I grew up with an explorer’s curiosity. In my home in small-town Ohio, I was surrounded with exotica from India, where my parents met during World War II. I read the National Geographic magazines that arrived regularly with enticing photos of far-flung places and people. I sat beside my father as he painted watercolors and described how, through art, he learned to see things from many dimensions. And, early on, I learned to adapt – from an only child to the oldest child, and from a secure early teenager to a newcomer in another region with a different culture and accent.

Eventually I became a journalist where the job was to plunge into the unknown almost daily, and to quickly absorb, interpret and explain to others what had happened.

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All these experiences profoundly shaped me. When I started this blog in 2004, after a career as a journalist, writer, editor and communications executive, I officially became “Womantraveler.” Beginning with “Dear Diary,” I’ve kept handwritten journals and scrapbooks, and before digital technology, I was a prolific letter writer. I enjoy keeping track and reflecting, and I love sharing insights and tips. While the blog’s design has changed a few times, its core idea has not – you can do this, too, you can “travel on your own terms.”

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The Covid-19 pandemic taught me a huge lesson – that every day is a journey, possibly a creative one, even when we are “stuck.” Locked down from travel and most work, I ventured into dusty storage boxes and dug through family archives and, among other discoveries, “met” my maternal grandmother for the first time. She had died when my mother was young, yet her letters during World War I revealed wonderful insights about her empathy and spirit. A bit later in the pandemic, I was faced with my own serious illness; through online art classes and creative journal-writing, I helped manage the uncertainties of survivorhood.

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As the world returned to post-pandemic travel, so did I. And, by rough count, I’ve recently relocated to approximately my 12th city in the U.S. (plus a few shorter stints abroad), re-energized to explore. I’m in the age group we now gently call “seniors,” but like many of us, except for a lifetime of experience, I don’t see myself that way. I envision this blog to be a source of empowerment for women – to see even the everyday as an opportunity to explore, to learn, to refresh. Stay curious, open-minded and as energetic as you possibly can, and you absolutely can travel on your own terms!