About Me
I Started Over at 53. Outdoors.
Empty nest. New chapter. Zero idea what I was doing — and absolutely no intention of staying home.
My Story
The Year Everything Changed
Hi, I'm Dawn.
A few years ago, life looked very different. I was raising kids, working full-time, and doing what so many of us do—taking care of everyone else while putting parts of myself on hold.
Then my children grew up, I became an empty nester, and I found myself standing at a crossroads. I could stay comfortable, or I could start saying yes to the things that scared me. So I did.
I moved to a new city, I learned to paddle board, stepped backward off my first cliff on rappel, and started taking solo road trips. Her Off Trail is the story of what happened next.
I didn't need to find myself. I needed to stop waiting for permission to go.
— Something I wrote in my journal, six months in
The Mission
What This Is (and Isn't)
This isn't about being an expert. I'm not a certified guide, a sponsored athlete, or someone who has been doing these adventures her whole life. I'm a woman in her mid-fifties who decided that 'too old' and 'too late' were stories I'd been told, not facts. I document what I actually do — the planning, the fear, the gear mistakes, the moments that take your breath away. I write for the woman who is standing at the edge of something and just needs to see someone else jump first.
What I Believe
The Principles I Adventure By
Radical Honesty
I tell you when I was scared, when I struggled, and when things didn't go according to plan. The highlight-reel version of adventure isn't useful to anyone.
Beginner-First
Every guide I write assumes you are starting at the beginning. I remember what it felt like to have questions I thought I should already know the answers to. I figured it out, and so can you.
Age Is Not a Limit
I started all of this at 53. I've met women in their 60s and 70s doing things that would make your jaw drop. Getting older doesn't mean our adventures have to get smaller.
Soft Life, Wild Heart
I believe you can want a beautiful, comfortable life and also want to rappel off a cliff. You can love slow mornings and wild adventures. You don't have to choose.
The Community
You're Not Alone in This
The thing I didn't expect when I started sharing my adventures was the connections. Women writing to say they'd been thinking about trying something for years and finally booked the trip. Women starting over and figuring out what comes next. Women in their 60s who said they'd been waiting for someone to tell them it was okay to start. And somewhere along the way, strangers became adventure partners and adventure partners became friends. That's why I keep going. Not for the views— for the community.
Ready to Start Your Own Adventure?
The Start Here page is the best place to begin — it'll point you toward the right guides, resources, and first steps based on where you are right now.