Third Act in a Backpack

Traveling Solo with a Backpack and a Bucket List of Dreams

Sometimes you arrive at a point in your life when you need more than a vacation. You need a transition. Retirement is one of those times, when a simple trip can become a voyage of self discovery. 

In 2018, after retiring from my university job, I realized most of my years were behind me. Looking back, I thought about the things I’d missed when life and limited funds got in the way. Most of them no longer mattered but some did. 

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans

John Lennon,  “Beautiful Boy”

My youthful dream of backpacking across Europe was one I still wished for. With limited funds and all the aches and pains of old age, I made it a priority and researched how best to achieve it. I bought a good backpack, booked flights and hostels, and set forth on an adventure. At 63, I took my first solo cross-Atlantic journey. It lasted 8 days and cost me less than $3,000.

At 69, I sold my house in Oklahoma and took a third, month long, trip to the UK and Europe before moving to Los Angeles. At some point, I will tell the story of that trip and the lessons I learned. If my knees and my backpack hold up, there will be a fourth. It’s never too late for an adventure.