Inspiring travel and discovery among curious women 60+.
Ah, Buenos Aires. The first time you visit any city, you can’t do it all. Sometimes budget constraints limit options, or the allotted time slips away. Thanks to a great itinerary put together by Yampu Tours, I experienced some of the best of Buenos Aires in a way that made me want to return. I’m sure I’ll go back for more…. Continue reading “First time in Buenos Aires? 5 Things I loved!”
Fashion and style expert Lee Sable has contributed to this blog from the beginning – her Twinkle Toes piece remains one of 3 Score’s best-read posts. Her unimpeachable eye, flair, and whimsy are informed by a lifelong career in international fashion. Pom poms are now on her radar…
Lee found the pom-pom bag, above, at Linda’s@Bergdorf Goodman.
Otherwise, options galore…
Spring is a sign of regeneration and nowhere is that more evident than in Italy’s central province of Umbria. The wisteria’s vibrancy sends the bees into a frenzy of activity, the iris’ delicate white blossoms bump up against the woody grape vines and trees ripe with spring growth; the season’s unfolding is something to behold.
Umbria is beautiful all year round, but spring may just its peak. The following photo essay was drawn from the area around Civitella del Lago, a small village above a ‘lake’ formed by a dam on the river Tiber. The town is located in between Todi and Perugia, in central Umbria.
Here are some reasons to see Umbria in the spring….
Continue reading “5 reasons why you should see Umbria’s amazing spring”
© 2017 3 Score & More
If you suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), you know travel can be a challenge. But it doesn’t mean you’re stuck at home!
With the following pro tips, and proper RA management, the best of travel is there for you.
For solid advice, we turn to the experts in the video below.
Dr. Grace C. Wright, a noted Rheumatologist and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at New York University’s Langone School of Medicine.
With her is Maria an RA patient, sharing her experiences as a traveler with RA. Maria has built a successful company and active lifestyle and wishes to be presented by first name only.
Choose your destination and safe travels!
© 2018 Jane Trombley
Editor’s Note: This originally published on Medium, addressing Millennials. Feel free to pass it along…
Hey twenty-somethings, now it’s your turn.
It doesn’t have to be travel, but it could be.
Remember “take your child to work” day when you were a kid?
Some employers made it a big deal, providing a plethora of snacks and diversionary activities so you could mingle with other employee’s children. After all, the worker bees still had to work.
If super lucky, you played with an ancient computer, ravaged through the desk, went to lunch.
Beyond the excitement of a ‘free’ day from school, you got a glimpse of the mysterious adult world of work.
And now you’re in that adult world with the laid bare: the need for an income.
It turns out the work part is but a piece of the adulthood puzzle.
Here’s another piece:
Take on the adult role of the host: invite your parent/s to join you. Maybe for just an afternoon, maybe for an overnight, perhaps for just a day trip.
WHAAAT?
Before the anticipated WTF moment hijacks your amygdala and you close down this post in disgust, or before your partner/spouse says, “over my dead body,” hear me out.
It’s the actual marker of having passed beyond adolescence.
If you can’t make it through a holiday dinner with your parents, a longer duration is not in the cards. You can stop reading now.
But for the rest of you, this is an opportunity to cultivate a more vibrant relationship. You’ll be the winner.
Sure they drive you nuts.
You drive them nuts.
But here’s what’s in it for you
Experience your parents as people.
Your parent/s may not be the uptight jerk/s you think they are.
They may be entirely different people over drinks than over the Thanksgiving table with the insufferable Aunt Susie.
Your invitation to spend time together may reveal some unrealized truths.
Isn’t it time to find out?
Give your parents the opportunity to witness your maturity.
You’re probably not the narcissistic jerk your parents think you are — or thought you were.
A near-universal dictate is that parents become smarter after their children turn 25. The reverse holds true: adult children become less annoying, and more interesting after they turn 25.
In truth, age 25 is considered a significant milestone. It’s not just an adage; behavioral science tells us that by the mid-20’s a person’s mindset becomes more long-range and less self-centered. Thanks, hormones.
Consider the value of building social skills.
Your parents taught you your primary language, how to ride a bike. Now you can use interaction with them as a tutorial honing advanced social navigation skills.
It will serve you very well in any number of your own personal or professional interactions.
What do I mean by this? Mull over these scenarios:
The Difficult Conversation. It’s often political. How do you disarm without offense? If you can do it with your father or father-in-law, you can do it with a client.
Too Much Booze.This is different from your pal over-indulging. Perfect the social pirouette of ‘getting mom to bed’ after that one-too-many daiquiris. Swap out “mom” for the tipsy sales prospect. See the connection?
Disaster Museum Visit. Not every plan is going to hit the mark. Vagaries abound. It can rain, it can be too hot, too cold, too far to walk.
But again, to use the work analogy: what happens when your PowerPoint presentation goes awry? Or when the wrong facts embedded in the “killer” summary prepared for your boss’s boss are your responsibility?
You pivot, you scramble, you concoct Plan B on the fly. It’s no different here.
