Freedom Looks Like This – solo travel back to yourself
Freedom Looks Like This is a podcast for women over 40 who feel restless, disconnected, or tired of waiting for the “right time” to start living differently.
Hosted by Damianne President, the show explores intentional solo travel as a way to rebuild self-trust, stop waiting for permission, and create a life that actually feels like yours again.
Solo travel is just where the story starts. What this show really explores is what happens when women stop waiting, take themselves seriously, and begin making decisions for themselves, without over-explaining or asking for approval.
Episodes dive into topics like:
- solo travel for women over 40
- fear, self-doubt, and the hesitation to go alone
- learning to trust yourself again
- identity shifts in midlife
- choosing what you want and acting on it
Whether you’re planning your first solo trip or simply craving more freedom in your everyday life, Freedom Looks Like This offers real conversations and relateable reframes to help you move forward, whether at home or on the road.
Freedom Looks Like This – solo travel back to yourself
Let's Explore a Slower Way to Travel after 40
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At some point in midlife, many of us get very good at holding things together. We manage responsibilities and keep it moving. Over time, that steadiness can turn into a kind of muting of curiosity or desire and solo travel can take us out of that.
I’m recording while traveling solo, in the early days of a trip where my body hasn’t quite settled yet. I’m slower than usual and less interested in doing things for the sake of momentum. I’m paying attention to how fatigue shows up, not just the physical kind, but the tiredness that comes from responsibility and long stretches of being “on.”
There’s a particular tension that many women over 40 recognize. We’re taught to prioritize safety and be sensible. Even when we’re confident and independent, those narratives can linger in the background, shaping how freely we move and how visible we allow ourselves to be.
In this episode, I talk about what it’s like to travel with that context still present, the pressure to feel oriented quickly. The consequence is many small internal observations around independence and self-trust, especially in unfamiliar environments.
By its very nature, the changes in rhythm when you travel reveal patterns you don’t always notice at home. It creates small moments where questions about safety, visibility, and autonomy surface in subtle ways.
I share what I’ve been noticing as I move more slowly than I used to and how my body responds in new places. This episode doesn’t try to resolve anything. It stays close to the experience of being in motion, still adjusting, still paying attention, still letting meaning take its time.
If you’ve ever wondered what solo travel can feel like beyond the highlight reels, especially as a woman over 40, this episode offers a look at what solo travel can really look like, in all its real messiness.
Join the Skool community for a behind-the-scenes view as I travel through Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam here.
Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com
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Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com