Growing Old, Growing Free chapter one
Prologue
This book is a true story. It is about me and my adventures as a sixty-something lady. I am no one special. I am not rich, certainly not famous, and no that isn’t me on the front cover!
I am fortunate to be quite healthy and have always loved a little adventure. I didn’t want to spend my golden years sitting in front of the tv, I just wasn’t ready for winding down yet. So despite my grey hair, wrinkles and a slightly arthritic knee, I took a leap of faith and decided to travel full time on my own, and oh what fun I have had!
The first year I decided to just dip my toe in the water, and then the second year there was no stopping me! I have been to incredible places, such as The Arctic Circle and The Rain Forest, done things I never imagined I would do, like swimming with turtles, sliding down a mountain in a basket and staying at a Thai Monastery. I have met some amazing people, and have taught myself to be brave. Very Brave.
My aim for the second year was to put all my things in storage and travel full time. Every trip in this book has been booked as economically as possible. I spend hours, days, and sometimes weeks, researching my trips and often book them at the very last minute. I also set myself the challenge of spending the same, or hopefully less, on my travels than if I lived in a rented property at home. Read on to see if I made it.
I have tried to include prices, destinations, booking sites, a little history, some of the atmosphere and anything I think you may find useful or interesting, just in case you decide to have a little adventure of your own!
If travel is not for you, I hope you enjoy accompanying me on my journey. Love Lily x
Chapter 1
Shack On The Beach
I moved back to England just after the pandemic and was staggered when I saw the prices of property. I had previously lived in one of the most expensive parts of England and, while I knew I wouldn’t be able to have the same sort of property again when I returned, I didn’t think I would be completely priced out of the market.
I started looking at anything that was available to buy or even rent, tiny homes, studios, apartments, property to renovate, different areas, short leases. All of these had shot up to astronomical prices. I looked at buying a houseboat, a vintage caravan and even a mobile home. But there was little available within my budget and everything seemed to be taken before I could get to see it. What on earth could I do?
Before I moved back to England I had given all of my furniture and about 80% of my clothes away, so almost everything I owned was with me in my car. It was quite a strange feeling, but very liberating and I realised how little you actually needed.
Living on my own in my sixties was not something I ever imagined I would be doing, but sometimes life throws things at you and you have no choice. Although it wasn’t what I wanted, I was determined to make the best of it and considered every option available. My only criteria was I had to feel safe, enjoy where I was living and be able to afford it. I knew, whatever it was, I could make the inside into a beautiful home.
Finding Refuge
I decided not to panic, something would come up soon I was sure. I just had to relax for a little while. So I paid for a weeks stay at a holiday rental, a little shack on the beach. It was aptly named ‘Serendipity’.
From the tiny wooden veranda, I could hear the waves crashing against the shore and the sound of squawking seagulls soaring and swirling overhead. I could see the magnificent sunsets, as the sun slowly painted the sky beautiful shades of pinks and reds. At night, if I stood on the small sand dune beside the shack, I could see the moon casting a shimmery light on to the ripples of the water. It was quite magical.
Every day I would get up early and walk my little dog along the beach to watch the sunrise. She would trundle along beside me, barking at the frothy white waves as they lapped the shore, and trying to chase the birds as they swooped down. It was hard to believe she was fourteen.
I searched for coloured sea glass, tiny shells and anything else I could find on the beach, and took them back to make into jewellery. In the evenings I cooked on the small barbecue, sipping a glass of chilled wine and watching the twinkling stars as the sky changed to a beautiful inky black. It was the happiest I had been for a very long time.
Mini Miracle
As the week was drawing to a close, and with no potential place to live in sight, a mini miracle happened. I was offered the opportunity to buy the lease, for the next 10 months, on the beach shack. I had to leave every twenty-one days for just a night, as it was not a permanent place to live. But that seemed a very small price to pay for such an idyllic location. I jumped at this wonderful chance of serendipitous fate!
Although I didn’t know it at the time, staying at the shack was the first step to becoming Me. For decades I had been someone else… a wife, a mum, a sister, a daughter, a work colleague, but never really me. I always wanted everyone else to be happy, so tried to fall in with what everyone else wanted.
I didn’t mind at all. I had always really enjoyed my life. It had been busy, exciting, interesting. But it hadn’t really been me living it. Now, for the first time I was free to be myself and there was no-one to tell me I couldn’t. The freedom was exhilarating.
The next few months I was in seventh heaven. Mornings I spent beach-combing, looking for anything interesting I could find, perhaps driftwood to make into a frame, or pebbles to paint, and of course sea glass, in gorgeous shades of amber, aqua, lime green and blues.
