I became a nomad in my 60s and have traveled to 37 countries. I want to show others that international travel is not something to fear in your 60s.

Norman Bour took his first international trip at 62 years old.

Courtesy of Norman Bour

• In 2013, Norman Bour took his first international trip at 62 years old.
• His fear during that trip inspired him to travel abroad more often, and encourage others, too.
• "Regardless of your age, you are not too old to travel," he said. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Norman Bour, 69, who, along with his wife, Kathleen Plumley, 70, left California for Europe in 2021. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My name is Norman Bour and I'm 69 years old. I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area but have lived in California for most of my adult life.

In 2013, I discovered the beauty of traveling overseas. I was a video marketing consultant and was invited to speak at three different events in Warsaw, Amsterdam, and Prague. I was 62 years old and it was my first international trip. 

I remember feeling intimidated and scared because everything was new to me. I was completely blown away by how effortlessly the younger attendees at the events made traveling appear.

It totally changed my life. I knew I needed to follow their lead and travel abroad more often.

Bour in Romania.

Courtesy of Norman Bour)

Since 2019, my wife Kathleen and I have lived in and traveled to 37 different countries. While I am mostly retired, I now consider myself to be a full-time nomad and travel journalist.

My advice is that regardless of your age, you are not too old to travel. It is not as expensive or difficult as you may believe. Be brave and don't be afraid. 

We are enjoying a higher quality of life for a fraction of the cost 

While adventure and quality of life are big motivations for our travels, I would say that affordability is the biggest influence.

Before leaving the States in 2019, I was living in Southern California. Back then, I was livng in Costa Mesa and renting a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment for $2,300 each month. The area is very expensive and I was always struggling to make ends meet.

Kathleen and I realized that we could have a much higher quality of life overseas.

That year, we left California with two large suitcases and a couple of backpacks, arriving in Europe with $10,000 in cash — though Kathleen had a bit more money that came from a previous divorce settlement. 

Bour and Plumley in Egypt.

Courtesy of Norman Bour

While in Europe, we are traveling on a shoestring budget. For the most part, we've been living off of my Social Security and the income I've generated from travel journalism and book sales.

The reality is you don't need that much to live comfortably. We're now down to two large backpacks and two small ones. We don't care about having a car or television, and we don't buy clothing. The dollars we spend go towards lodging, travel, and food. 

Fortunately, neither of us want to live in more expensive cosmopolitan areas like London, Paris, or Stockholm, and have been attracted to cities that are affordable and, ironically enough, the most fun. 

We are huge fans of Airbnb, which is the most common lodging entity that we use. Kathleen and I also rely on local transportation like buses, trains, and motorcycles.

In 2022, we visited six different countries in the Balkans, including Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. Over the course of 87 days, we traveled about 3,600 miles on a motorcycle. We spent about $100 per day on lodging, food, and transportation.

Fear won't prevent us from living our lives to the fullest

When you're older, there are fears associated with traveling overseas like falling sick or becoming injured.

Katheen and I both have Medicare, and previously thought of it as a safety net. I believed that in the event of something happening, we could come back to the United States. However, we now realize that we can't rely on it because we don't have a permanent home in the US. 

If we flew back to California, we would have to figure out where to live and the cost of lodging is significantly higher in the state, no matter where we would choose to live.

The good news is that healthcare is insanely inexpensive overseas compared to the United States.

Throughout our travels, we've had a few ambulance rides, but nothing dramatic. Fortunately, we're both still in good health and plan to keep traveling as long as God will allow us to maintain our lifestyle. If the inevitable comes, at least we're doing something that we want to do.

Bour and Plumley with friends in Europe.

Courtesy of Norman Bour

Fear in life is such a deterrent, whether it be in relationships, business, or travel. My mother was Holocaust survivor, and lived in Auschwitz for three years. While she had legitimacy for her fear, she worried about everything. I decided to go the opposite direction. 

Kathleen and I want to keep having fun, traveling, and enjoying our remaining years, because when you're approaching 70 years old, you recognize there's more time behind you than ahead of you. If you're not going to do it now, then when will you?

The idea of living in a convalescent, nursing, or retirement home is so far off of my want list. I'd rather go out with a bang than a whimper.

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