GRAND Magazine - September/October 2016 - 2

Sell Your House and Experience the World:

Then Peggy received an email invitation from

my own," she says. "When my husband passed

an educational travel organization called

away, I promised myself that I would never ever

A Nomadic Grandmother Tells Her Story

Road Scholar about a safari in South Africa, a

let fear stop me from experiencing life."

her list. "I didn't even take a breath. I signed up,"
ccording to AARP, 37
percent of travelers over

45 have tried going solo. Solo travel
is on the rise for baby boomers
and beyond, especially for solo

destination that had always been at the top of

she says. "That impulsive decision transformed
my life." Peggy sold her home and now travels 60
percent of the year. She has been on over 20
Road Scholar programs, nine of them as a
solo traveler.

For Peggy, she was looking to learn, and that's

that over 20 percent of women are

why she decided to travel with Road Scholar.

hesitant to travel solo versus only

"Road Scholar is not a tour company; it's a travel

7 percent of male travelers.1

learning adventure," says Peggy. "I think of them
as a university of the world."

Considering traveling solo?
Peggy Johnston may just be the

Peggy wasn't afraid of making this epic life

push you need.

change. "I'm not personally afraid of traveling on

that I wanted and needed to start
a new life," she said. "I wanted to
learn more about other places and
cultures."

granddaughter.

of travelers who share your same interests.

encouragement; research shows

her life changed forever. "I knew

Adventure with her daughter and her 10-year-old

traveling on your own by going with a group

their own may need a little extra

two months after her retirement,

year, she went on her first Road Scholar Family

their first solo trip, Peggy suggests easing into

who are considering traveling on

died unexpectedly in 2007 just

and travel down to the next generations. Last

For boomer women who are hesitant to book

female travelers. But women

When Peggy Johnston's husband

Peggy is now passing that love of learning

http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/
general/2014/AARP-Travel-Research-Solo-Travel-AARP-res-gen.pdf

Thinking of trying
your first solo trip?
Contact the boomer educational travel experts
at Road Scholar to learn more about their
learning adventures around the world, or browse
their top destinations for solos.

Visit us online or call toll free at (877) 426-8056.
Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in lifelong learning since 1975.

http://www.roadscholar.org http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/general/2014/AARP-Travel-Research-Solo-Travel-AARP-res-gen.pdf https://www.roadscholar.org/collections/intergenerational/ https://www.roadscholar.org/collections/intergenerational/ http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/general/2014/AARP-Travel-Research-Solo-Travel-AARP-res-gen.pdf http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/general/2014/AARP-Travel-Research-Solo-Travel-AARP-res-gen.pdf https://www.roadscholar.org/about/contact-us/ http://www.roadscholar.org https://www.roadscholar.org/special-offers/singles-at-no-extra-cost http://www.roadscholar.org/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - September/October 2016