Midlife Nomads: Rethinking Work-Life Balance, Retirement & What Comes Next
Midlife isn't a deadline; it’s a launchpad. Whether you’re dreaming of remote work, travelling more, or just designing a life on your own terms, you have more options than you think.
I have a confession to make. I did not expect so many new faces around here this week. But wow—welcome!
If you just hopped over from Brian Clark’s Further: Live Long and Prosper, I’m thrilled to have you here. Brian’s one of the smartest voices out there when it comes to remote work, longevity, and designing a life on your own terms, so if you’re not already subscribed to Further, go fix that immediately.
If this is your first time here: Hi, I’m Miranda. I write about travel, location independence, remote work, and all the weird, wonderful, messy parts of creating a life untethered.
Sometimes, that means writing practical guides (like how to keep your paycheck while ditching the office). Other times, it means real talk about what this life actually looks like, with all of the wins, challenges, and unexpected lessons along the way.
Every so often, I’m just ranting and shaking my fist at the sky over a travel experience gone wrong. It’s a mixed bag.
I look at all of this through the lens of a somewhat jaded 40-something baby Gen X/Elder Millennial writer who’s already learned the hard way that the traditional path to success and happiness we were sold has been eroded away to nothing for all but a few.
That sounds grim, I know. But there are many other ways.
Right now, my life looks like settling into a quiet apartment by the sea in Mexico after an incredible March Break spent exploring the Yucatan Peninsula with family. They’ve all gone home, so it’s just me and my laptop as I (hopefully) finish a travel guide due to the publisher by the end of the month.
I’m armed with a big cup of coffee that magically turns into a cold beer and fresh tacos every night around 7.
As I settle into another temporary home office and routine, I know many others are just starting to explore the idea of a more flexible, location-independent life. It’s not always seamless, but it can work.
Whether you have kids or didn’t, whether you’re partnered or solo, caregiving for aging parents, or finally putting yourself first after years of prioritizing everyone else… there’s no single script for what life at this stage is supposed to look like.
No one else gets to decide what’s responsible, reasonable, or 'right' for you.
Your version of midlife won’t look exactly like mine, and it shouldn’t. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are more options than we’ve been led to believe. I hope sharing some lessons I’ve picked up along the way helps you figure out what can work for you.
If you’re starting to explore the possibilities and want to learn more about location independent life, here are a few posts to get you started:
📌 A Midlife Nomad’s Survival Guide: Building Resilience Through Location-Independence – Real talk about positioning yourself for big changes.
📌 Nomadic Life with a Non-Nomad Partner - Because at midlife, we’re not all solo, but we’re not all free to work fully remote, either.
📌 How Could She? Embracing a Life That Makes ‘Em Clutch Their Pearls - A call to arms for everyone being told the life you’re envisioning isn’t responsible / age-appropriate / meant for people like you, yadda yadda.
Or, if you’re a little further into your journey — maybe already dipping your toes in the nomad pond or planning trips to check out expat options — these might be more your speed:
📌 Should I Give Up My Citizenship and Move Abroad? - Explore the finer points of visitor visas, residency options, and citizenship issues.
📌 Travel Insurance Demystified: What You Actually Need – All the things no one wants to think about it until they really need them.
📌 Take Control of Your Money with a Borderless Bank Account - Learn how to access you cash from anywhere and keep more of it safe from ATM and conversion fees.
📌 A Traveler’s Guide to Staying Connected: eSIMs, Tools, and Tips - Stay connected from the moment you touch down and have a backup for your wifi without having to chase down local SIMs.
I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this: midlife is not a fixed script. You get to rewrite it. You get to experiment. You get to decide what your version of freedom looks like.
It might mean negotiating hybrid or fully remote work, testing out slow travel or coliving spaces, or even permanently relocating to a different country. There’s no one-size-fits-all path; only the one that works for you.
Speaking of different paths, I’d love to hear about yours.
Stick around… we’ll talk coliving, remote work strategies, must-visit destinations, and what it really takes to build a location-independent life in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. If you’ve been wondering where to start, consider this your personal invitation to explore the possibilities.
And of course, if you want to support my work and get access to all content on this site, I hope you’ll join me as a full subscriber. You’ll get access to my full archives and gain the ability to share comments and participate in community conversations.
See you soon!
Miranda