We Planned You Pack

There’s a secret to enjoying travel after 60 that nobody puts in the glossy Instagram photos.

Pauses.
Naps.
Breaks from constantly moving.

Ironically, I first learned this lesson years ago while traveling through Italy with my three children. Every afternoon we stopped because the youngest needed a nap. At first it felt like we were “losing time.”

But eventually I realized something important:

We ALL needed the break.

Not necessarily to sleep. But to reset.

Sometimes it was simply reading, resting our feet, or letting the kids watch Italian cartoons they didn’t even understand. Those slower afternoons became part of the rhythm of the trip instead of an interruption to it.

When we’re working, travel often becomes an endurance event. We try to maximize every hour because airfare is expensive and time feels limited. But some of the best travel moments happen when we stop rushing:

• lingering over lunch
• sitting quietly in a square
• returning to the apartment before dinner
• wandering back out in the evening rested instead of exhausted

Mediterranean-style pacing often feels healthier and more enjoyable.

Now, years later, I intentionally add breaks into our plans. Long lunches. Slower afternoons. Later evenings. Less rushing.

Travel after 60 isn’t about doing less because life is smaller.

It’s about traveling in a way that allows you to enjoy it more deeply — and keep doing it for years to come.