top of page
Exploration
The Exploration category invites women who’ve reached midlife and beyond to embrace curiosity and possibility. Through personal stories and reflections, you’ll discover inspiration to try new experiences, travel to fresh destinations and uncover hidden passions. Each column encourages developing personal strength—aka sovereignty— through reflection, growth, creativity, and adventure, proving that life’s third chapter is the perfect time to challenge the cultural paradigm of aging.
Embracing Life as an Outsider
Getting older gives women the opportunity to embrace our personal quirks and passions without worrying about what society has to say.
Kaye Olsson
Oct 34 min read
Join I Start Wondering’s New Book Group
You’re invited to join I Start Wondering’s new book group where we’ll discuss issues that are meaningful to older women’s lives and legacies.
Dorian Martin
Sep 262 min read
Home Is Truly Where the Heart Is
What and where is “home”? While we’re encouraged to focus on relationships and space, perhaps our real home is inside ourselves.
Dorian Martin
Sep 128 min read
Revisit: Rest Assured: 7 Ways to Restore Yourself
Feeling exhausted? Discover 7 restorative practices to help midlife women ease burnout, reclaim rest, and recharge body and mind.
Kaye Olsson
Sep 55 min read
Revisit: DNA Is Not My Destiny
Caught in the sandwich generation? Discover how one woman is rewriting her family script instead of repeating inherited patterns.
Danielle Legg
Aug 299 min read
Revisit: The Lifelong Benefits of Meaningful Relationships
The key to longevity is quality– and research now shows that the quality of women’s relationships has a relationship to healthy aging.
Mara Soloway
Aug 225 min read
Revisit: Vanquishing the Wicked Witch's Hold on My Life
Culture fixates on enemies, which can lead to a victim mentality. A healthier option: let the old story go, choose differently and find peace.
Dorian Martin
Aug 159 min read
Revisit: All the Single Ladies: Happily Flying Solo
Many women are remaining single, a lifestyle choice that offers many surprising benefits—and important lessons for women who have partners
Kaye Olsson
Aug 84 min read
Revisit Wheee-ee-ee! Savoring Each Moment, Finding Springtime Joys
The changing season provides an opportunity for older women to immerse themselves in delight and tap into their creativity.
Brenda Riojas
Aug 13 min read
Revisit: The Transformative, Soul-Healing Power of Grief
Caregiving for a parent puts family dynamics under a microscope. What it this experience is a chance to understand and improve these relationships?
Danielle Legg
Jul 255 min read
Revisit: A Lesson in Gaining My Sense of Balance
The lessons that we learn from our mothers have far-reaching ripple effects. Case in point: A first trek on a bike without training wheels.
Mara Soloway
Jul 185 min read
Revisit: Going Off Grid and Inside Myself
A vacation often means focusing on external experiences. But seeking solitude through a retreat can often meaningful and long-lasting
Dorian Martin
Jul 115 min read
Revisit: The Life-Affirming Benefit of Savoring Stillness
Today’s culture encourages—even demands—continual movement. However, embracing stillness offers important gifts and perspectives as we age.
Kaye Olsson
Jul 43 min read
Revisit: Making Room for What You Truly Want
Finding or making space--whether on a counter, a to-do list, or memories--can be life--enhancing. Here are some ways to find space.
Brenda Riojas
Jun 273 min read
Revisit: Surprise! Learning to (Finally) Celebrate Ourselves
Having been taught to celebrate others, women can find being in the spotlight difficult. How can we revise that inclination and accept others’ praise?
Danielle Legg
Jun 206 min read
Revisit: Slowing Down to Be More Present
Women can become so engrossed in our roles that we don't nurture ourselves. That's why it's important to slow down to practice self-care.
Jenni de Jong
Jun 136 min read
Revisit: ISW Conversation: Dealing with Our Accumulated "Stuff"
This conversation looks at our physical possessions, which can take a life of their own over time. What should older women do?
Rhonda Collins
Jun 61 min read
I Start Wondering Taking a Summer Vacation
Time to reboot, recharge, recalibrate—so I Start Wondering is taking a break. We invite readers to join in savoring the gifts of being alive.
Dorian Martin
May 301 min read
A Fallow Period’s Gifts: Self-Care & Priorities
This I Start Wondering Conversation podcast considers how fallow periods – including shorter ones – can help us find “home” within ourselves.
Dorian Martin
May 232 min read
The Lifelong Benefits of Meaningful Relationships
The key to longevity is quality– and research now shows that the quality of women’s relationships has a relationship to healthy aging.
Mara Soloway
May 95 min read
bottom of page