Travel over 50. Travel over 60. Midlife travel. Senior travel. Regardless of the label, being a traveler of a certain age can come with surprises. Big ones and small ones. Good surprises and not so good. Through them all, we are never too old to learn, discover, and change our thinking.

To celebrate my 65th birthday and official entry into the Senior Citizens’ Discounts & Freebies Club, I spent a month traveling on an “expedition” across the Antarctic Circle to Antarctica, and in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.

I had concerns leading up to the trip. “Passive observations of passenger fitness onboard” by the expedition crew. Motion sickness and vertigo crossing the Drake Passage. Bathroom breaks and potty pauses during Antarctic excursions. Those inflatable Zodiac rafts. Mosquitoes and too-high hiking trails in South America.

I need not have worried. All went well. I did well, surprising myself. In fact, there were many surprises, delights, and unexpected occurrences during this month-long journey. Here are 10 random ones, in no particular order.

---

Surprised and (Usually) Delighted

1

Zodiacs are awesome. The thing I was most nervous about — the Zodiac inflatable rafts — turned out to be my favorite part of the Antarctica expedition. That was a shocker. The first Zodiac excursion was frightening. More on that later. But after that, I became more confident and looked forward to getting out on the ocean and close to wildlife. These inflatable rafts became a highlight of my days on the ship, and I grew to prefer cruising the ocean on the Zodiacs over the actual landings. I never expected that. By the way, I had no bathroom issues. My strategy for that wasn’t ideal, however, and left me dehydrated and eventually led to a bladder infection. Rookie mistake, but all is well now.

2

Tons of young’uns. OK, sorry, but I have to say this. What was up with all the young Instagrammers and YouTubers on this Antarctica expedition? And they were not traveling with Mom and/or Dad. I must say, I expected to see midlife-and-older folks like me on the ship, and all of those folks I talked to said the same thing. One even told me an expedition crew member had noted that our sailing had the youngest average age ever of all their Antarctica sailings. We all were surprised by how many “kids“ (anyone my son’s age — 31 — or younger is a “kid” to me) were taking this trip. When I was a single 20-something, I was battling depression and recovering from a very nearly successful suicide attempt. I was starting to invest my little bit of money in my first stock funds and buying a fixer-upper as my first house. I didn’t have any money for a five-figure expedition to Antarctica. Nor did I have the time or even the desire. Going on an expedition across the Antarctic Circle never even crossed my mind until after I retired at 59. But work life today has changed, and these “kids” have different priorities now. And they’re not wrong. What if I had prioritized traveling the world in my 20s and 30s? How might that have changed me as a person? As a parent? Perhaps shaped me into a more joyful, confident, adventurous, and bolder woman sooner? Or, maybe a nicer and more patient person? Nah! But, damn, I could’ve been badass all this time!

3

Emotion overload. I was surprised at my emotional response to Antarctica. I was overwhelmed by the majesty of it all. The unspoiled, quiet yet powerful, massive yet fragile beauty. I don’t think there has been another time when I’ve felt so small. I didn’t expect to spend so many pensive moments pondering life and second-guessing choices. I really missed my son and wished he were there to see the continent with me. I wished I could witness his awe. What will Antarctica look like when he is my age? Maybe he should do what those “kids” on the expedition did. Go now. Before it’s too late.

4

Not special. Apparently, Antarctic Circle expeditions are a thing now for birthday celebrations, 65 or not. Who knew? I mean, how dare those other passengers make me not special! Right? By my count, more than 10 percent of us onboard had February birthdays, all of which were celebrated with birthday cakes, cards, and embarrassingly loud serenades by the crew nearly every night at dinner. I quickly got over my pouting surprise at having to share my milestone birthday spotlight with a stranger who also turned 65, after she told us her husband of 40 years had phoned her from his job right before the expedition to tell her he was leaving her for his co-worker. Surprise! Yikes. Big hugs, birthday cake, and a bottle of bourbon for her.

5

Special after all. I was delighted and surprised to find out that federal law in Brazil mandates that all senior citizens receive priority treatment, including access to special priority lines at airports and tourist attractions. This. Was. Awesome. Yeah, I maybe felt a tad guilty in Rio de Janeiro’s GIG airport as I breezed past a serpentine line of folks at passport control, but, hey, I qualify, so breeze I did. And at the super-crowded Christ the Redeemer landmark statue on Mount Corcovado, my entire tour van of visitors was able to drive right up to the park entrance because I am a senior. You’re welcome, youngsters. Here in Portugal, the law requires persons 65 and older — called “idosos” (WTF?) — to have an evident disability or impairment to receive priority treatment, so this idosa does not qualify.

6

Language love. I was surprised by how thrilled I was to hear the Portuguese language in South America. Many Spanish-speaking locals in Argentina and Uruguay assumed I was Brazilian and spoke limited Portuguese phrases to me: Bom dia (good morning/good day) and muito obrigado/obrigada (many thanks). In Brazil, the national language is Portuguese and, despite the heavy accent and slightly different vocabulary and grammar, I immediately felt at home.

7

Tango Tambo. I was surprised to learn that both Argentina and Uruguay claim to be the birthplace of tango. Of course, the true roots of tango are African, an origin story I found missing from mainstream tours in both countries, but addressed in afrocentric tours in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

8

Inspiring women. I was delighted more than surprised by the number of solo midlife and senior women adventure travelers I met on the ship. Women over 50, 60, and 70 on the Antarctic Circle expedition as part of months-long trekking and camping adventures throughout South America, Africa, and Asia. Women who looked like me. Women of color. Grandmothers. Divorced, married, widowed, and never-married women. Women who were retired. Women still working. Their unbridled sense of adventure, bold explorations of remote lands, and enthusiastic embrace of possibilities were inspiring and thrilling. Again, I couldn’t help but wonder how my life would look if I had made the travel choices they had.