Consider it a low-risk training exercise for life.
Parents want a touchstone to your adult lives and not be left behind.
Parents of adult children (and I am one, so I speak with authority) value nothing more than the gift of your time.
If you can treat, great; pride will burst their buttons, and it’s arguably the fast track to heaven.
But this isn’t about your credit line; it’s about your calendar. The true gift is your time. Parent/s know that.
Make it an afternoon, an overnight. A long weekend. Plan as a surprise or dive into the planning process together.
Agree on some ground rules from the git-go.
- This event is not a make-over. Of your life or theirs.
- This is not an intervention. There is another time and place for that.
- You are not inviting them to opine on your life choices, nor will you opine on theirs
- If your politics are at polarity, then put that topic in the no-fly zone.
- If there is disapproval of either’s partner, lifestyle, or choices, well, likewise.
You know what will work. You know the buttons that can get pushed. Get agreement on not pushing them, or having them pushed — by anyone.
You’re a grown-up. You have more power, more leverage than you think. You can set the guidelines. It’s your party.
Let’s get specific.
You might be booking away WITHOUT finishing this article. If so, you’re welcome.
Otherwise here are some tips and tricks:
- Make it pretty local as transportation can escalate the costs.
- Is it realistic to tie in a sibling? Possibly tie in a sibling?
- Play to parent interests:
– A favorite sport? A favorite team?
– Culture/museums/city day or weekend
– Country day or weekend
– Spa/Yoga/hair
– Cooking weekend
- Play to joint interests
– Active stuff like hiking, biking, golf, sailing
You know your family’s interests better than I do.
A final word.
Do it. Do it now.
It gets more complicated with time.
It’s you who has the time constraint.
It’s you who has the distractions (or will) of family, spouse/significant other, job obligations. Working like crazy. Building that start-up — or the next start- up. Or the one after that.
It’s you whose life is the expanding universe with options, choices, obligations, decisions, and demands that are concurrent with the most productive years of your life.
Before things get too crazy, plan the time. You won’t regret it.
Who knows? This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. One that has been decades in the making.
Let me know how it goes.
Copyright 2018 Jane Trombley
This article first appeared in Medium.
Today we’re taking another step to expand 3 Score’s purview and celebrate a special birthday (my granddaughter, Ava).
Ava turned one earlier in April, at the start of National Poetry Month.
So it seemed only natural to ask Elephant and Giraffe to join in.
Continue reading “Celebrating a Special Birthday With Poetry”
We get to retirement, or close, and the siren song of travel beckons. But to travel solo?
Finally, the planets are aligned: time, treasure (ok, budget treasure), and a talent for discovery. We want to go, and yet lingering doubt perceived roadblocks. No one wants to go where you want to go.
A travel partner becomes unable to go.A recent loss alters the course of your life, not to mention travel plans.
It doesn’t take much to upend rickety self-confidence.
“Travel solo at my age? I don’t think so.” So goes the refrain in your head.
Try this refrain instead:”Travel solo at my age? Why the hell not?!”
Need some reasons to pack those bags? Read on.
If you want to go luxury, then go luxury. Some of the best travel I’ve done has been on a more restrained budget, allowing me to see more of the “real” destination, not just a fancy hotel.
Perhaps counter-intuitive, but true in my experience.
Tour companies and travel agents are happy to accommodate you and mix and match to meet your budget. Often, they will cite a “base price,” and you can tweak from there.
A firm I’ve used, and heartily recommend for their customization, is Yampu Tours. They offer a wealth of travel experiences, at every price point.
The best part? A travel consultant pop-up window will greet you on their website. Honestly, it’s a chance to talk to a real human about what you might want to do, where you might like go. Even if you have no real idea.
Another tour company that specializes in solo women travelers is Overseas Adventure Travel. And the dreaded single supplement? Nope, gone.
Think about it — there are probably 3–4 (ok, maybe more) places you’ve secretly wanted to go. For a variety of reasons it didn’t work: no interest from spouse, friend, family. No time. You put it off.
That’s what I’m here to say: in your 60’s the “putting it off” is no longer a valid excuse.
Now, my friend is your time. So think about that place you’ve always wanted to go because the help is there to make it happen.
Maybe the best part of travel at 60+, and particularly a solo journey, is that you needn’t answer to anyone. If you want to spa, go for it. Tours, soaking up the local culture, language classes.
Introduce yourself to the world. It is waiting to meet you.
If you want an immersive activity, it’s there, too. I like Yampu’s approach to immersive travel and their volunteer opportunities in particular.
It needn’t be the entire trip, but if the opportunity to interact with the local population — and with children, especially — resonates with you, there are ample opportunities to fold that into your experience.
It’s just one of the many advantages of solo travel. Your trip, your terms.
Some would say so. I’d say that by the time you’ve reached your early 60’s you’ve earned the right to make your own decisions. Chart your course.
This doesn’t mean you are abandoning your family or your commitment to those things important to your life.
It does mean that you are answering to your self, to your wishes, and perhaps to the fulfillment of a life’s dream.It’s not selfishness, it’s self-affirmation.
