Ageless Adventure
Does society discourage women from grander adventures?
With the New Year unfolding, have you thought about what’s on your bucket list for this year? Maybe a bit of adventure?
Caroline Paul is a a role model as a female adventurer. She’s mountain biked in the Andes, climbed Denali and sought adventure wherever possible. As she ages, she continues to push her bounds. But she asks: Why aren’t women, like men, encouraged to keep adventuring into old age? And what, exactly constitutes “old age”?
As an aging boomer myself, Caroline’s story resonates strongly. Do we discourage women (at any age) from being more adventurous? What are the societal standards we consciously and unconsciously tell our children? And what are the stories we convey about women as they approach their sixties and beyond? Is it a story of frality and decline, or one of continuous learning and adventure?
Caroline’s perspective will get you thinking. Thinking about what it is you truly want to do, especially in the outdoors. Because it’s in the outdoors that we find awe, adventure and often meaning. Come join the conversation.
And let me know what YOU think about women, aging and adventure!
I suspect that the reason society discourages women from being adventurous - at any age - is a remnant of the days when women's and men's roles in society were more clearly defined. Rightly or wrongly women were traditionally better suited to remaining at home, having and caring for children. Only women can produce children. Historically, men killed in battles or when hunting for food could be replaced. Fewer men do not necessarily mean fewer children to ensure the survival of the species, fewer women most certainly do.
Thankfully, this discouragement seems to be waning. On my Camino de Santiago adventure in 2019, I encountered more women older than my (then) 69 than older men. Many were in their 70s and one amazing Australian woman of 84 had just completed the final 100km (60miles) with her daughter.
I’m taking off in March on a semi-solo adventure. The UAE with a guide for 3 days and on my own for 2. Then joining Smithsonian Journeys for 2 weeks on the Silk Road. I’ll stop in Korea for a few days and then return home. I decided that before I hit my 8th decade, it’s time to do some of the distant things I have on my list.