Midlife Romance is a Meticulous Calculation

Another Life at 40s  by Sio

In my 30s, I backpacked across continents with no plan. I ventured into the Amazon, crossed remote borders, got lost and sick — life felt like a romantic movie. 

A decade flew by. I no longer roam, my body won’t let me. Long flights hurt, jet lag lingers. Checkups feel like lottery. Midlife has arrived, but I’m not ready.

10 hrs of walking at Expo left my knees failing. Doctor said it might be early aging. I panicked: “I’m only in my 40s! Is my adventure already over?” Luckily, just a minor strain.

They say age is just a number. But at 80, overnight train is risky; at 60, hostels stays need physio.

Responsibility is tougher. Work, kids, parents - all within shrinking time. When life isn’t fully yours, leaving means more than flights.

Youthful romance trades youth for freedom. Midlife romance is a meticulous calculation - balancing time, money, work, family & health.

But it doesn’t mean stopping, it’s learning to plan each step with greater cost. Midlife’s limits make me treasure every trip. I haven’t quit, just found a new way to meet the world.

Now I skip rushed itineraries. I sit in sunny plazas, watch life unfold, capture city corners, visit galleries, live like a local — laughing and crying over life’s little things.

Life now isn’t a romantic movie, but a documentary — no big twists, but real moments I truly lived.

Sio

Resetting life in Osaka after years in the UK, France, Spain, Canada & Argentina. Seeing people and cultures from many sides.

Follow @anotherlifeclub and restart Another Life with me.