I am a 58 year-old woman that is leaving everything I know after 30 years of cultivating a community in Portland, Oregon.  I sold my house in July, put everything in storage and decided to wander with my dog for the next year across the US and Canada.  My trip begins once I drop my daughter off at college on September 26th.  In the meantime, I have assembled six weeks of house sitting and dog sitting gigs since my house sold faster than expected. I am still in the cocoon of familiarity. The “realness” of my adventure begins once I step away from all that I know in Portland.

My time wandering will allow me to discover the nooks and crannies of America and learn a ton about myself at the same time.  This is a story about exploration, curiosity and courage as I travel solo.  I believe this story is timely because a lot of people my age are at a crossroad about what to do once the kids leave the house. Change is scary to many and I believe the myriad are afraid to actually take the plunge into the unknown.  There is no judgment of this fact. I hope to inspire others to take the leap in whatever form is right for them.

Autopilot is so easy to fall into. The daily minutiae of life sucks up so much time and energy and provides us with so little value. And yet the majority of our energy and attention is focused on this minutiae. Without a house and kids to take care of, I believe my time can be focused on being present and focused on learning, exploring and exposing myself to new things.

One of the biggest questions I ask myself while thinking about this upcoming adventure is how I can continue to build community while on the road and transient. Since community is so important to me, I hope that friends reach out and say hi, ask questions and just cheer me on. I know the trip will not be perfect and there will be days when hearing from a known entity will be exactly what I need to be able to keep moving forward. Follow me on this webpage, on Instagram and Substack. Ask questions, make comments and send words of encouragement. I hope to hear from you.