Family commitments, marriage, life on a farm, followed by divorce, financial restrictions and single parenthood meant 62-year-old Caroline Blakeney hadn’t traveled abroad in two decades. Then she booked a trip to Egypt.
It wasn’t that Caroline didn’t want to see more of the world. Life simply got in the way. ‘I had always wanted to travel, but you marry a farmer, you’re tied to the ground,’ she says. Later, divorce, single motherhood, financial restraints and other family commitments kept Caroline on home soil for more than 20 years.
As a solo traveler over the age of 45, Caroline’s not alone. In 2023, Intrepid has seen an 84 percent increase versus 2022 in trip bookings from women aged 45 and over. They surveyed over 2,000 women in the demographic to find out more about what’s inspiring their travels and discovered that nearly three quarters (72 percent) see mid-life as a period for personal growth and exploration, with travel being a key part of that experience. Caroline’s journey not only reflects this wider trend, but marks the start of a whole new chapter in her life.