I loved walking the dog and chatting with people as I wandered up and down the beach. After lunch I would renovate little pieces of furniture I had bought from auctions, painting, waxing, stencilling, just putting a little love into them so they had a few more years of use ( a bit like me I suppose!),
In the evening I cooked outside under the stars, listening to the sea and thinking of all the things I wanted to do with my life. I might have been in my sixties but I was not ready for giving up on life, in fact quite the reverse. I was excited to see what the future held.
Travel
I had always loved travelling, I had travelled to about a dozen countries in Europe as well as North America, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa. But I had never tried travelling on my own. Would I be safe? Would I be brave enough? Would I be lonely?
Each evening I would dream of places to go and how I would get there. We had travelled around Europe in a camper van and I knew this was something I would love, but wasn’t sure if I would be comfortable driving something big, or parking up on my own, as well as the possibility of breaking down on some mountain pass. Things I never considered when travelling with someone else.
Maybe I could fly to America and travel by Amtrak all around. I had done this many times travelling from Chicago, past the Great Lakes across to New York, and then down to Florida, passing Washington DC, Virginia, Jacksonville and Orlando. But I had never been to the west coast, from Seattle down to Sacramento, San Francisco and, my favourite, Big Sur, one of the places to visit on my bucket list.
Or perhaps I could take a ship somewhere. I had never really considered cruising before, and certainly not on my own. To be fair I had a very misguided view of cruising and the type of people who would be on the ship. I was sure it would be filled with couples celebrating their wedding anniversaries, and I would stick out like a sore thumb, or worse still, feel lonely.
I knew people loved to dress up for dinner or stand in queues to have their photo with The Captain. Great if you love it, but it was not really me. I was more a swimming costume and sarong sort of person, happy with a pizza or a bowl of salad. I was sure I wouldn’t fit in.
Although I doubted I would do any of it, I really enjoyed my evenings thinking about my perfect future. I love to have a little adventure now and again, and it was nice to imagine an exciting life for a ‘getting-older-lady’ like me, that didn’t include daytime tv and a future looking at people passing by the window.
This Changed Everything
Then the unthinkable happened.
After a few months of living such a happy life, my little dog died. It was so painful. I knew she was old but she still acted like a little puppy, and I had never really imagined life without her. I guess it was a blessing that she had always been well until the last few weeks of her life. But I missed her terribly.
Walks on the beach were not the same, so I stopped going out. This was the first time in my whole life I had been without a dog, or anything to care for. I called the local dogs home and they said I would have to be in a permanent home, not a temporary holiday shack, if I wanted to adopt a stray or unwanted dog. I felt too old to get another puppy, but it was so hard.
I was lonely and feeling sorry for myself. Not only had I lost my gorgeous little dog, but my entire life had changed in the last few years. All my hopes, dreams and plans for a happy retirement were gone. My life felt so empty. To be honest, I felt completely lost. Completely alone.
A Different Kind Of Life
If only someone could have told me the changes that were about to happen!
One night I sat down feeling a little sorry for myself. I was not used to feeling lonely, there was always someone to welcome me home with a smile, or a wagging tail, and to snuggle on the sofa. I poured myself a second, or maybe it was my third, glass of wine and started browsing through holidays.
I had never been on a cruise before and thought I was not the sort of person who would enjoy it (how wrong I was!). I found a seven day cruise to Norway for £499 leaving in three days time. I honestly don’t know what came over me, probably the wine, but before I knew it I had booked and paid for the cruise.
The bright morning sun brought a feeling I could only remember from decades ago, the unmistakable feeling of a hangover. I tried to recall the evening before, but details were sketchy. I vaguely remember browsing through holidays, perhaps I looked at a cruise? Then up popped an email receipt. I had not only looked at a cruise, I had booked a cruise!
What Had I Done?
I had paid just £499 for seven days travel, accommodation, food, swimming pools and entertainment. Although my cabin was the smallest on the ship, I was very happy. I could still use all the other things on the ship that some people were paying ten times as much. It was a bargain… I tried to convince myself.
Two days later my bags were packed with a few swimming costumes, sarongs and a couple of lightweight summer dresses. I didn’t own a cocktail dress, so there wasn’t much of a choice to make, and I couldn’t even remember the last time I had worn heels. I popped a pair of sunglasses, a straw hat and a few scarves into my bag, I knew these could always add a little something to a plain dress if I needed. I was all set.
I can’t deny I started to feel a little bit nervous on the way to the port. What if no-one spoke to me? What if I didn’t like it? What if, what if? I firmly told myself to shut up and start enjoying myself. I was on my way to Norway.
At this point I had absolutely no idea that my slightly-drunken-impulse-booking would become the first of many trips (hopefully arranged more soberly!), and lead to me becoming a full-time traveller and going to places, and doing things, I had never imagined. This was the beginning of my Grand Adventure!
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Chapter two coming next week!
Thank you for stopping by 💝💝💝Lily x
*Please note some of the photos on the blog are not in the book. I added them for your enjoyment :)
