside is colder weather in the fall months, and we were going north!  However, living in South Dakota at the time, we both had plenty of winter gear. Once again, no problem.

Next, we faced the choice of whether to fly or take a cruise and poured through travel guides for months, finally choosing a Princess cruise Inside Passage trip which meandered among islands along the Alaskan and Canadian coastline.

The real hook that caught our attention was the photos of fall colors blazing through the Yukon Territory of Canada. Taking the advice from a friend, we booked the ship’s day trip at the same time we booked the cruise. 

Pro Tip: Purchasing tickets for off-ship excursions online with the cruise company is easy and clever. The tours may also be more expensive when booked after boarding the ship.

Pouring rain and fog greeted us in Seattle and we began to wonder if traveling this late in the year had been a mistake. But, within a few days, two cruise excursions changed everything and the trip is still one of my favorite vacations of all time.

The Inside Passage

The Inside Passage stretches hundreds of miles from Puget Sound, Washington through the British Columbia coast and into the Gulf of Alaska.  There are more than 1,000 islands and an endless shoreline of beaches, coves, and bays.

Our first few days at sea were not pleasant.  Fog rolled in, followed by rain pouring from a gray sky. However, we didn’t want to miss a thing concerning Alaska and spent most of the time in our warm and cozy room peering out the window. Thank goodness we had a balcony and after putting every piece of winter clothing on, sat outside comfortably with binoculars.

Pro Tip: Review the map of the cruise’s route to book a room on the side of the ship that faces the shoreline.

Quietly slipping by mountains carved by Mother Nature cruising the Tracy Arm fjord was inspiring. Yes, it was cold, the sky was stone gray, and the mountains blurred by a haze over the water — but watching icebergs floating beside the ship with the Mendenhall Glacier in the distance was very cool, no pun intended.

When the rain or fog prevented a balcony front seat view, we headed for the cruise’s center which offered a very electric casino, quiet library, and inspiring shopping mall. The live shows were excellent, and of course, the food was delicious no matter where or what we ate.

Pro Tip: Carry waterproof bags used by kayakers for tech equipment to still enjoy the outdoors even if it rains. Cameras can be hidden under rain ponchos easier than a rain jacket.  I use one that folds up into a small bag that fits in my pocket.

Crabbing Around In Ketchikan

The sun appeared when we reached Ketchikan, and the walk around town proved to be pleasant and very interesting, especially the Native American museums and colorful totem poles. We soon learned another big bonus of being on the last cruise of the season when we popped into a few stores. Everything is on sale, most items are discounted by over 50 percent including silver and gold jewelry and artwork. Christmas was just around the corner.

Later, we boarded a smaller boat to go crabbing. This tour is only available during the fall and early winter months because crab season in this part of Alaska has been limited to sustainably managing and preserving wild crab stocks. Our tour was to catch Dungeness crabs, recommended by Seafood Watch as a good alternative to “overfished fishes.”

As soon as we boarded, they gave us shiny yellow rain suits, and my heart sank thinking it was going to rain. Wrong. As the boat entered the open ocean, avoiding the waves rolling over the bow was our new amusing challenge to stay dry.

The young man leading our group did his best to yell above the boat motor and roaring sea waves. We rolled around with him laughing as we crabbing newbies hung on to each other. We learned how the crabs are located, the genius cage design, how to fling them out to sea, and what to do when pulled up full of crabs. It was so much fun.

Pro Tip: Our group was small, and everyone had hands-on experiences. There are larger boat tours made famous from a reality television series on the Discovery Channel. The experience may not be as exciting, but might be best for those who are prone to seasickness. 

Look For Gold On A Train

The excursion from the Skagway port started with a bus ride on the Klondike Highway to the Canadian border. There we boarded the White Pass and Yukon historic train through the famous Yukon Territory and White Pass Summit.

The train was a product of necessity during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896 when George Carmack and two First Nations companions, Skookum Jim (Hanson) and Dawson Charlie, discovered a few gold flakes in the Klondike region of Canada. Those few flakes created a stampede termed the Klondike Gold Rush.

A few years earlier, a Canadian survey team predicted the gold rush and was already planning for the rush of miners by designing a rail route through the mountains to the mines. The track is still the primary route to the heart of the Yukon Territory. 

The three-foot narrow track gauge permits tighter radii on curves, allowing the train to follow the landscape and eliminate the need for tunnels. The train seemed at times to narrowly miss the mountain in spots.

Restored as a heritage railway in 1988, tourists from cruise ships became the new ticket buyers.  The railway still uses vintage parlor cars plus new 19th-century cars with wheelchair lifts. The White Pass & Yukon Railway operates from May to September and offers a variety of trips differing in length, duration, and price. 

We hit gold — the fall foliage timing was perfect with rows of golden leaves at their peak waving in the breeze. The breathtaking views toward the bottom of steep canyons give rise to a spectacular ride with scenery only visible via the train.

Pro Tip: The most beautiful views are from a moving train and best to use a camera with faster shutter speed options.

Take A Step Back In Time

The last stop on the train is Carcross, Canada, a unique isolated village originally named “Caribou Crossing” in 1899 referring to the spot where massive caribou herds crossed for centuries. The rustic town where 301 people from the Tagish First Nation live was alive as we followed the walking tour map to elegant historic buildings, totem poles, rustic log cabins, and wooden bears.

A historic landmark, the original Caribou Hotel built in 1898 unfortunately burnt to the ground in 1909 and was rebuilt soon afterward. Mrs. Bessie Gideon managed the hotel until her death in 1933, however, her ghost is said to roam the third floor. Polly, a parrot that lived in the hotel for 54 years, entertained guests with his rendition of “Springtime in the Rockies”. Honoring Polly, the Surly Bird Saloon is open on weekends.

One of the most interesting buildings was the Skookum Jim House, built just after he discovered gold. Covered in cherry red paint mingled with black and blue pictures of Yukon Territory animals, the exterior mural was designed in the coastal tradition by Tlingit artist Keith Wolfe Smarch. Skookum Jim donated the home to the Wolf Dakl’aweidi Clan of the Tagish First Nation people.

The Barracks is a log home built in 1921 by a White Pass Railway foreman from trees burned in a fire near Lake Bennett. The logs were placed vertically to form a round base with oakum chinking between logs. The home later served as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police barracks with an adjoining jail cell where a lot of selfies are taken. Today, the Barracks showcases artists specializing in the Spirit of the North.

Pro Tip: While in Skagway before you board the bus, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.

If You Go

September weather on the ship when at sea was very cold, however, the port calls were warmer only requiring a light jacket. The Canadian Yukon Territory temperature ranges from 48 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Even when the sun shines, the temperature will cool off immediately when a cloud glides overhead. Bring plenty of long sleeve shirts, closed-toe water-proof walking shoes, a hat, and gloves. Fleece vests and windbreakers will be your favorite go-to’s. Don’t bring a sweatshirt because there will be oodles of distinctive varieties to purchase at great prices.