A Few Ways Nomad Life Changes After 40
From longer stays and better Wi-Fi to energy management and needing good routines for the road, there are a lot of ways nomad life often changes after 40.
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Ibi Malik on his Digital Nomad Stories podcast about remote work, travel, reinvention, and why many of us in midlife approach location independence a little differently.
Ibi and I met at Chateau Coliving, where we spent a month coworking together, sharing family dinners, heading off on karaoke adventures, and yes… even attending a Bridgerton Ball. As you do.
He’s been traveling as a digital nomad for six years after making the leap in 2019, when a painful chapter working in London sparked the realization that location and income didn’t have to be linked.
Since then, Ibi has built and sold a successful online business and now consults on major M&A integrations at Dentsu International, bringing the same strategic thinking he honed at Deloitte to ambitious professionals worldwide.
I’m grateful to Ibi for having me on the show and creating thoughtful conversations around sustainable, location-independent work.
In our conversation, we talked about my journey—from fighting for $15-an-hour writing contracts as a single mum in small-town Canada, to working remotely before “digital nomad” was even a thing, to eventually building Midlife Nomads.
There’s more to that story…. you can watch the full interview here:
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that while digital nomads come in all ages, stages, and styles, many of us in midlife arrive here with different priorities and different reasons for going.
Some are seeking freedom and adventure.
Others are healing. Reinventing. Recovering from burnout.
We may be navigating grief, divorce, illness, career upheaval, or simply the realization that life feels too short to keep waiting for “someday.”
For many of us, despite the stereotypes, this lifestyle isn’t about escaping responsibility. It’s about creating a life that feels bigger, freer, and more aligned.
And that often changes how we travel.
We Tend to Choose Comfort Over Chaos
I still love adventure. But these days, adventure doesn’t have to mean discomfort.
A private apartment with a kitchen, reliable Wi-Fi, and enough space to spread out and work? Bliss.
A slower morning, a good mattress, and a place to recharge? These things matter to me more each year.
And let’s be honest… some of us are also checking where the nearest pharmacy or decent hospital is before we book. Twenty-two-year-old nomads may not be comparing healthcare systems before choosing a destination, but a lot of midlife nomads are.
Many midlife travelers are balancing work, relationships, health needs, and energy levels in a way that makes comfort feel less like adventure and more like practicality.
We Travel More Slowly
I’ve found I enjoy places more when I stay longer.
A month in one city. A few months in one region.
Time to settle in. Find the local grocery store, learn the neighbourhood, and create routines.
I want time to actually experience a place, rather than race through it checking landmarks off a list.
Slow travel also leaves room for work, recovery, and real life… because for many of us, this isn’t vacation. It’s life.
And there’s no race to get there, either. Long-haul flights hit differently these days.
I’ve learned to build in recovery time after travel, especially after long-haul flights or major timezone changes. In my twenties, I could land and go. These days, I’m more likely to schedule a quiet recovery day, a long walk, and an early bedtime before diving into work or sightseeing.
Case in point: for my next transatlantic flight, I chose a decent deal on lie-flat business seats with a stopover over a faster direct route.
On paper, it makes no sense. Why choose a longer journey?
Because the first leg is 9.5 hours, and that’s long enough for me to actually sleep. On a 7-hour direct flight, they somehow cram in two meal services and just enough interruptions to ensure I arrive exhausted, puffy, and questioning my life choices.
These days, arriving rested matters more to me than arriving fastest.
We’re Often Still Working
A lot of midlife nomads aren’t retired.
We’re freelancing, consulting, running businesses, managing clients, or building new income streams.
That means our travel decisions often revolve less around bucket-list experiences and more around practical things like:
Reliable internet.
Quiet places to work.
A decent desk.
Walkable neighbourhoods.
Access to coworking spaces.
The dream is less “laptop on the beach” and more “functional workspace with good coffee nearby.”
We Need Good Routines on the Road
The older I get, the more I realize freedom works best with structure.
Simple routines help me stay grounded while traveling… morning journaling, regular walks, healthy meals, and knowing when I need quiet time versus social time.
And you know what the wild part is? I kinda enjoy this stuff now. Twenty-one-year-old me is rolling her eyes so hard right now.
But listen, when everything around you changes constantly, familiar habits create stability.
We’re More Intentional With Our Energy
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in recent years is that managing energy matters more than managing time.
I think more carefully now about long travel days, workloads, recovery time, and protecting the habits that support both work and wellbeing.
I want to enjoy the places I visit—not arrive exhausted and spend half the trip recovering.
For me, the goal isn’t to see everything. It’s to enjoy what I do see.
I’ve also learned not every season of travel (or life) is meant for the same things. Some trips are productive and creative. Others are slower and more restorative. Learning to work with those seasons instead of forcing productivity has made this lifestyle far more sustainable.
That’s just some of what Ibi and I talked about on the podcast. We also dug into building remote income, burnout, boundaries, and what it really takes to create a sustainable location-independent life. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can catch the full conversation above.
And I’d love to hear from you:
How has your travel style evolved over the years?
Are you moving faster, slowing down, craving more adventure, or choosing more comfort these days?
Share in the comments.
✌🏻 Miranda