She prepares to travel...

	Planning an adventure holiday involving hiking or a considerable amount of walking? If you're not already involved in fitness activities, consider beginning an appropriate exercise program at least a month before your departure. Make sure that you have the correct footwear. Remember that new boots need breaking in before the start of your journey or you will learn the very hard way about very big blisters.
	If you don't own a backpack, now's the time to become a true Journeywoman. Choose one designed to fit the special contours of a woman's body and then do daily training walks to get used to the weight and feel of your new bag. You can start light and work your way up to carrying full capacity.
	If you're experiencing the hot flashes of menopause, pack a wardrobe of "layers" that can easily be adjusted to your fluctuating body temperature.
	A small magnifying glass is perfect for reading the tiny print on maps. And, be sure to pack a second pair of glasses, just in case your first is misplaced or lost.You might also want to back everything up with your most recent eyewear prescription so that the purchase of new glasses does not become a hassle.
	Remember to carry your doctor and dentist's contact information including telephone, fax and e-mail. Hopefully you won't need them at all, but just in case you do, be prepared. Pack medications in your carryon bag where they are safe and won?t get lost. Finally, make very sure that you have adequate health and travel insurance. Never, ever leave home without it. Safe journeys, everybody.

Women's words on getting older...

I'm not to blame for an old body, but I would be to blame for an old soul. An old soul is a shameful thing.
(Margaret Deland, Doctor Lavender's People, 1903)

Is it not possible that middle age can be looked upon as a period of second flowering, second growth, even a kind of second adolescence?
(Anne Murrow Lindberg, Gift From the Sea, 1995)

Middle age is when you find out where the action is so you can go someplace else.
(Patricia Penton Leimbach, All My Meadows, 1977)

Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force.
(Dorothy Sayers, Clouds of Witness, 1926)

I knew I was getting older, certainly not by how I felt, but because young men in Italy were no longer trying to pinch my bum. (Evelyn Hannon, Journeywoman creator, 2001)

Read these articles yet..?

Over the years, Journeywoman has published a wonderful collection of travel stories written by older women. Here are three very special ones that are listed in our archives. Take your pick from the list below.

Grandmas Trace Their Own Grandma's Roots

Greek Female in Heat

She's 50 -- She Climbed Kilimanjaro

Hot water bottles...

I learned this tip from a superb older woman who was also a great traveller. She wrote...

Whether you're older or younger, always pack a hot water bottle in your backpack. It's light and takes up little room but it is a blessing when temperatures dip and you're cold during the night. Just fill your bag with hot, hot water (which is almost always available) and tuck it into bed with you. Say goodbye to the shivers, hello to toasty toes.

(Source: Evelyn Hannon, Journeywoman)