When I was eight years old, my family boarded the Queen Elizabeth and we emigrated from England to Canada. It was 1956, so sea travel was not that sophisticated. But for me, it sparked a lifelong passion for travel and exploration.

The Queen Elizabeth was an intimidatingly large ship and, while she traveled across the wavy Atlantic, my brothers and I spent our time running around on the wet decks, scaring my mother half to death. I think it was that early experience of adventure on the high seas, and subsequent annual moves around the world, that gave me a sense of wanderlust that has only deepened over the years.

Since then, I have taken advantage of every opportunity to travel. Sometimes I traveled for business, but, most of the time I traveled to give my family the opportunity to learn about new places, people and cultures.

I have always seen travel as a learning experience. In 1970, I travelled alone to India, with $500 in my pocket and a 3-month ticket. I blended in, wearing a sari and braving bumpy rides in third class train carriages. Along the way, I learned more about Indian culture, and myself, than I could have imagined.

Now, I still look forward to every trip – even the ones that involve traveling to the next town to find a bohemian café with great homemade pie, apple strudel, or cheesecake.

It’s in my nature to venture far and wide in search of odd connections and mysteries. I don’t buy many souvenirs, but, my wall is covered with postcards from the places that I have visited. I have always seen travel as a way to enrich myself as a woman and as a global citizen. Just last week, I travelled 12 hours by train to Bamberg, Germany, which is a fascinating city, built on seven hills – but that’s another story.

Connecting with Road Scholar

Travel has always been about learning for me, so, I was thrilled to connect with the team at Road Scholar earlier this year. After several conversations, they even agreed to sponsor the Sixty and Me website.

This is the first time we have accepted a sponsorship request, so, this says a lot about how much I value what they do. Road Scholar’s website lists all of their programs and I am genuinely excited to introduce our Sixty and Me community to the great things they offer. They definitely share my passion for travel as a learning adventure!

Road Scholar may be a sponsor, but, everything that I am writing here is from the heart and reflects my admiration for their work.

What Attracts Me to Road Scholar?

Well, first of all, they are a not-for-profit organization. This allows them to keep their costs as low as possible. Trust me, I’ve searched the Internet with a fine tooth comb and they offer great value for money.

Beyond offering great value, they also offer unique experiences. The way that they structure their programs gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded friends as you explore new locations. The average age of a Road Scholar participant is 72, but their activities are appropriate for anyone in the Sixty and Me community.

Another thing that I like about Road Scholar is that they have been around since 1975. They have experience and credibility. I trust them.

Road Scholar offers over 5,500 educational adventures in 50 states and in 150 countries – everything from cultural excursions, walking, biking, and my personal favorite a 3-month around-the-world learning adventure aboard a ship. I personally can’t wait to join them on one of their adventures, which I will be doing in April.

Before I let you know more about my upcoming Road Scholar program, I wanted to remind you that Road Scholar has set up a special offer, just for Sixty and Me members. If you visit their website, you can enter to win a $500 gift certificate towards the cost of your next learning adventure.

Ok, now, I’d love to tell you about my next adventure!

I’m On My Way to Prague!

So, with a new partnership beginning, I am very excited to share that Road Scholar has asked me to join one of their programs in April! I am beyond excited and want to share everything with you.

On April 5^th, I will be boarding a train in Zurich for Prague. The train journey itself will be fun – a 12-hour overnight trip in a couchette with 3 women I’ve never met. I’ll have my picnic lunch, lots of dark chocolate and a warm blanket along with me for the adventure!

The Road Scholar program that I will be joining is called “Independent Prague: Architecture and the Arts.” It is a fantastic example of the range of options offered on Road Scholar learning adventures. The 9-day program consists of organized walks in the old town, a walk across the stunning Charles Bridge and visits to many incredible churches.

During the program, we will visit Prague Castle, home of Bohemian kings, as well as, Saint Vitus Cathedral and the Old Royal Palace. My goal has always been to “travel interesting” and this agenda certainly fits that description!

On this particular program, Road Scholar is also leaving us plenty of free time to explore Prague by ourselves. So, I plan on spending one afternoon visiting all the hills in Prague. Prague, by the way, is built on 7 hills, making it one of the 70 major cities in the world that can claim this honor. One of my personal goals is to visit every city on 7 hills, so this trip will definitely move me in the right direction.

By the way, in case you are wondering, I have visited 13 so far, including Edinburgh, Seattle, Bath, Rome, Istanbul, Moscow, Lisbon and Budapest. So, I only have 47 to go!

I am looking forward to sharing this educational adventure with the community. I’ll take my laptop (and you) with me, and will be recording short videos every few days to share what I’ve learned. I’ll also give you the inside scoop on those chance encounters that make traveling so fun.

If you live in Prague, please let me know. Perhaps we can have a cup of tea together while I’m there!

For everyone else, please don’t forget to sign up to win a $500 gift certificate from Road Scholar. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you on a future trip!

Have you ever experienced an educational adventure with Road Scholar? What was your experience? Please join the conversation.