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Do You Have Midlife Wandermust?

If, like me, you’ve never thought a two-week holiday was long enough and the concept of travel means even more to you now you’re in your midlife or retirement years, then I believe your wanderlust might have just shifted up a gear into midlife wandermust!

Looking back to the time before I was a middle-aged Backpacking Housewife and just a normal housewife – and before my backpacking husband and I had sold up to travel the world – I realise that even back then I’d always prioritised travel over many other material aspects of our life as a family.

Luckily, my husband felt the same way and thought it was really important for us all to have a family holiday once a year.

What is Wandermust?

A Compulsion To Travel: Always thinking about your next trip? Saving up for that next special family two-week holiday as soon as you return from holiday? Dreaming of a hotel pool? Lounging on the beach? Exploring new places?

All of these things made me realise I had a compulsion to travel. When our boys were small (for context they are now all in their 30’s) we always took advantage of booking early-bird package deals to get the special kids prices. Back then, holidays to the USA and Florida when there was a strong pound against the dollar always made our holidays in the USA much more affordable and I remember that for several year’s kids under 12 years old travelled for £99 with a fare paying adult.

We used to flew into Sanford or Orlando and spent a week having fun on International Drive before heading over to The Space Coast or across to Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater Beach, St Petes’ Beach and all those other gorgeous spots on the sunny Gulf Coast. I have glorious memories of endless roller-coasters, sunshine, and beaches and crab-shacks.

I also remember that we never took the ‘free car’ included in the ‘package deal’ because we thought the insurance was too expensive. Instead, we’d take the public bus than pay for the tourist transit coach out of the airport also to save money.

One year, in Orlando, we took advantage of a credit card deal to pay for our park passes, which meant we’d buy two and get one free. We bought annual passes for a water park on I-Drive because it was the same price as a few visits, which meant that when we headed to Orlando two-weeks earlier the next year, we could use them again. Our early savvy travel days!

Granted, it got a lot more costly when our kids became teenagers and we had to get more savvy with our travel planning!

Midlife Wandermust

We did also take holidays in other long-haul destinations. So by the time our boys all went off to university, it’s safe to say, they were very well-travelled and travel savvy.

Finding ourselves with midlife wandermust and an empty nest, it wasn’t really any surprise to our boys when we decided we’d sell our home, our business, our cars, and all our belongings in exchange for a pot of capital and two backpacks.

And, to this day and ten years on, we still have to travel economically (and in economy) and to a tight budget, so that we can sustain our dream life of travel for longer and it has all worked out well for us so far. We’ve never regretted a thing.

Well perhaps we regretted travelling with heavy backpacks back then – as these days we’ve certainly lightened up!

And so far we’ve explored 60 countries and travelled around the whole world twice. We’ve had amazing experiences and met lots of lovely people all over the world.

One of my favourite travel quotes has always been ‘we travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us…’

Midlife Wanderlust

The big news is that more people now feel the same way!

I saw that Booking Dotcom has predicted a dynamic new shift in travel trends:

According to the latest report on holiday destinations – choosing a cooler climate is now a hot trend.

“Expect to see a heightened interest in Cool-cations as temperatures in Europe and elsewhere in the world increase due to climate change.”

Their report also tells us that holiday vacations aren’t just for recharging but for romancing and testing compatibility!

Holidays will become the ultimate compatibility check as many travellers plan to use time away to test the strength of their relationships: romantic, platonic or even professional. More than two-thirds (69%) of global travellers are open to taking a trip with a potential partner, colleague or new friend specifically to see how well they click.”

New travel trends also show us that travellers are looking to swap the noise of daily life and distractions of an overstimulating world for the soothing stillness of nature to restore their sense of calm.

“With 43% of travellers saying they would vacation specifically to feel closer to the natural world and one in four (25%) turning to quieter hobbies on vacation, travellers will be seeking restorative rituals that prioritize patience, reflection and stress relief.”

Why do you like to travel? For me… I think it’s about the freedom and the time to explore and have new exciting experiences.

Travel makes me feel alive and heightens my sense of awareness in a positive way.

MIDLIFE WANDERLUST IS TRENDING

Here at The Backpacking Housewife Dotcom, I’m looking into the crystal ball of new midlife travel trends and hoping to inspire you to embrace your wanderlust while you plan your own travel itinerary of travel and adventure.

Over 45’s: Travel companies are reporting how more people in this age group than ever before are booking holidays for longer than the usual two weeks. The over 45’s are now considering the merits of being location independent with a huge rise in those planning a sabbatical or a workcation which involves relocating for weeks or even months at a time in order to work remotely while living abroad.

Over 50’s: The majority of over 50’s and those with midlife wandermust now have extensive bucket lists because travel in your 50’s and 60’s it’s a perfect time to travel. Adventure holidays, luxury holidays, cycling and walking, solo travel, and escorted tours, are all very popular. So, unsurprisingly, travel agents are reporting a steep rise in the over 50’s planning ‘bucket list’ trips. Also see my post Over 50’s Guide To Adventure Travel.

Over 55’s: Older travellers are even more eager to get back to travel. Many are looking into or considering taking early retirement or planning for their retirement. 90 percent of over 55s have written a bucket list too. It’s this age group who suddenly finding themselves with an empty nest, who may now have the freedom and resources to travel more often and for much longer. See my post 10 Reasons To Travel In Your 50’s and 60’s.

Those Over 65’s: in particular are now looking to spend their retirement and their resources on travel and new experiences according to Get Your Guide who say: “The over 65’s are typically now wanderlust-driven and where they go and what activities they’ll choose and what types of vacations they envision are quite different from a year ago”.

Travel ranks TOP for MIDLIFE WANDERLUST WITH a bucket list.

Slow travel is booming amongst MIDLIFE WANTERLUST

According to ABTA who are the leading trade association for travel agents and tour operators, the midlife age group are driving the concept of slow travel. Read my Over 50’s Guide To Slow Travel.

Slow travel means taking longer trips and staying in a chosen location for longer to “soak in your environment rather than rushing through it”. Their survey indicates that slow travel “will top the pile for midlife travel trends this year”.

Is slow travel kinder to midlife wanderlust?

Researchers agree that the further you travel then the longer you should stay in a place if you considering the C02 emissions released by the plane that you flew in to get there but what about the toll travel has on on midlife travellers?

I believe that slow travel – spending longer in one place – and trading rushed itineraries for depth, comfort, and genuine connection, benefits all travellers. This unhurried approach, while often being more cost-effective and sustainable, also allows time to build relationships with locals, savour regional food, and to notice all the little details that often get missed when we’re moving too fast.

But for those of us at a later stage of life, slow travel helps us to ease ourselves into the local rhythms. It helps us to recover from the physical strain of travel, supports mindful living with lower stress, and allows space for quiet reflection without sacrificing adventure.

I also believe that slow travel isn’t about doing less, it’s about experiencing more and with intention, curiosity, and at a pace that truly suits those of us in midlife and older so that we can experience a richer and more rewarding way to explore the world.

MIDLIFE WANDERMUST

It seems the future of travel fits well with wandermusters and, the good news is that those of us in midlife and older are being seen as the keenest of all to throw off the shackles of a more sedentary lifestyle in favour of travel, adventure, and new experiences!

I’m certainly an example of that trend and I want to inspire you all to know that it is absolutely possible to travel more and to enrich your later life with travel experiences. It’s never too late to live the life of your dreams while you have your health and strength and throughout this website I can show you how we did it – and how you might do it too – if that’s your goal.

Let me know if you have a bucket list and if your wanderlust has shifted up a gear into wandermust.

Leave a comment as I’d love to hear from you!