Age is Just a Number When It Comes to International Travel!

If Age is just a number does it have to affect your plans as seniors to international travel? It doesn’t!

There were definitely questions we had to ask ourselves when we made the decision to international travel as seniors & the first one was is age is just a number? We did a deep dive on the honesty of the answers we came up with.  Does our age have to affect our plans for international travel? We say “Absolutely not” but then we have our first year of international travel under our belt so we think we may be getting the hang of it! Now I should say as seniors traveling our wants & needs are not the same as younger travelers but we are aware of that.

Age is just a number & should never limit international travel for seniors! It really is all in the mindset. We believe you are only as old as you feel & attitude is everything. If you want to do something badly enough you will find a way to accomplish that dream.

International traveling has never been easier for seniors

According to AARP, baby boomers [which is our age group] are growing in the number of international travelers!  We seniors are definitely a force to be recognized.

The real difference in age groups traveling internationally is a sense of what is important in life.  This may vary from person to person but I think we as seniors have a different perspective in general on life & what makes us tick.

Will the effects of aging affect your travel destinations?

As we age & our bodies change, will the effects of aging affect our travel destinations? The simple answer is it does not have to. We had a taste of international travel vacations during our ‘working’ years & decided early on that a more in depth look at international travel was something we seriously needed to look into.

As we have traveled, our list of essentials have changed from country to country in regards to what we want for convenience and what we need for travel. I for one have realized that as I’ve aged so has my skin – my skin does not do well in the high altitudes. It was a chore to keep my skin moisturized until I figured out what was causing my skin to look like this…

Yikes, scary huh? It is a fight. So now if we stay in high altitude places, I am prepared with a stock of moisturizer!

We have learned that we like being immersed with the locals so we tend to look in those neighborhoods for housing.

We learned that our hands and feet take on a lot while traveling and not all manicures & pedicures are equal in each country*! But we would eventually find one in each stop that we really liked.

You get where I’m going?  The more you travel you may well decide that your requirements may change. You do you. You get my drift. If you travel and want the luxury experience in a familiar environment, with little or no roadblocks then stick with the tourist hot spots, but for us we are willing to take the chance & immerse ourselves in local neighborhoods. You do you, you know what you like & what you want to experience.

Why Seniors can travel internationally

1] Financially speaking, I think most of us are more stable as seniors as far as our finances. Do we have the same income now as we did when we worked? Heck No! BUT we have learned how to make a budget & stick to it allowing us to be financially free of useless expenses.  We know where every penny is coming from & where it is spent. Bottom line, financially, it is so cost effective to live outside of the U.S!

2] Enjoyment of time – a change of pace – far less stressful – no more fighting traffic to get to work. Escape from the everyday stressors and office gossip.  Instead of that feeling of ‘what is the drama of the day today?’ we discuss our Bucket List.  It doesn’t have to be in stone. Just Do It!  Our bucket list is ever changing as we are constantly come up with another place we would like to visit.

3] Are you an emptynester with an abundance of free time on your hands?   Don’t sit around waiting for the kiddos to visit. Trying to figure out what to do with your free time? Start planning an international trip and let them know where they can come to share your adventure & new cultural experience that just may change your/their outlook on life.  What makes you happy? What can you do now that couldn’t be done when your children & work life filled your days – I bet you can think of a couple things.

4] There are over two (2) million Expats living in countries all over the world. Take the leap! Your choices for travel are over the top! Planes, trains, buses, cruises! Does flying domestically or internationally peak your interest?  If you are not a flying type of person, check out all the other methods of travel & discounts that may be offered to you as a senior.  I personally would love to take the rail around Europe or a cruise!

5] Your level of health & fitness is up to you. Anyone can travel but if you have health limitations this definitely will place some limits on your travel dreams.  Healthcare is usually readily available & depending on the country of travel AND it could be better or worse than what you are used to at home.  If you have health care concerns do a little more research about the healthcare in the area you plan to visit.

How old am I?  Remember age is just a number!

To be transparent [that is my favorite term nowadays] we are often asked our age?  I am happy to say I am 67 years young. The Big Guy is a beast at 63! A lot of younger folks think of you as a dinosaur if you are over 55 years of age.  I disagree. According to this AARP article “A new study by U.S. Trust has found that perceptions of the onset of old age vary widely among different generations. Millennials, for example, say that you are old once you turn 59. Gen Xers, on the other hand, hold a slightly more generous view, saying that old age begins at 65. When it comes to boomers and the silent generation, both agree that you’re not really old until you hit age 73.”.

Thanks to the support of The Big Guy, I am more active and in better health than some people 30 years younger than me. I should say we push each other. Ha. Do not underestimate our abilities! When we hit our seventies or eighties you may still catch us traveling internationally…. we don’t plan on letting a number get in the way of our enjoying the moment… After all we are still looking for our little piece of paradise to settle.