When you speak with a woman who has a travel plan, you can feel the energy ignite! This group is for everything about travel - when, where, , how much, tips & tricks, shared stories, past experiences, who is going, recommendations etc etc

There are so many companies offering so much: National Seniors, Firebird Tours, Flight Centre, Tour Radar, Jetstar, Holidays of Australia etc etc Which ones are the best? When are the next Travel Expos as some offer great deals. And then there is Insurance......

Are you going on a group tour, solo or looking for a travel mate? I will also keep you up to date with the 'Italian Affair' which is my adventure planned for 2023.

We have a realisation now in accepting our stage in life is a good one. so lets get out there and travel! Read what women from ‘Journey women’ are saying, its quite uplifting!

1. We don’t act our age

Women are given mixed messages about aging. The beauty industry tells us we need to do everything within our power not to look our age for as long as possible. The fashion industry tells us to dress our age. Society tells us to act our age. Here’s what no one tells you and every woman discovers for herself: Age is nothing but a number. No one who is actually living feels their age.

“I’m 71. I don’t feel 71, because I have no idea what it is meant to feel like. I’m often in pain with arthritis, and that reminds me that I am getting old. I sometimes have to stop and think about a plan and how I will manage it with a doggy knee,” says Byrne. “I seem to attract respiratory ailments. It slows me down a bit but it doesn’t actually make me feel old. I have had to accommodate pain since my early 20s. The new ailments are just more accommodations rather than a sign that I’m old. There is certainly no travelling with just a carry-on – my ‘accommodating’ supplies ensure that!”

2. We have the freedom to indulge our passions – like travel

How many risks did we not take as we built homes, families and careers? How often did we stay inside our comfort zones? How many trips were left to the realm of dreams? Not anymore. In their golden years, JourneyWomen make no apologies for who they are. They do what they want, when they want – within reason.

“I’ve gotten braver and realize that regrets include what you did NOT do. I am more willing to try something new than ever before and be more philosophical about outcomes,” says Marti Sladek, 74.

The something-new feats she is most proud of? “In my 60s, managing – with the urging and encouragement of my 85-year-old companion – to make it up all 600 steps to the roof of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet,” she says. “In my 70s, and on an ankle recovering from a serious break, hiking all over Machu Picchu, Peru. Oh, and taking up tango dancing in my 60s!”

3. We have a broad perspective

As we age, our eyesight might weaken, but our ability to see the bigger picture sharpens. We stop seeing the world in the idealistic black and white of youth and develop an understanding and appreciation of all the shades in between. We connect more easily with those who are different from us. We travel as more humble and confident versions of our former selves.

Byrne says the greatest gift age has given her is the understanding that despite having different cultures, human beings have much in common. “I remember being in Eastern Turkey, in Ezerum. We had been warned that the East was much more conservative and had seen fewer Westerners. My friend and I were walking along a street and a couple were coming the other way,” she recalls. “The woman was in full hijab, down to the niqab and black gloves. She was determinedly walking towards me and I was expecting some sort of recrimination for not being covered up. I was trying to plan how to deal with it. Instead, she walked up to me, stood in front of me, put out her hand and said: ‘Welcome!’ I was so happy that I had learned enough Turkish to respond in her language. The more I travel, and the more I age, the more our commonalities become evident.”

Our perspectives on aging shift with time too. For Leonard, the biggest surprise has been learning that aging wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d feared. “So far, it has been like a travel trip. Some smooth patches, some rough patches. It would be boring if it wasn’t,” she says. “But each day is an opportunity. I have no choice but to move forward, so I might as well make the best of it. Each decade brought its own surprises and gifts. The only issue I have with the current one is a few more aches and pains. I wouldn’t trade one of them to be young again. I was so uptight when I was younger – shame it took me so long to learn to lighten up!”

4. We don’t give a damn what others think

From a young age, women are taught to value external validation. We seek approval. We seek acceptance. We strive to keep the peace. Age teaches us that keeping the peace comes at the expense of our own. Playing small to make others comfortable keeps us caged. As we age, we learn to take up space – in a room, in our own lives, in the world.

“For my younger self, it was important what other people thought of me. It doesn’t matter what people think of me now, as it is not my business. I am comfortable in my own skin. I like who I am. I am happy with my life,” says Fox. “I have become a gentler person – not so aggressive or assertive as I was during my business days. I try hard not to judge people, I try to be kind. At this time in the life span, we have wisdom to let things go that we cannot change, to know get our knickers in a knot when things go wrong…except for technology. When that goes wrong, I curse with words I didn’t know I knew.”

Kurtzer agrees. “I grew up in the 60s, and the media and society were caught up in the ‘youth revolution.’ We often heard people we admired sing about ‘…hope I die before I get old.’ I thought that was a stupid view of aging,” she says. “I had friendships with many older women, and we talked about the good things that come with getting older. In some ways, I looked forward to getting older and not caring about what others thought or did. I’m 70 now and so much happier than when I was younger. I am so much calmer, less anxious, more fun, and I rarely worry about what people think.”

5. We have the bone-deep confidence that comes from being and accepting yourself

The biggest benefit to aging according to our panel of kick-ass women travellers? Getting to a place where you can be 100 per cent authentically, uniquely yourself – no apologies.

“The big benefit is living long enough to ‘get over yourself.’ I no longer worry about what I say (within reason), what I wear (within reason) or what I do (within reason),” says Byrne. “So glad to just be ME. I get to do what I want to, with nothing to prove. I am finally getting acquainted with ME. For too long, I was who I HAD to be.”

For many, the secret to weathering the ups and downs aging is living a meaningful life. “I think the key is to keep having fun, whatever fun means to you. For me, it is the joy of travelling, singing, dancing, dressing up, being silly, laughing with people I like being with, building beautiful gardens, knitting, painting, writing,” says Fox. “The ability to have fun is essential to forgetting your age. Being comfortable with who you are is also a key component. Be kind to yourself, love yourself, help where you can. Keep having fun.”

https://journeywoman.com/

'Women Who Travel' Club