Something for every one
Kicking our heels at 5,500 metres…
Initially I had wanted to name my blog “Beyond 50”. I just thought it was a convenient title for my blogsite as it marks more or less the age at which I decided to make some changes. But then I reconsidered, as the contents are not necessarily intended for people my age or older. I am hoping that the information on the site will help to inspire adults of all ages, after all, age is only a number. You’re never too young or too old to start making changes or to enjoy life beyond the office routine or retirement lassitude. That said, please indulge me for this post, as it does provide a bit of background on how this entire process came about.
We’re all golfers or plastic humans…? Really?
In part, I did some searching around on the internet to see what’s out there in terms of websites aimed at active adults in and around the 50-year age range. Go look online, see if you can find a company that actually targets people between the ages of 50 and retirement – few and very far in between. Yes, there are a few magazines, the odd blog, a lot of real estate projects that target the 55+ group, and hundreds of stock photographs of people doing really low-impact activities – go do an online search, just type in ‘active adults’ and select ‘images’. Of the first 200 or so images that pop up on the screen, I found only 2 that show adults doing anything that was even remotely active, and none of the shots showed anything like camping or trekking or hiking or such activities. Worse, none of the photos showed people doing anything outside of a well-planned and organized ‘community’ setting – there were no photos of people in the Rockies, let alone Machu Picchu, or in Tibet, Africa or any other destination that might require anything like a physical effort. Go ahead and search the term ‘adult travel’ and select ‘images’. The majority of the shots will show happy smiling people golfing, riding a bicycle, enjoying food, using fitness equipment in a gym, or similar activities. You’ll see young adults doing some physical activity like hiking and canoeing, then on the opposite side of the scale you’ll see retirees enjoying food and sunshine in fabulous pools, but nothing else. There’s nothing wrong with participating in those activities, but I am sure there must be plenty of people out there who still want to go off the beaten track and explore and be adventurous. The vast majority of websites target teenagers and young adults, while anyone at middle age or beyond seems to be considered suitable only for offers of post-retirement and pre-death products (insurance of many different kinds, hospital and health care, etc.). Again, nothing wrong with that, but for some reason, they’re either unimaginative (selling the ‘next’ unessential to teens), or they’re in such a rush to see you dead that they forget there is still a lot of life left in you after 35.
When I went in search of travel opportunities in South America, I noticed a couple of sites that specifically mentioned that their ‘tours’ were for people below 35 (I actually joined one of those tours in Peru and frankly can’t see why they’d want to turn down people with buying power – yes, there is a certain level of fitness required to join in some of the high-octane activities they’ve got listed, but I out-walked and out-hiked several of their younger guests). It’s partly body, but there’s also a lot to be said for mind over matter, and if you maintain a positive attitude, a lot can be done.
Explore, and you will learn – members of an ethnic minority in Northern Thailand
The Reason why…
So, we come to the reason for this blog site, Ken’s Days and Travels. As mentioned, few companies will cater to people over 35 or under 65. There’s a vacuum, a lack of services and information about activities and places to go, things to do for people with a positive, ‘can-do’ attitude who enjoy a bit of wilderness and adventure, but can also afford a few of the finer things in life. Scant attention is paid to lifestyle and fitness or health for people in the “post-family, pre-retirement” range – teens and young adults, young couples, are constantly bombarded with products to build muscle, improve sex drive, remain beautiful, or how to look after babies. Retirees suffer from a deluge of assistance products, insurance (leave something for your kids, your grand kids), medication, and no-impact holidays where you get on a bus and slowly tour a few museums and beaches. (Incidentally, I was told by an operator of a water jet or flyboard service in Canada that he had a customer recently who was 70 years old – needless to say I got on the flyboard).
Are we a forgotten age-group? Perhaps. We are an age-group that has discretionary spending power. We have a desire to travel, a desire to see something of this world, a desire to maintain our health. We maintain our curiosity and are ready to learn something new. We have interests beyond our work, and besides sports are keen to take up other activities. When traveling we would like to see museums and art galleries, but at the same time we want to walk the streets of famous cities and visit the alleys of little-known villages; hike and camp in the wilderness (the aim is to hike the Appalachian Trail within the next few years), and we have the ability to enjoy a 5-star experience if we feel like it. That’s where I want to take you, on different journeys that will hopefully enrich your life.
