From Suburban Life to Global Freedom

Our Radical Midlife Reimaging

When you've spent decades orchestrating the symphony of six children's lives, the thought of selling everything to become digital nomads might seem like pure fantasy. Yet here we are, standing at the threshold of our most daring adventure yet – one that began with a simple question: "What if we chose ourselves?"

Being a midlife woman and helping others navigate the guilt of learning to love themselves is my life’s passion. I would say mission. And after serving others in different capacities for decades, asking this question seemed somehow strange.

The Awakening

Midlife arrived not as the stereotypical crisis, but as a gentle yet persistent whisper asking, "What stories have you left untold? What dreams have you carefully packed away in the attic of someday?" After years of scheduling soccer practices, coordinating carpools, and being the steady foundation for our children's dreams, we realized we had become supporting characters in our own story.

Don't misunderstand – raising our six beautiful souls has been our greatest adventure and deepest joy. But as they began spreading their wings, we recognized an invitation to spread our own.

My husband and I watched a show about the blue zones and imagined living a simpler life where wellness and living deeply became the focus. Our lives had always been so complicated with lots of moving pieces and suddenly with the last child graduating college, there was this sliver of time, an opening through which we saw a portal to a different way to live… if we were willing to face our own “death.”

The Swedish Death Cleanse: A Portal to Freedom

Our journey from suburban abundance to intentional minimalism began with the Swedish Death Cleanse – a practice that transformed from a practical decluttering method into a profound spiritual awakening. Each item we touched asked us: "Does this serve the future we're creating, or the past we're releasing?"

The process became our daily meditation:

- The children's art projects became digital memories

- The carefully curated furniture became someone else's new beginnings

- The boxes of "just in case" items transformed into trust in future abundance

What emerged wasn't just cleared closets but cleared consciousness. Each item we released created space for new possibilities to breathe.

We weren’t ready to retire, but we wanted to travel. In a classic "light bulb moment," we realized that since we both had our own businesses, all we needed was a laptop to continue working. We sought the flexibility and freedom to travel while still maintaining our work. Suddenly, everything felt within reach.

Rewriting the Midlife Narrative

Society hands us a well-worn script for this season of life: settle in, play it safe, prepare for retirement. But what if midlife isn't about settling into smaller dreams but expanding into braver ones? What if it's less about securing the known and more about exploring the possible?

Our decision to embrace digital nomad life isn't about running from responsibility – it's about running toward authenticity. It's about showing our children that dreams don't have an expiration date and that self-discovery is a lifelong journey.

The Sacred Dance of Parenting and Personal Growth

Here's the truth that took us decades to understand: being kid-centric doesn't mean being self-erasing. Our children don't need martyrs – they need models of courageous living. By choosing to prioritize our wellbeing and dreams now, we're teaching them perhaps the most valuable lesson: that personal growth and family love aren't opposing forces but harmonious partners in the dance of life.

By giving ourselves permission to make bold decisions in life, we model the principles I strive to teach in my private practice: self-love is essential not only for nourishing ourselves better but also for giving to others in a healthy way. Additionally, we are opening up a world for our children where, more than ever before, being a global citizen is becoming increasingly important.

Practical Magic: Making the Leap

The transformation from suburban homeowners to global citizens required equal parts practical planning and radical trust. We:

1. Developed location-independent income streams

2. Had honest conversations with our children about this new chapter

3. Created digital systems for maintaining family connections

4. Released the guilt of choosing differently

The New Normal

As we write this, our possessions have been reduced to what fits in our suitcase and one backpack, but our hearts have never felt more full. Each new city becomes a classroom, each cultural encounter a teacher. We're learning that home isn't a physical address but the courage to keep becoming and unbecoming what doesn’t align with our values.

Your Invitation

Perhaps you're reading this from your own crossroads, feeling the subtle pull toward a different way of being. Maybe your version of freedom looks different from ours, but the call to transform is the same. Remember: it's never too late to edit your life's story, to choose trust over fear, possibility over predictability.

The question isn't whether you're too old, too responsible, or too established to change. The question is: what magic might unfold if you finally gave yourself permission to try?

Your next chapter is waiting to be written. What story will you tell?

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This isn't just about trading suburbs for suitcases – it's about trading expectations for experiences, trading schedules for spontaneity, trading "should" for "could." Most importantly, it's about showing ourselves, our children, and perhaps you, dear reader, that it's never too late to choose yourself into a new adventure.

What would your life look like if you dared to reimagine it completely?

Photo by Timo Stern on Unsplash

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