Welcome to Off Script Travel Co: Travel Beyond the Plan
A Midlife Travel Blog About Starting Over, Travel Planning, and Going Off Script
As I approach the start of my 40th year, I’ve found myself slowing down just enough to reflect. Not in a dramatic midlife-crisis kind of way, but in a quieter, more intentional way. Turning 40 feels like standing at a crossroads — aware that I’m likely somewhere near the middle of life, and finally asking myself:
What do I want the next five to ten years to look like?
Life, I’ve learned, moves in seasons.
One season has ended — supporting my mum through her second battle with breast cancer (one she thankfully won). Another season continues — making the most of time with my nana, who is 94 and incredibly important to me.
And alongside honouring where I am now, I’ve started thinking about what comes next.
This is where Off Script Travel Co begins.
Choosing to Go Off Script in Midlife
Being single wasn’t part of the plan. But instead of seeing that as a pause, I’m choosing to see it as space.
Space to say yes.
Space to be curious.
Space to travel differently.
Lately, I’ve found myself hooked on travel shows — the ones where people race across countries, navigate unfamiliar cultures, stretch budgets, miss trains, and come home changed. Each episode adds something new to my already very long bucket list.
Watching them made me realise something both uncomfortable and exciting: while I’ve spent most of my adult life working in the travel industry, there’s still a whole side of travel I haven’t truly experienced for myself.
To mark the beginning of this new season, I’ll be celebrating my 40th year in Fiji — my forever go-to destination — with those who want to come along for the ride. It feels like the perfect place to pause, reset, and begin writing the next chapter.
A Life in the Travel Industry — Just Not Always My Own
I’ve worked in the travel industry since leaving school in the early 2000s. I was bitten by the travel bug early, even if I didn’t yet understand where it would take me.
Over the years, my career has included:
Corporate travel
Leisure travel with a well-known New Zealand travel brand
An OE in London
And what became the job of a lifetime: working in Film, TV, and Entertainment travel
For the past 13 years, I worked behind the scenes on major productions, concerts, and festivals across New Zealand. It was exciting, fast-paced, and very much the polished, five-star side of travel — knowing the hotels everyone talks about and the places you’re supposed to stay.
What I didn’t really do was the slower, more grounded kind of travel.
The kind where you move with curiosity instead of a strict schedule.
The kind those travel shows make look chaotic, challenging, and deeply rewarding.
So I started asking myself a new question:
Can I do this now — in midlife?
Not shared dorm rooms with strangers, but clean, private spaces. Thoughtful travel planning. A little comfort mixed with adventure.
And honestly? I think the answer is yes.
Rewriting the Dream: Travel, Curiosity, and Starting Again
When I was younger, my dream was to travel the world and visit every country. Somewhere along the way, responsibility took over — but that dream never really disappeared.
I’m still here.
Still curious.
Still healthy enough to go.
So why not?
That question led to another: what if I documented it all?
Not as an expert. Not as an influencer. But as someone choosing to go off script in midlife.
Off Script Travel Co is about travel that doesn’t follow the expected path. It’s about:
Planning trips realistically
Budgeting honestly
Exploring destinations beyond the brochure
Navigating midlife changes through travel
Choosing curiosity over perfection
This space will document the entire journey — from dreaming and planning, to booking, budgeting, and being on the road. The good, the messy, and everything in between.
A Few Things You’ll Learn About Me Along the Way
I love books and never travel without either my Kindle or a physical book
I love Disney and theme parks, and yes — they absolutely feature in my future travel plans
I’m endlessly fascinated by cultures, history, people, landscapes, and the stories that make places feel alive
If you’re also navigating a new season — whether that’s midlife travel, solo travel, or simply wanting more from the world — I hope you’ll join me.
Some parts of this journey are easier to tell quietly. I share the behind-the-scenes thinking, personal reflections, and extended versions of these stories over on Patreon, for those who want to go a little deeper.
Comment, share, and come along for the journey.
This is travel, off script.
What season of life are you in right now?
