6 Travel Tips for Midlife Adventurers...

You’ve done the backpack bit. Now, your journeys take planning. Preparing for a trip was simple in our youth: Stuff a backpack with a few changes of clothes and some personal items and head out to a grand adventure. Now, though, we may be gluten-free, diabetic, a little lame, sleep-deprived and out-of-shape. At some point, the inequity of age hits us all. That doesn’t mean we stop having adventures. It just means that for most of us, preparing for them is different — and should be. Here are six tips to help you make the most of your next big trip: Pack as if your bags may get lost. After being stuck in Italy for three days without my bags, I learned to carry a change of clothes (and several sets of underwear) in my carry-on. My husband and I usually check two bags: each contains half my clothes and half his. This ensures we both have at least some of the clothes and toiletries we need, even if an airline loses our luggage. Bring the food you need. If you must limit your diet — or eat every few hours — it’s easy to pack food to supplement what’s available at your destination. Peanut butter, small applesauce cups, rice cakes, crackers and meal replacement bars are portable and may be life-savers on the road. My three-week trip to India included many days when I was unable to eat the food available. One of our travel companions was diabetic. We were glad we’d each brought portable snacks and vitamins. Shed clothing as you go. Lugging heavy bags up the stairs in European train stations taught me to pack lightly. I save undergarments, sneakers and clothing that are near the...

Housesitting: A Fun Way to Travel the World on a Dime...

Here’s how it works and what to watch out for When boomers want to escape the 9-to-5 workplace grind and the demands of caregiving for parents and/or kids wane, many dream of traveling. A recent survey found that 59 percent of retirees look forward to exploring new places during the second part of their lives. But people soon realize the cost of traveling for extended periods can be daunting, especially when living on a reduced income. That’s why housesitting has become an increasingly popular way to live away from home without the steep pricetag. What is Housesitting? Housesitting entails taking care of someone else’s property (and possibly their pets) in exchange for your stay. In the past, it typically took the form of informal arrangements between people who knew each other. Less commonly, individuals or couples were hired by professional agencies that employ housesitters at a salary, usually for long periods of time. Over the past decade, though, technology has spawned a new model of unpaid housesitting, with websites connecting homeowners and potential sitters for jobs lasting weeks or months at a time. This peer-to-peer model is part of the same “sharing economy” that laid the foundation for successful businesses such as Uber and Airbnb. Retirees are leading the pack among housesitting-site users. The sites are also popular with people who are semi-retired or have location-independent (portable) careers. “Without a doubt, other housesitting networks would agree that ‘silver surfers’ are a trusted mainstay of our customer base,” says Lamia Walker, founder of HouseSitMatch.com. Why Housesitting Isn’t Entirely Free Housesitting isn’t a totally free ride. While it can offer substantial savings on accommodations, housesitters still must pay for their food, airfare and transportation costs. Since it can be difficult to...