60th milestone ideas for a woman
January 1, 2016 2:27 PM Subscribe
I've been through a rough year or so. Divorcing and it will be final sometime between now and my 60th birthday. I am happy with this change so that is actually a positive thing. However, I want to mark my 60th milestone birthday with something I'll always remember. I like to try new things and am a bit on the adventurous side.
I have zip-lined and rappelled, tried a bit of scuba diving. Love white water rafting. Now I'll be honest, I'm not up to hiking the PCT like Cheryl Strayed (LOL), but like the idea of trying something most women my age wouldn't do. Any ideas? I'm in the PNW if that helps.
Just as an aside, I'm planning on having a bonfire when my divorce is final and burning my wedding gown, excess paperwork from the divorce, and anything else that comes to mind. I feel like I have a new lease on life so not only is the 60th birthday an important milestone, so is the divorce after 40 years of marriage so I plan on making it a great time!
I have zip-lined and rappelled, tried a bit of scuba diving. Love white water rafting. Now I'll be honest, I'm not up to hiking the PCT like Cheryl Strayed (LOL), but like the idea of trying something most women my age wouldn't do. Any ideas? I'm in the PNW if that helps.
Just as an aside, I'm planning on having a bonfire when my divorce is final and burning my wedding gown, excess paperwork from the divorce, and anything else that comes to mind. I feel like I have a new lease on life so not only is the 60th birthday an important milestone, so is the divorce after 40 years of marriage so I plan on making it a great time!
my parents were surprised at how young everyone else was when they visited the galapagos islands (and it was also a very memorable holiday).
posted by andrewcooke at 2:39 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by andrewcooke at 2:39 PM on January 1, 2016
Suggesting a hiking or kayak trip to the Canadian arctic - so serene and beautiful, and almost completely uninhabited. An awesome place to contemplate your future - congratulations on a new chapter and best of luck. Wherever you go and whatever you do will be awesome - be bold!
posted by parki at 2:47 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by parki at 2:47 PM on January 1, 2016
Keep copies of license and ending papers, SS sometimes wants them.
Helicopter ski, The Bugaboos.
posted by Oyéah at 2:48 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Helicopter ski, The Bugaboos.
posted by Oyéah at 2:48 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
My 60th birthday present to myself was 3 months by myself in London. A trip somewhere you'd enjoy, alone, as long as you can afford, is really great.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:51 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:51 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Hiking or horse riding in Mongolia-- beautiful and wild.
posted by frumiousb at 2:56 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by frumiousb at 2:56 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm a little older than you. A couple of years ago I decided I really wanted to learn to surf before I get too rickety. I found a women's surf school in Nicaragua and wrote to them asking if they could teach a 60 yr old woman to surf and they said absolutely. I didn't get the chance to go, but might still do it.
posted by mareli at 2:56 PM on January 1, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by mareli at 2:56 PM on January 1, 2016 [7 favorites]
Solo travel somewhere remote, to see the Northern Lights.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:21 PM on January 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:21 PM on January 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
I agree with mareli! Go to a women's surf school in Nicaragua or Costa Rica. I went to Witch's Rock surf camp and loved it. I went solo as a 40 year old lady person. I'm sure that you could do it too.
posted by shrabster at 3:35 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by shrabster at 3:35 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
For my 45th, I went skydiving --- not gonna do it again, I was scared out of my wits, but I'm glad I did it! (And there's even a video with me screaming my fool head off that I replay every few years for laughs....)
And 🎉 Happy Birthday! 🎂
posted by easily confused at 3:42 PM on January 1, 2016
And 🎉 Happy Birthday! 🎂
posted by easily confused at 3:42 PM on January 1, 2016
A woman in her 60s whom I met took a hiking tour across England, from one shore to the other. I think she said it was through Sierra Club.
posted by mermayd at 4:46 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by mermayd at 4:46 PM on January 1, 2016
Since you're in the Northwest: Washington Outdoor Women has some cool workshops. I haven't been to one myself, yet, but I know one of the instructors and some acquaintances have gone to their annual weekend event, and everything I've heard has been positive. Are there any skills there you'd like to try your hand at?
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:01 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:01 PM on January 1, 2016
The Camino de Santiago is full of people looking for a way to close one chapter and go on to the next. It's fairly easy walking, the Basque country of the first 200 miles or so is gorgeous, the people you meet are remarkable and it just might change your life in a surprising way.
posted by bluesky43 at 5:04 PM on January 1, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by bluesky43 at 5:04 PM on January 1, 2016 [9 favorites]
If you haven't one already - a beautiful tattoo?
posted by freya_lamb at 6:33 PM on January 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by freya_lamb at 6:33 PM on January 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I love the Northern Lights suggestion!
