Life transitions in midlife, like divorce, retirement, an empty nest, or evolving health challenges, can leave us feeling lost, questioning our identity, and uncertain about the future. However, these challenges also offer powerful opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Building resilience is key to not only surviving these changes but thriving through them.

My life these days could not be better! I’m several pounds lighter, active  every day, eat healthy (most days), avoid alcohol, and take no medications. Turns out being happy with myself and content with my own life really is the best medicine!

If we are happy with ourselves, we are better for our family, friends, and everyone we come in touch with in our lives. Good vibrations really can make a difference. So step out of your comfort zone and into the unknown, spread your wings and let your SoulBird fly!

Trying new foods is one of the great pleasures of travel. Sometimes it’s easy to make healthy choices. The street food in northern Thailand was amazing – cooked fresh right in front of you at incredibly cheap prices.

However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating well on the road can also be a challenge. It’s easy to make excuses for “little indulgences”.  Case in point – an extra 5-10 pounds I gained enjoying great baked goods in Ireland.

Walking and staying active definitely helps, but what we put into our bodies makes a huge difference in how we look and feel, and more importantly our energy levels. Traveling has opened my eyes to many new possibilities and ideas for eating well and living a healthy lifestyle.

Step one is to think, daydream, about what you really want to do. What is your vision for travel or your future dreams? Maybe start a wish list. It’s sort of like a bucket list, but somehow wish list sounds better. iWish is a fun app to get you started. Think about what makes your heart sing, brings you happiness, brings joy and excitement to your day. Maybe your dream isn’t even travel related – whatever it is – if you dream, and believe it, you can make it happen. 

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”  ~ Vincent van Gogh

Have you ever had great anticipation for something only to find it is not what you expected, or in this case much harder to accomplish than you expected? I have wanted to learn to sail for years, and always enjoy a chance to photograph sailboats. The picture in my mind of just gliding across the water didn’t follow through to the actual skills involved.

I have always heard that travel changes a person, but had no idea at the start of this journey how profound these changes would be.

It all started with the planning process and the letting go of “things” almost an entire year before setting out for Ecuador. I had no idea what freedom would come with the simplicity of having only a few material possessions. It’s hard to believe I was recently able to fit all my worldly possessions into one vehicle, but more about that later.

Vilcabamba – what can I say about Vilcabamba – paradise, oasis, sanctuary? It was a place like no other that I visited in Ecuador or anyplace else for that matter. Nestled in the Southern Andes it is referred to as the Longevity Valley. It is unclear why, but there are stories of an uncommon number of residents over the age of 100. Some theories behind this phenomenon are the minerals in the water, the healthy diet, exercise, and laid back lifestyle.

Our next stop was Ingapirca, an Inca-Canari archaeological site. My guide David shared interesting facts about the history of the area along with details of the exceptional stonecutting done by the Incas.

On day 18 of my 25 day road trip in Ecuador, we drove from Banos to Alausi. Like so many other days on the road, it was full of amazing landscapes, beautiful Andean indigenous people, and interesting sites along the way.

Baños de Agua Santa, commonly referred to as Baños, was the perfect place to rejuvenate and “clean myself up” after four days in the jungle. While staying at the Sangay Spa Hotel right next to a beautiful waterfall, I was able to send my clothes out to actually be laundered in something other than dirty sink water; took a long, hot shower with clean water; and got a much needed mani/pedi to dig out the remainder of the jungle mud. All that followed by an awesome Ayurvedic massage (the prices are very cheap here for massages) and I felt like a new person! It was so relaxing to take leisurely walks around the peaceful, tranquil city.

In Ecuador the jungle area is called the Oriente. It is on the eastern side of the country and even though it encompasses almost half of Ecuador’s territory it has less than five percent of the total population.

My trip to the Cuyabeno reserve in the Amazon began with a 30-minute flight from Quito to Lago Agrio (I swear when I got off the plane it smelled green).

While I’ve enjoyed all the people of Ecuador,  the beautiful countryside and the people who live in the indigenous communities  have really intrigued me.  They are obviously strong, hard working people.

The women, even the very elderly, always have a baby, an animal, or something on their back as they walk up and down these mountains and hills. Quite often there would be large groups working the fields.  Even more amazing to me is how most continue to dress in their traditional clothing. Each group has their own individual style, colors, or hats which makes it easy to distinguish what region they are from. There is a peacefulness about the smooth skinned women with the shy smiles and men with long braids down their backs that is so interesting

On day 10 of my 25 day road trip we drove to National Park Cotopaxi. Unfortunately as we began the hike to the refuge from 14000 ft. to 15000 ft and then on to the glacier, I had my first problem with altitude since arriving in Ecuador. My head began to pound and I started having tunnel vision, so we came back down. I’ll have to try and tackle that one again the next time I’m in Ecuador!

Other than the hot soak and great nature walks, my favorite thing at Papallacta was the use of a hair dryer. It was the first place I have stayed in weeks where I could actually blow my hair dry. I’ve slowly gotten rid of extra weight in my suitcase along the way and I’m down to pretty much using sunscreen & bug spray for makeup and skin conditioner, no hair products, washing my clothes in the sink, and hoping they will at least be close to dry by the next morning. Trying to find that perfect balance between a life of simplicity and those creature comforts I still love.

After a cozy night’s sleep by the fire we made a visit to Cayambe volcano, an amazing 4WD up rocky roads with long drop offs to the side of the road. While making a tight turn in the road our vehicle stalled and after several tries, we realized it was not going to start back up.

Looking back at the long windy road we had just ascended, there wasn’t a car in sight and of course there was no cell service.

The Pan-American Highway passes through Tulcán, over the Rumichaca bridge and on into the Bolívar province of Colombia. We had planned to visit the closest Colombian town to the border, Ipiales, but things were a little shaky the week of my visit so we decided it best to alter that part of the trip. David did want me to see the busy border crossing which is full of activity and money-changers on both sides of the border. (Ecuador uses the United States dollar, but Columbia uses the peso). So… I spent 3 minutes in Columbia, crossing the border, and then right back to Ecuador.

After another huge breakfast (I’ve eaten so much here!) we continued north through the Ibarra valley with beautiful views of the subtropical landscapes of the rich Imbabura province.  Just before crossing into the Carchi province we drove through the Chota valley.

From Quito we took a beautiful drive north through the Guayllabamba valley, and the north part of Cayambe valley. Just as we entered the province of Imbabura we stopped for this scenic view along the Pan-American Highway.

My original plan was to travel throughout Ecuador on my own, but several factors, including the weight of my suitcase and my limited Spanish, sent me on another path. After several emails back and forth with Dennis at Guanguiltagua Expeditions, I was all set with a 4-wheel drive vehicle and driver for a 25 day road trip. I happily settled on dry land at the Hotel de La Rábida in Quito upon my return from the Galapagos, and enjoyed two nights in a quiet little room next to the courtyard guarded by the bunny named Brownie.