I've worn many titles in my lifetime — daughter, student, professional, wife, mother — but through most of those chapters, I wasn't the one setting the pace.
Chapter 1 was childhood. My parents, teachers, and elders guided every step. I went where I was told, when I was told, with little room to decide for myself.
Chapter 2 was young adulthood. I was eager, ambitious, and just beginning my career. Every demand came from somewhere above me on the totem pole, and I moved quickly — often without asking what I wanted or needed.
Chapter 3 was marriage and motherhood. Life revolved around everyone else. My family's needs came first, as they always do when you're a mom. My own desires waited quietly in the background, patient but persistent.
And now… Chapter 4.
Retired. Empty nest. Finally free to breathe, to listen, and to move at my own pace.
No rushing. No deadlines. No demands on my time.
Just space — open and wide — to decide how I want to fill my days.
The Freedom to Travel Differently
Now, I travel differently. I stay in beautiful boutique properties around the world, but I schedule almost nothing. I wake when my eyes decide to open. I wander through quiet neighborhoods, talk to locals, step into small family-owned shops, and eat at authentic mom-and-pop restaurants tucked away from the tourist crowds.
I've learned to mosey — to drift gently through new cities and let the day unfold on its own terms.
This is what I call "slow travel," and it's become my preferred way to experience the world. It's not about checking off landmarks or rushing through a packed itinerary. It's about immersion. Connection. Presence. It's about finally having the luxury to experience a destination the way the locals do, rather than the way a tour bus dictates.
There's a special kind of joy in stumbling upon a tiny café in Costa Rica that feels like it was waiting just for you. Or watching the sunrise beside a group of elders who gather each morning simply to witness the beauty of a new day. Or walking along Seven Mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica, and buying a warm patty from an old man on a bicycle — who proudly tells you that his wife made it fresh that morning.
These are the moments that fill me now. The unplanned conversations. The serendipitous discoveries. The quiet observations that reveal the true heart of a place.
Embracing Your Own "Me Season"
Perhaps you're standing at the threshold of your own Chapter 4. Maybe you're wondering what comes next after years of putting everyone else first. Maybe you're ready to trade the hectic pace for something more meaningful, more yours.
If you're in your own "Me Season" — or approaching it — you deserve travel experiences that honor this new chapter. You've earned the right to slow down and savor. To choose quality over quantity. To invest in experiences that nourish your soul rather than exhaust your energy.
The beauty of this season is that you finally have the time and freedom to travel the way you've always wanted to. No more squeezing a European adventure into a frantic seven-day sprint. No more sacrificing what you truly want to see because the group tour doesn't stop there. No more settling for chain hotels when a charming locally-owned property would feel so much more authentic.
This is your time to rewrite the travel rules.
Creating Space for What Matters
Moments that remind me that life doesn't have to be rushed to be meaningful.
Meeting people. Discovering what makes us different and what binds us together. Listening. Laughing. Simply being present in each moment as it unfolds.
No rigid itinerary. No time constraints. No obligation to see everything just because the guidebook says you should.
Just me, the open world, and my heart's quiet rhythm — finally moving at my own pace.
And if you're ready to embrace this kind of travel — the kind that honors your Chapter 4 rather than rushing through it — I'd love to help you design experiences that let you mosey, wander, and discover at your own perfect pace.
Because after a lifetime of moving at everyone else's speed, you've earned the right to travel on your own terms.
Beth Jones - Travel Curator
After three decades of shaping young minds in the classroom, Beth Jones traded her lesson plans for passport stamps and entered what she lovingly calls her "Me Season." Now a luxury travel curator with Lawal Travel Services, Beth specializes in creating bespoke travel experiences for fellow empty nesters and recently retired professionals who are ready to invest in extraordinary adventures. She believes that after years of taking care of everyone else, it's time to take care of yourself—and that starts with saying yes to those bucket list destinations you've been dreaming about. Schedule a call to get started!