Is there a vagabonding age limit?

A reader from Virginia recently asked if it was too late for him, as a family man in his mid-40’s, to go vagabonding. The question had great timing, since that day I’d been hanging out with a fifty-something couple who were traveling their way along Thailand’s backpacker trail. They’d been at it for nearly a year, and they planned on continuing on the road for another six months. (And they were having the time of their lives.) I also recently got an email from a forty-something friend (who I originally met in Laos) who plans to crew on a boat that is circumnavigating the world for three years! So indeed, not only are there “older” travelers out there, they also happen to be taking advantage of some great opportunities. For advice and insights from travelers in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s (as well as younger travelers), surf to the Vagabonding Voices portion of my website.

In a way, older travelers have the best of both worlds. Not only are younger travelers interested in and accepting of their elder wanderers (as I discovered while traveling with my sexagenarian parents in China and Mongolia), but conservative cultures naturally afford more respect to more mature folks. While traveling with my parents, for example, I saw a side of Chinese hospitality that I never saw when I was traveling there with my 23 year-old cousin. One interesting trend I’ve seen among older vagabonders is the tendency to spend a lot of time close to local cultures, particularly in the form of volunteering. Whereas younger travelers spend a lot of time in party scenes (nothing wrong with that), older travelers have a great habit of taking their time, making local friends, and lingering in one place for long periods of time. I think this is great, and I definitely recommend it. In short, there are great travel opportunities out here for people of all walks of life, and age never need be a vagabonding limiting factor. For resources regarding “older” and family travel, click here.