With more and more baby boomers reaching retirement age — 75 million Americans will turn 65 over the next 20 years and more than half are women — more and more women will have the opportunity to explore and learn about the world.

Two Road Scholars – Jill Swaim and Regina Victoria — have explored the world as solo travelers and believe that sharing their experiences will encourage others to step outside their comfort zone and experience the joys of educational travel.

While their individual circumstances differ greatly, both speak enthusiastically about their decision to travel solo with Road Scholar, the not-for-profit leader in educational travel for adults.

Jill Swaim of Carlsbad, Calif., started traveling on her own with Road Scholar several years ago when she had plans to attend a learning adventure in New Orleans with a friend. Because of a family issue that came up, her friend needed to cancel. Jill decided to go anyway and it made her realize going solo would be ok.

“I’ve met so many people who have been on their own – I’m so grateful to have Road Scholar as an option,” Jill said. “For women especially, it is a great option. There may be something they want to do, and they don’t have someone to go with. On a Road Scholar program, you become part of a family. I always feel comfortable and included.”

Regina Victoria was also a solo female traveler, but her situation was drastically different. She’d lost her mother after a long illness and was looking to “reboot her life.” She applied for, and Road Scholar awarded her, a Caregiver Grant. Road Scholar’s Caregiver Grants cover the cost of a U.S. – or Canada-based program and enable individuals caring for a loved one to take a break from the emotional toll of caring for an ill relative.

Regina acknowledges she wasn’t in the best state of mind following her mother’s passing, but likened her experience on her Road Scholar learning adventure to Sedona as a “spiritual intervention.” Even though she arrived in Sedona alone and grieving, she said the other participants on the program were both caring and loving.

“Many boomers like me are at the stage in their lives where they are caring for ailing parents and feeling the financial and emotional strain,” Regina said. “I can’t say enough about the caliber of my new Road Scholar family who understood my grief and shared their stories with me. So many people were genuinely happy for me when they learned I was a grant recipient, and were proud to be a part of such a great organization.”

Exceptional Learning Adventures

Road Scholar offers exceptional educational travel programs at a remarkable value. The average cost for programs is $190/day on adventures in the U.S. and $357/day (not including airfare) on International adventures and includes accommodations, meals, lectures, activities, transportation within the program, taxes, gratuities and a travel protection and insurance plan.

In some cases, traveling solo means extra fees for the luxury of your own room. But when you travel with Road Scholar, you have options to avoid those fees. If you’re comfortable rooming with a fellow Road Scholar, they can match you with a roommate. If having your own room is the only option for you, you can pay a small fee on most programs for your own room. Some programs even offer single rooms with no extra charge.

Meet New People

One of the greatest benefits to traveling solo with Road Scholar is the camaraderie Road Scholar’s feel on their learning adventures. Participant may show up alone but they leave with a brand new group of friends, many of whom remain friends for life. Click here to see what participant Peg Johnston has to say about being a solo female traveler.

About Road Scholar

As a not-for-profit organization with a mission to enrich the lives of adults, Road Scholar has always included an option for roommate matching because it offers many people the opportunity to develop close friendships that continue long after the journey. In addition to roommate matching, Road Scholar offers many learning adventures with single rooms at no additional cost. For more information on Road Scholar’s offerings, visit roadscholar.org/solo-travel.

If you are a caregiver, or know of one who is interested in applying for a Caregiver Grant, visit roadscholar.org/caregivergrant

Do you travel solo or with someone else? Where do you want to travel to next? Please join the conversation!

Editor’s note: This sponsored post is written by the amazing team at Road Scholar. We love their work and encourage you to check them out!