Advice from retirees and older travelers

Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

Not only do I love traveling to new places I have never been, learning about the local culture, history, and people, but also meeting other travelers. I’m curious about who they are, what they do or did, and what kind of life they have that led to our paths crossing each other. 

Most people I met on tours were older couples or women. Most of them retired. But there were also a few young honeymooners and younger solo women travelers. Some were frequent travelers while others were taking a big special trip.

A traveler told me that where she lived in America, people liked to compare the clothes they wore, but when she lived in London and Paris, people talked about where they had traveled. Not everyone likes traveling. She preferred the latter. So do I.

The retirees and older travelers consistently noted how “young” I was - in my forties - to travel regularly and internationally. For those who loved traveling, some didn’t have extra time or money to take big trips until their children left the house and when they retired.

Besides time and money, a factor that is often realized later is one’s physical condition. When faced with a long flight of stairs, most had to sit it out. A woman I connected with on one of my trips told me recently that her husband no longer wanted to travel. It was getting too hard for him. So she stopped planning trips, stayed home, and looked at the scratch books she had made from all their travels since retirement. For some, when they finally had the time and money, they no longer had the body to travel.

“Travel while you can!” “You are smart to start early.” Many had said to me. Traveling requires time, money, and health. One may not be so lucky to have all three. Like having children, traveling has a limited time window too.

What I like about traveling is that each time I put myself in a new city, it changes me a little. I’m not smart enough to do armchair travel, which some people can do through movies, books, or online websites.

I recently visited Egypt and Jordan. I loved standing in front of Karnak and Luxor temples, built thousands of years ago, and imagining being there. Or eating a new local dish. Or walking through the trading center of Petra, imagining the hustling and bustling. Or floating in the Dead Sea. Or learning about cities I didn’t know, such as Aswan and Amman. All my senses were being challenged with new things.

I wondered why I travel. It was easy to say things like opening my mind and learning about others, but what was it for me, really? The more I travel, the more questions I have and the more I want to learn. There are so many more places I want to visit. I hope seeing more of the world can make me a better person. Eventually, I might be able to channel that into something valuable and meaningful. With more understanding should come more kindness. I should ponder further.

Regardless, one thing I have realized for sure: I’m lucky to be able to travel now and not wait until when I retire or when I’m in my 70s or 80s. I will keep it up for as long as possible, make new liked-minded (older) friends, and be thankful for it.