Welcome to Still En Route

ByMary Emmer

If you’re new here, welcome.
If you’re returning after a long pause – welcome back.

Still En Route is about living interestingly after 60.

It’s for people who want to travel well, stay mentally sharp, and build a life that still fits – even as the definition of “work,” “home,” and “what’s next” continues to evolve.

I started this site years ago, then pressed pause (Pandemic, anyone?). Like many things during that time, it wasn’t abandoned – just interrupted. And now, with a little distance and a lot more clarity, it felt like the right moment to pick it back up again.

Because I’m not finished yet.

What Still En Route Is (and Isn’t)

This isn’t a traditional travel blog filled with packing lists and must-see attractions. It’s not about doing things the cheapest way possible or racing from place to place.

Still En Route is about real-life travel – what’s worth the splurge, what’s not, and what actually makes life on the road enjoyable when comfort, curiosity, and common sense matter.

It’s also about staying mentally engaged after 60. That might look like learning new skills, experimenting with ideas, reading widely, or simply refusing to let curiosity fade quietly into the background.

And yes, it includes exploring flexible ways to earn or create income – not out of hustle or desperation, but because independence and options are powerful things at any age. Some ideas work beautifully. Some don’t. Both are worth talking about honestly.

A Little About Me

I’ve spent decades in the travel industry creating custom trips and longer stays for people who wanted something more than cookie-cutter vacations. I’m a lifelong reader, a part-time expat, and someone who discovered – quite by accident – that building online projects later in life is not only possible, but surprisingly energizing.

Still En Route is where all of that comes together: travel, reinvention, learning, and a sense of humor about what works, what doesn’t, and what becomes a good story later.

What You’ll Find Here

On this site, you can expect:

  • firsthand travel experiences and practical insights from the road
  • thoughtful takes on staying mentally sharp and engaged after 60
  • honest explorations of flexible, real-world ways to keep building something – on your own terms
  • the occasional book, idea, or observation that made me stop and think
  • and a sense of humor about the whole process, because laughter helps

This isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about asking better questions and making thoughtful choices – especially at a stage of life where we finally have the perspective to do so.

Why This Exists Now

If there’s one thing the last few years made clear, it’s that waiting for “someday” is overrated.

Still En Route exists because curiosity doesn’t retire. Neither does wanderlust, the desire to learn, to stay engaged, or to try something new – even if it looks different than it did decades ago.

If you’re somewhere past midlife and still wondering what’s next – or simply want company on the journey – you’ve found your people.

Pull up a chair, pour a beverage of your choice, and stay awhile.

We’re still en route.

~ Mary

 

With a travel career spanning four decades, Mary Emmer has seen enough of the world to know what’s worth the effort - and what isn’t. Through Still En Route, she shares real-life travel, thoughtful perspectives on staying mentally engaged after 60, and honest experiments in building flexible ways to keep learning, earning, and exploring - all with a sense of humor about the process.