Is there a fantastic hot springs or maybe polar plunge you could find?
What about swimming with luminescent plankton? Here's a description of when Maggie at Mighty Girl did it: Mighty Girl. Actually, you could check out her blog for lots of great adventure ideas.
posted by areaperson at 7:09 PM on January 1, 2016
Is there a fantastic hot springs or maybe polar plunge you could find?
What about swimming with luminescent plankton? Here's a description of when Maggie at Mighty Girl did it: Mighty Girl. Actually, you could check out her blog for lots of great adventure ideas.
posted by areaperson at 7:09 PM on January 1, 2016
If you have the time to do it I would heartily endorse the suggestion to walk the Camino de Santiago.
posted by threeants at 7:30 PM on January 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by threeants at 7:30 PM on January 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Study a language for a month and then go to that country.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:45 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:45 PM on January 1, 2016
We climbed Mt. Fuji with my mom for her 60th. It's not a particularly challenging hike, and made for wonderful memories.
posted by Bebo at 2:03 AM on January 2, 2016
posted by Bebo at 2:03 AM on January 2, 2016
The Arctic, sled dogs, showshoeing, northern lights. If you're in PNW then Alaska or the Canadian Arctic are within reach. I've traveled and done those sorts of things in Iceland and Svalbard, so let me know if you need recommendations.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 8:56 AM on January 2, 2016
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 8:56 AM on January 2, 2016
A lady I once knew had never traveled. When she was pensioned, she went first to Egypt and then on to a really long voyage in India. She also got herself a very young lover (who was how I got to know her).
At the time when I met her, I was not fond of traveling (had been dragged all over Europe by my parents as a child, and not enjoyed it). Now, I can see the point of traveling after 50 - you are respected and even honored in most countries, and you know what you like and dislike. I've traveled extensively in the Middle East the last ten years, and it has been truly great. But I just know I would have hated it when I was younger.
posted by mumimor at 1:44 PM on January 2, 2016
At the time when I met her, I was not fond of traveling (had been dragged all over Europe by my parents as a child, and not enjoyed it). Now, I can see the point of traveling after 50 - you are respected and even honored in most countries, and you know what you like and dislike. I've traveled extensively in the Middle East the last ten years, and it has been truly great. But I just know I would have hated it when I was younger.
posted by mumimor at 1:44 PM on January 2, 2016
Just going on "like the idea of trying something most women my age wouldn't do" -- drugs? You can buy anything you can think of on darknet markets nowadays... Get a good pile of cocaine, have friends over to enjoy it with you?
posted by kmennie at 4:08 PM on January 2, 2016
posted by kmennie at 4:08 PM on January 2, 2016
Response by poster: kmennie's suggestion made me laugh. Honey, I'm a child of the 70s...not much I didn't try back then. LOL
The Camino de Santiago is on my bucket list, but a bit out of my budget for now, as is traveling in Europe, etc. I guess I should have mentioned that. Has anyone tried tandem skydiving?
You all have made some wonderful suggestions. I'm mulling over some of the more affordable ones and am digging into a bit more research. After all I have six months! :)
Thank you! Keep em coming!
posted by OkTwigs at 4:53 PM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Camino de Santiago is on my bucket list, but a bit out of my budget for now, as is traveling in Europe, etc. I guess I should have mentioned that. Has anyone tried tandem skydiving?
You all have made some wonderful suggestions. I'm mulling over some of the more affordable ones and am digging into a bit more research. After all I have six months! :)
Thank you! Keep em coming!
posted by OkTwigs at 4:53 PM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Maybe a course in something like hand woodworking? You can find introductory classes around the country or short specialty courses in things like relief carving or windsor chair making.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:18 PM on January 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:18 PM on January 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
you ask about skydiving. i did non-tandem (static line) skydiving. 6 jumps. i hated every one (i paid in advance for 6...). but everyone else loved it, and whenever i say this online others always post saying how great it is. so i think in general people do like it, but there are exceptions. if i had to explain my exception i guess i'd say (1) i don't get much pleasure from being scared (don't enjoy horror movies for example) and (2) i don't get that excited about "amazing" experiences. i think the pleasure from skydiving comes from the terror of jumping followed by the exhilaration of what follows - and if you don't "bounce back" from terror, and don't have much "exhilaration", then it falls flat :(
in other words, you'd probably love it.
oh, also, hot air balloon trips (a kind-of related idea - haven't done one, but my parents have, and loved it).
posted by andrewcooke at 4:59 AM on January 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
in other words, you'd probably love it.
oh, also, hot air balloon trips (a kind-of related idea - haven't done one, but my parents have, and loved it).
posted by andrewcooke at 4:59 AM on January 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cecic at 2:35 PM on January 1, 2016 [3 favorites]