Friendships and relationships — near or far — are fundamental to who we are. This becomes especially true in midlife, when so many roles and routines shift.

Think of all the people in your life — friends, acquaintances, kind strangers — each brings something different, like a rainbow arching over your life, full of colour and variation.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but I believe the opposite. Curiosity gives us energy. It propels us forward to learn, to connect, and to experience life more fully.

As I said goodbye to a new friend who kindly dropped me at the airport after my longer stay in Oman, I felt a wave of gratitude for all the connections that have come into my life during this chapter.

Who Are You When You're Free?

When are you most you?
At home?
Away on a trip?
With friends?

Our identities shift throughout the day, throughout our lives. But travel gifts us something rare — the freedom to step into our truest selves. It liberates us from the expectations of who we’re “meant” to be at home, in our day-to-day roles. Travel lets us explore the version of ourselves we most want to live into.

In the past 18 months, I’ve made so many connections. Not because I was lonely before — I wasn’t. I’d built a beautiful community after emigrating to Australia 12 years ago. I still have those friends and feel deeply grateful for them. But I’ve always been someone who seeks out new friendships, and I honestly believe it’s travel that made me that way.

In my 20s, I lived and travelled across Asia, collecting connections like postcards. This past year and a half, I’ve caught up with old friends I hadn’t seen in years — and time didn’t matter. The energy was still there. That’s the magic of real connection.

Travel Sparks Connection

Travel creates space for special bonds to form — quickly, deeply, and often unexpectedly. You might meet a best friend on a 14-hour bus ride or a two-day train journey.

I recently did a cooking class in Kuching and met incredible people — all younger than me — and it reminded me: travel is not a just a young person’s game anymore.

You bond differently over shared adventure. You’re both drawn to that place at that time, for reasons unknown — but deeply felt. And age has no bearing on it…well except when you might be scrabbling along a rock face... (see my other article! - https://www.midlifebutterflies.com/blog/fear-is-a-compass-lessons-from-a-wadi-in-oman)

There are so many women out there — solo travelling, joining groups, attending retreats. We’re the fastest-growing travel market. Even with single supplements, we still go. Because we know the value.

Precious Moments, Lifelong Lessons

Who have you made friends with on a short trip?
Can you remember a moment — a cup of tea, a shared chat — that still makes you smile?

These are precious memories. Travel offers a different kind of connection — one that’s stripped of obligation or identity. You are you in that moment. Free to be who you choose. It’s an intoxicating kind of freedom, one that’s harder to access in the daily routines of life.

In the past 18 months, I’ve:

• Shared tea with a beautiful woman on a train in India
• Sat with an elderly gentleman in Kochi for hours discussing history and philosophy
• Bonded with a French traveller I journeyed with for two days
• Chatted daily with two young Pakistani men who made my morning coffee, one of whom told me, “You and your sister are beautiful people with kind hearts” — a moment that humbled me
• Met a local woman on the Kinabatangan River in Borneo, living her passion by guiding others through her environment with care and love
• Connected with a local artist in Oman, whose words wove spiritual depth, historical insight, and personal truth into every conversation

These were moments of heart. Moments of mind. Moments that humbled me with the true beauty of human connection and shared stories and moments like these.

Growth Through Every Exchange

From every person I meet, I learn.
About them.
About the world.
About myself.

I hear different histories. Different worldviews. Different ways of being. And sometimes, from a single conversation, something shifts — a new idea, a different path, a spark of possibility. You may return to something you once loved. You may uncover a talent you never knew you had. Or maybe, for the first time, you’ll feel ready to try something new.

We Are Wired for Connection

Human beings are social by nature. Research shows that relationships are one of the strongest predictors of health and happiness in midlife and beyond.

Loneliness, on the other hand, can be deeply damaging — mentally, emotionally, and physically.

So if you're sitting there wondering “Where’s my tribe?” — maybe it’s time to go out and find them. 

Join a group. Take that trip. Try paddleboarding. Enrol in that local course you’ve seen for something you’ve always wanted to try. In the last few years I’ve tried sewing, baking, pottery, crochet… Why not?

You are not too old.
You are not behind.
You are not alone.

Travel reminds you of the simple truth: we are more alike than different. The news may make you afraid — but people, real people, are overwhelmingly kind. We all want the same things. Love. Safety. Joy. Purpose.

My Mission

I want to be of service to people. That’s why I do this. That’s why I created Midlife Butterflies™.

Because I believe travel is a magical tool — for clarity, for connection, for transformation.

But not just any trip.
A considered trip.
A purposeful one.

One where you ask:

• Why do I want to go there?
• What am I ready to learn?
• What might I discover about myself?

Transformation isn’t linear. It’s cyclical. Like nature. Like life.

But in midlife, you have a chance to be intentional. To become more present. To shift your mindset. To start your next chapter with awareness and heart.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find your people along the way.

✨ Take This With You: 7 Ways to Find Connection Through Travel

1. Follow Your Curiosity.
   Let curiosity guide your choices — whether it’s striking up a conversation, trying a new dish, or exploring a cultural activity. Curiosity leads to connection.
2. Say Yes to Small Moments.
   Smile back. Accept the tea. Join the group hike. The smallest gestures can open the door to beautiful conversations and unexpected friendships.
3. Travel with Intention.
   Ask yourself: Why this place? Why now? Create space before your trip to set a personal intention — whether it's to connect, reflect, rest, or grow.
4. Release the ‘Home You’.
   Give yourself permission to show up as just ‘you’, amazing special you— not your role, title, or routines. Travel enables you to explore who you are beyond your everyday life.
5. Write it Down.
   Keep a small travel journal. Jot down the names, places, moments, and quotes from the people you meet. It helps you stay present and deepen the learning. It will give you endless smiles in the future and remind you of how you felt in those moments of travel.
6. Look for Shared Passions.
   Join a class, a retreat, or a walking tour that speaks to your interests — creativity, nature, food, spirituality. Shared passions create fast bonds.
7. Stay Open to the Unexpected.
   Not every connection will become a lifelong friendship — but every exchange holds meaning. Be open. Be kind. Be willing to be surprised.