Traveling in Middle Age & Beyond

Why We Go, Why We Don’t, and What Counts as ‘Travel’ Anyway?

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Listen, to my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A., they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado
Sometimes there's airplanes you can't jump out-Good Life, One Republic

Last week’s post was supposed to be about staycations versus long-haul trips—short drives to amazing nearby places vs. globe-trotting adventures. But issues the day before and after the trip that were stressful, expensive, and completely out of my control hijacked the narrative, so here we are, back to the real topic: travel in middle age and beyond.

My friends are racking up airline miles like postseason baseball stats. One spent a month hiking the Camino and exploring Spain and Portugal afterward. Another heads there next month. A friend spent three months touring Asia, another spent June in Paris. Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, and across the U.S.—my circle has covered them all.

And here’s the thing they all said: “Wherever I went, it was crowded—and many of the tourists were 55-plus.”

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According to AARP’s July 2025 poll, 70% of older adults plan to travel this year—up from 65% in 2024. Interestingly, 50–59-year-olds are just a bit more likely to go (73%) than those over 60 (68%).

There’s something so perfect about having time, maybe a bit more financial cushion, and a bucket list mentality. COVID-era restlessness didn’t hurt either. Add in the healthy benefits—improved brain and heart health, reduced dementia risk, better emotional well-being—and you get a recipe for wanderlust. AP News AxiosWikipedia+1

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Photo by Cameron Smith on Unsplash

I’m not in the “let’s go everywhere now” phase. That’s partly travel burnout from my Levi’s® business travel days—Let me tell you, business travel is not the same as a leisurely vacation. A typical trip went like this: fly to Brussels for two days of meetings at the European headquarters, then launch into a “country tour.” That meant waking up at 4:30 a.m., catching a 6 or 7 a.m. flight to another country, spending all day visiting stores (ours and competitors’), scouting fashion trends, dashing through cultural landmarks, eating a late dinner with the local team, collapsing into bed, then doing it all over again. Seven countries in eight days. By the time I boarded the plane home, I was thrilled — because for 11 hours, no one could ask me for anything. Same kind of weeks for Asia trips…just looonger plane rides!

Fifteen years later, I’m still recovering. I do want to visit Italy again — especially the Amalfi Coast and Sicily as I have never been to Southern Italy — but I want to do it differently. Two weeks in each place. No constant packing. No rush. Maybe a Scotch tasting trip throughout Scotland for another vacation? Until then, I’m happy with trips to California to visit family, or local “staycations” in neighboring states. A month in Phoenix one winter was pure magic — trading the cold, muddy March of northern New Mexico for sunshine and warmth.

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Oh my! I was last in Venice about 15 years ago. It was NOTHING like this recent photo!!!

CNN lists some of 2023’s most overtouristed destinations: Miami, Paris, Venice, Bali, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Athens, Phuket. Reddit+1 These places aren’t just popular—they’ve become battlegrounds of crowds, long queues, and fraying traveler experience.

Venice, for example, rolled out a €5 entrance fee for day-trippers to protect the city's heritage and local life. The Guardian Around Europe: authorities are grappling with overtourism: mass tourism is straining infrastructure, inflating housing costs, and sacrificing local character. AP News

If You’re Traveling (Or Plan To) the experts suggest:

• Build in slow days—sightseeing overload is real.

• Hydrate and move—don’t let plane legs ruin your first evening.

• Pack smart: meds, multiple copies of important docs, snacks.

• Consider shoulder-season travel rather than peak months.

If You’re Staying Put

Psychology Today points out that travel—even local exploration—offers surprising benefits: improved vitality, reduced mortality and dementia risks, mental stimulation, and connection.

Their 23 ideas for “in-town tourism” range from quirky museum visits to bird walks, cooking classes, or just spending a night in a local hotel. It’s not a consolation prize—it’s a way to keep curiosity alive. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights, but in looking with new eyes,” Proust reminds us.

(ok, a bit of an honesty break. I was searching for quotes about traveling and this one popped up. I do not usually spout Proust in everyday conversation. Keeping it real….ahahahaha!)

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So here’s what I’m curious about:

• Why do so many of us feel the need to “go big” once we hit 55—bucket lists, FOMO, healthy mindset?

• And if you don’t travel much—why not? Health, finances, peace, or simply preference?

• Do you ever think: “I’m not never going back”—or “never traveling again”—or is it “not right now”?

• Have you traveled recently and experienced “overtourism?” Where did you go?

• What are your travel “dreams” for the 5 or 10 years. Will you go?

  Please, please, please, answer some or all of these questions in the comments section. I really want to know your thoughts.

In my case, travel—whether to Sicily or a neighboring town—is about connection, discovery, and perspective. Right now, I'm leaning into the local mystery. But I still want those Amalfi sunsets someday.

Have a good week,

Much love!

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