A wave of women in midlife and beyond ditching their traditional security trappings for a nomadic, adventure-ready lifestyle? Am I seeing the beginnings of an awakening?
Yes, warily I think of the adage: “We all see what we want to see.” As many of you know,I took a month in Vietnam earlier this year specifically with a group of digital nomads. But in a group composed mostly of 20- and 30-somethings, with a dash of early 40s for extra flavor, at second-half-of-50s I was definitely an Elder Outlier. So what makes me think that there’s something changing in the air today?
Women Embracing Nomadic Lifestyle:
Fast forward eight months and my conversations with women — in person and via social media feed — are ablaze with the over-50 crowd embracing this nomadic lifestyle. It feels like a movement, a quiet revolution, and I’m all ears.
Within our Kuel Life Thought Leader community, I’ve witnessed it firsthand. Amy Palmer, our intrepid BluePrint Breaker, writes her wisdom from wherever the wind takes her. No permanent address, just a whole lot of perspective. And as I type these words, I’m virtually bidding adieu to our Gratitude Thought Leader, Lori Saitz, who’s trading in the familiar for the unknown.
But the intrigue doesn’t end there. This morning brought news of a couple of other women, acquaintances of mine, embarking on their own nomadic journeys. It’s like the universe whispered in their ears, urging them to explore, to break free from the confines of routine. What’s behind this surge? Is this the new zeitgeist for us women in our second act?
Ready For Our Turn:
We’ve done the heavy lifting. Raised our children (if we chose to have them), nurtured relationships, and for some, even untangled ourselves from marriages that no longer served us. We’ve unearthed the truth: We’re not here to play caretaker to grown-up partners. It’s a revelation that becomes crystal clear once the last fledgling has left the nest. And in our spare moments, we’ve built empires, dabbled in side hustles, and embraced entrepreneurship. The pandemic may have thrown a curveball, but it also showed us that our impact transcends borders. We can create, inspire, and lead from anywhere on this glorious planet. And I do mean anywhere.
As someone who has prioritized travel her whole life, I grapple with my envy. The romantic allure of floating through the world, untethered by those early-life coveted trappings; the house, the car, the kids, the piles of Tupperware are pulling on my soul. Why do we need so much Tupperware?
Can We Have It All?
Yet, here I am, caught in my own self-imposed conundrum. I’ve chosen partnership, a conscious decision to share this wild ride with someone by my side. And my chosen partner for varied and sundry reasons does not accompany me always on my adventures. The question that echoes in my mind is one that many of us grapple with: how to strike that harmonious balance? Can I have the stability of a rooted relationship and the untamed spirit of a wanderer?
I think one of the beautiful gifts women have been given at this point in history is an awakening to the idea that we don’t have to fit a particular societal mold. So many of us, me included, began our journey with a checklist, physical or not, of what we needed to accomplish and/or have to view ourselves as successful women. It feels like now we are able to re-decide and if we are lucky we have our health and financial means to make those decisions.
And then, there’s the matter of Tupperware. Why, oh why, do we amass mountains of it? It’s like a silent army in our cupboards, a testament to our practicality and our tendency to over-prepare. Perhaps, amidst this newfound freedom, it’s time to reassess my Tupperware collection. A symbolic shedding of the old for the promise of the unknown.
This article originally appeared on Kuellife.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
More from MediaFeed:
Breaking Bread & Boundaries on a Solo Travel Trip
This last week I spent solo traveling in Stockholm, Sweden.
In full transparency, this place never quite made it onto my original travel bucket list. I have always been drawn to warmer climates, Mediterranean or Asian cuisine, and more in-your-face-type people. But as I draw closer to my goal of conquering 60 countries by my 60th birthday (July 2024), Scandinavia beckoned.
The capital city of Sweden, Stockholm popped out at me one day while examining a map. And even though I feared the cold and was not particularly excited about the cuisine, I must admit my errors in judgment. While generalizations and assumptions serve us daily by helping us make quicker decisions, they also sometimes impede us from new and potentially delightful experiences and opportunities. I am grateful that some random, self-imposed goal, forced my hand to take a chance on this part of the world.
AlxeyPnferov / istockphoto
One of my primary activities when I visit a new location is to find a food tour. I swear by food tours. For me, they act as a trusty compass to the heart of any culture. You see, food tours are like opening a Pandora’s box of a country’s soul. It’s not just about what they eat, but how they source it, how they lovingly prepare it, and the tales and traditions that surround it – all intricately woven into the fabric of their environment. It’s like getting backstage access to the culinary theater of a nation.
However, the Stockholm food tour provided me with a first. A first, I am delighted to report on and share with all of you women in midlife. As the group began to congregate at the start of the tour, I noticed something I had never seen before. There I was, amidst a group of six, four of us standing firmly in the domain of midlife and beyond.
I’ve taken plenty of tours in my life, and typically have always been the token older solo woman traveler. But this time, it was different. A quartet of seasoned women, each with our unique stories and reasons for exploring the world on our own.
Rolf_52/Istockphoto
First, there was the just-turned-60 Canadian, semi-retired and happily married, yet gallivanting across the globe solo. Her husband, content in the coziness of their abode, preferring the company of their farm to cobblestones. Then, the enigmatic New Yorker, pondering the very notion of a permanent address. Why tether oneself when the world is your oyster? Her eyes sparkled with the potential of a life untethered. Our fourth, also a New Yorker, makes it a priority to travel monthly – alone or with friends.
While each of us came from different backgrounds under disparate circumstances, we were united in our pursuit of the present moment. These women are not waiting for the perfect timing, the bulging bank account, or the elusive travel companion. These women are taking life by the horns, seizing their own narratives.
As we sauntered through Stockholm’s cobbled streets, navigating our way from one delectable morsel to the next, I couldn’t help but marvel at the parallels between our little group and the culinary delights before us. We were like a smorgasbord of life experiences, each one bringing a unique flavor to the table.
jenifoto/Istockphoto
We sampled moose, Brown Bear, and reindeer heart, grateful for the opportunity to step outside our comfort zones. We giggled whilst surviving a licorice tasting that was not for the faint of heart. Forget everything you know about licorice. The go-to licorice candy that is popular in Sweden, is vastly different from the flavors Americans consume.
Swedes are cotton to the black salty kind mixed in with extracts of dried licorice root, sugar, wheat flour, and starch called Salmiak. Thankfully there was a nearby garbage can, as I spit out food (in public) for the first time.
tupungato/Istockphoto
As the tour wound down and we sat at a Fika (coffee) establishment in the heart of GamlaStan, old town, we did what women are wont to do. We talked. We shared. And of course, played. But more importantly, and I can only speak for myself, I learned I am not alone on this journey. We are out there, ladies, and we are treading uncharted paths.
I am inspired by these fellow solo women travelers who refuse to be confined by age or circumstance. Here’s to these women who are claiming their agency, not waiting for a sign, but creating their own.
This article originally appeared on Kuellife.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
wundervisuals
simonapilolla/istockphoto
Featured Image Credit: Miljan Živković/Istockphoto.
