When I decided to spend most of 2024 traveling around the US, living in a pop-up camper, gathering research for a book, I was met with a mixture of responses—mostly positive, varying between “Oh, I could never do that! You’re so brave”; and “I wish I could do that, but I don’t know how I could ever make it happen.” What came out of that was a project that expanded well beyond my book. It took the shape of a YouTube channel and social media. I called it “My Midlife Capers.”

Technically, “midlife” happens between the mid 40s and early 60s, but there is something about the pivotal point that comes with turning 50 that gets people wondering if the best is yet to come or if it’s all downhill from here. They say “50 is the new … [insert earlier decade]; but is it the new 40 where you have a chance to roll back the clock a bit and slow down the aging process? Is it the new 30 where nailing down a career path is central? Or is it the new 20 where everything is about saying yes—yes to adventure, yes to discovery, yes to whatever comes your way?

Regardless of how the “new whatever” is defined, I’m realizing that, like me, many of my peers are finding themselves with opportunities to do something different and they are treating Midlife not as a crisis but as a landscape where new adventures await. Because of that, I was inspired to start a podcast where people like me can tell their stories of capers, shenanigans, or adventures—whatever you want to call it—that expanded their world. I hope you will join me as I interview these individuals and see if you find some inspiration and motivation for your own Midlife Caper.

www.highsmithcreative.com

Theme song: "Pathfinder" by Michelle Rivers