My favorite thing about being a woman over 40 is the absolute freedom that comes with age. In our younger years, we are focused on families, careers, and wondering if we are doing all that we can. Since I turned 40, I feel free from worrying about whether I am disappointing anyone. It’s easier to say “yes” to new things, and easier to say “no” to things that don’t serve me well. Mostly, I find that being over 40 gives me freedom from fear. I’ve lived through enough “good” and “bad” to know that everything will work out just fine.
I am living my most extraordinary life right now by trusting that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be and letting myself have fun every day. I meet wonderful, interesting people in a job I just started, and I feel joy at getting to know them. It took me almost 60 years, but I feel really comfortable in my own skin. I don’t beat myself up too much when I make mistakes, and I take great delight when I figure things out on my own. I’m living a life right now that’s adventurous and free, and that feels extraordinary to me!
In the next decade, I aspire to resume the solo travel I paused in the last few years. I find traveling alone to be empowering, exhilarating, and a real confidence builder. I am blessed to have seen many beautiful places, but I always want more. I have a bucket list of places I want to visit, and in the next decade I plan to check off many of them: the Galapagos Islands, Greece, Chile, Ireland, a military tattoo in Edinburgh, and Finland (in wintertime). I also want to take ballroom dancing lessons, fulfilling a promise I made to myself several years ago.
When I saw my portraits for the first time, I think my smile probably matched the one in my pictures. I felt happy to see that the woman looking back at me mirrored on her face the real joy I feel on the inside. I saw a woman that I would like to spend time with…and that pleased me. The portraits accurately reflected aspects of me that couldn’t be captured another way. I also thought to myself…”a little hair and make-up really makes a difference!”…and Karianne is great at her craft! 🙂 Lucky me for having said “yes” to this experience!