9

Portugal love. I was surprised by the strength of my heartfelt connection to my home in Portugal. I cheered in surprised delight when I saw the Portuguese flag flying on our expedition ship. That was completely unexpected because the company is based in Australia, and I’d read the ship was German. But it was registered in Madeira, so it flew Portugal’s flag. Yay!

10

Ready for home. It surprised me how much I missed Portugal. I loved this birthday trip and everything about my experience on these two continents. But I was ready to go home at the end. At 59, I traveled around the world as a first-time solo traveler for 70 days after I retired. Now, though, I’ve learned four weeks is my limit. Maybe that’s because I’m a bit older now. Maybe it’s because I’m now coming home to Portugal.

---

When Stuff Happens: Handling the Unexpected

The following images are from the expedition crew photographer. They were shared online with all passengers on this trip.

These photos show our very first Zodiac excursion and landing. Our first time off the ship. We’d already crossed the Antarctic Circle. I’m not going to lie. I was terrified. The water was choppy with large swells, and a surprise blizzard snow squall blew in over the ocean out of nowhere. The Zodiac ride was extremely rough. The crew member’s speech — yelled as the wind was screeching during the ride — explained what to do if a leopard seal bit and punctured the inflatable raft. That was not comforting. Needless to say, I did not let go of the Zodiac ropes on this ride, so no photos.

The rocky landing looked easy but turned out to be quite icy and unexpectedly unstable. When I briefly slipped touched down on all fours in an unintentional scramble on the rocks, I jokingly asked the crew member who reached out to help me if this was part of the observation of passenger fitness. “Yeeup,” he replied. Oh shit.

Though it was cloudy, we were told to wear sunglasses for “snow blindness.” I couldn’t see through my fogged and wet prescription lenses. I couldn’t catch my breath in the strong, icy gusts. Tears and snot were all over my fleece balaclava thanks to the cold and biting wind. (Pro tip: I wore ski goggles after that. They are a better choice than sunglasses. They can fit over regular glasses and have a seal that keeps out wind and prevents fogging and tears.) Eventually, the excursion was halted, and everyone was called back to the ship because of safety concerns as the surprise weather system worsened. 

The crew members (in red jackets) were great. All passengers (in blue jackets) were fine. And I was so happy to have gotten that scary ride over with at the beginning of the expedition because I’d learned I could handle anything after that.

And in related learning, this trip taught me that adventure travelers are liars. When they say a trail or other activity is easy, it’s actually going to be intermediate. When they say something is intermediate, it’s really going to be hard AF and scary. Just saying.

After we set sail through the Drake Passage — which made nearly all of us seasick despite being surprisingly calmer than what had been forecast — passengers were delighted by a gleeful surprise announcement from the crew. Ocean conditions were going to allow the ship to sail as far south as Marguerite Bay (68°S), a rare occurrence that had the crew excited.  

Then, after we crossed the Circle at 66°S and had our first landing, there was another surprise announcement. A medical emergency with a passenger. The passenger was stable, but in the event an evacuation became necessary, Marguerite Bay was too remote. The ship stayed below the Circle, but turned around in case the passenger’s condition worsened. No details were ever offered due to patient confidentiality, but I’m happy to report that we were informed the passenger was recovering. A medical emergency is a horrible surprise that can happen to any traveler, and is of an even greater concern as we age.

---

Travel Your Way

My introspection during this trip taught me a couple things about myself. Travel does that. Travel has the power to teach us about ourselves at any age, but I believe we are more open to absorbing these teachings as we become wiser with the passing years.

I learned I can embrace and honor who and how I am by traveling my own way, regardless of where I am or what surprises I encounter. Even on an “adventure” group expedition to Antarctica. That means one group excursion or tour a day and then quiet time to recharge my introvert battery. A full day packed with multiple group tours or excursions is not my thing, and that’s just fine.

I learned that, while I do set challenge goals for myself that matter to me (I will face my fear and get on a Zodiac so I can take the photos I want to take), and I continually strive to learn new things, I am not trying to “get out of my comfort zone.” On the contrary, tending to my comfort is my priority when I travel. So, no, I am not jumping into the ocean at the Antarctic Circle because everyone else is doing it and it’s a social media moment. I have no FOMO (fear of missing out) and I don’t believe in YOLO (you only live once). That’s bullshit. You live every day. But YODO. I believe in GOMO. Growing on my own. On my own terms.

Thank you for reading! ❤️ May your weekend find you learning and being true to yourself wherever you are.

---

---

Photo Gallery

I shared many images from Antarctica in this previous blog post. Here is my final photo dump.

○ Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguaçu

○ Argentina: Iguazu Falls, Misiones Province, Ushuaia, Buenos Aires

○ Uruguay: Montevideo

○ Antarctica

All photos/videos are my own.

---

Brazil

---

Argentina

---

Uruguay

---

Antarctica

---

---

The Hot Goddess

Instagram: retired_rewired_inspired

---

If you enjoyed this please remember to Share, Like, Follow, Comment, Subscribe. (This is my “call to action” I’m supposed to include in every post. Thanks so much for your support!) ❤

Copyright ©️ 2021-2025 thehotgoddess.com. All rights reserved.