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, with travel at the center of it all.

It’s for people who still want to go places, travel well, stay mentally sharp, and keep life feeling like it fits – even as the definitions of “work,” “home,” and “what’s next” continue to shift.

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.

What Still En Route Is (and Isn’t)

This isn’t a traditional travel blog filled with frantic packing lists or “do Europe in 10 days” itineraries. It’s not about traveling as cheaply as possible or collecting destinations like merit badges.

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

It’s also about staying mentally engaged after 60. Travel has a way of doing that naturally – pushing you to notice more, adapt, learn, and stay open. Sometimes that shows up as learning new skills, experimenting with ideas, or simply refusing to let curiosity fade quietly into the background.

And yes, this site also explores flexible ways people support a travel-forward life – because independence and options matter at any age.

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. Speaking of stories, here’s mine.

What You’ll Find Here

  • Firsthand travel experiences and practical insights from the road
  • Thoughtful takes on staying mentally sharp and engaged through travel
  • Honest explorations of flexible, real-world ways to support continued travel
  • The occasional book, idea, or observation that made me stop and think
  • And a sense of humor about all of it – because taking yourself too seriously is exhausting

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 have made clear, it’s that waiting for “someday” is overrated.

Are you going to choose nap time, early dinner, or adventure?  There’s no wrong answer.  The truth is, you can choose all three if you wish.

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.

Until the next stop (preferably with snacks),
~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.