It does mean that you are bold enough, confident enough to strike out on your own.
Good for you!
Take that kernel of self-truth, listen to your inner voice that says, “I’d like to see Hawaii” and book it. Rarely, if ever, does your intuition lie.
It comes down to this:
If the choice is between going solo and not going at all, there is only one answer: book the trip.
And please become a 3 Score Traveler by posting a photo on Instagram: @3scoreandmore.
Editor’s note: The original version of this post appeared Saturday, March 24th on Medium.com. It marks an expansion of topics covered by 3 Score & More to include those which resonate and are part of our larger societal conversations. I look forward to your thoughts and reactions. – Jane
Dear Young Activists,
RE: #marchforourlives
Please, please don’t give up. Don’t give in. And by all means, vote in every election, local through federal, at every opportunity, for the rest of your lives.
Saturday, March 24th was the national no, international, March For Our Lives. Driven by outrage, fear, empathy, the protests represent a commitment to finally, irrevocably, change the storyline.
Emma Gonzalez’s moving speech (or lack of it) was simply riveting.
It redefined what 6 minutes mean. Actions speak louder than words.
– You are calling it what it is. Gun violence in our schools and communities.
– You are insisting on changes to our laws to eliminate easy access to militarized weapons, tarted up for consumer use.
– You are respectful of the Second Amendment, important to many and foundational to our national identity.
– You have reframed the argument from an attack on our “rights” to an attack on our lives. All of our lives. You have changed the conversation.
– You have put the key issue — gun violence — squarely in your sights, to use an unfortunate metaphor. Bravo. And thank you.
Thanks to the #Parkland students who have admirably, bravely and coherently led the charge in the wake of unspeakable tragedy.
They have awakened and empowered their generation, and today we see a groundswell of unwavering support. And action.
You have, or will soon have, the power of the ballot box. It’s something my generation didn’t have at the height of the Vietnam War protests in 1968.
Would the 1968 election turned out differently if the voting age had been 18, not 21? We’ll never know.
As a result, we had the draft. You have the right to vote. Use it. It’s a powerful weapon.
From one Boomer, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Copyright 2018 Jane Trombley All rights reserved.
On bustling Ocean Avenue in Miami’s South Beach, there is a 1940’s era hotel called The Betsy.
3 Score’s guest blogger Paula Forman shared her experience there in 2017. This time I joined her and two other friends for a mid-winter get-away. It was the tonic we needed, but for reasons that surprised me. Ready for an update?
I knew The Betsy to be a luxury hotel. I did not anticipate it to be such an oasis of culture. Continue reading “How to be a culture maven: The Betsy, Miami’s South Beach”
Using Airbnb for the first time can be daunting. Concerns abound. Maybe it’s just for kids, you think. Or, you’d rather have the safety of a hotel. Maybe as a solo traveler, the idea of an apartment is not inviting. Questions arise. What if the apartment isn’t as advertised, or the location is near…..nothing. What if the host isn’t there to meet me? How do I get the keys? Who can I ask for restaurant suggestions? You’ve got some questions, here are some answers to ensure the best Airbnb experience…. Continue reading “5 insider tips to ensure the best Airbnb experience”
Travel insurance is a considered choice and, frankly, sometimes not necessary. However, it is absolutely essential for an older American traveler with international destinations in mind. The primary reason is adequate medical coverage. Employer-based medical coverage may be sufficient (check your policy), but Medicare falls far short outside the U.S. Supplemental “Medigap” policies will provide you with only very limited coverage if you become sick or injured abroad. Furthermore, you’ll want to protect your international travel investment against an array of mishaps, from lost luggage to unforeseen cancellations. Here’s how to find the right travel insurance plan for you. Continue reading “How to find the best trip insurance at 60+”
3 Score Travelers: here is your chance to show your travel triumphs on Instagram as the #3scoretraveler of the week!
What to do:
1. Just post of photo of yourself (extra points for selfies) on your travels to your public Instagram account (What! You’re not on Instagram? Here you go…). Charming descriptions appreciated by not necessary.
2. Tag @3scoreandmore, so we are notified of your great pix, and please include the hashtag #3scoretraveler. That’s it!
We’ll choose one photo a week to feature on 3 Score’s Instagram feed and all across our social world (think Twitter and Facebook).
This may not put you in the ranks of Beyoncé or Oprah on social media, but we’ll tag you back so you know it’s out there.
And besides, we 3 Score Travelers need to tell the world we’re out there!
Thank you!
The long-awaited 3 Score & More newsletter, SCORE CARD, is soon to be a thing. A real thing in your inbox every month. Filled with extra news, tips, and resources, additional content not on the blog.
It’s worth signing up for, even to just give it a whirl. No penalty for unsubscribing, but I’m betting you won’t want to let it go.
Fill out the form just to the upper right of this post, and we’ll be all set.
Again thank you!
Happy trails, and remember:
Cheers,
Jane
© 2018 3 Score & More All rights reserved