Senior Nomads Show the World How to Travel

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: GoNoMad Travel |  Jun. 23, 2021

https://www.gonomad.com/153828-senior-nomads-show-the-world-how-to-travel

Embracing the Senior Nomadic Life: Elizabeth and David Coughlin

Everywhere. Nowhere. It’s complicated. All over. It depends on the day. Who knew there were so many answers to the question, “Where are you from?”

But they’re all appropriate answers from Elizabeth Coughlin and her husband, David.

A self-proclaimed “geriatric gapper,” Elizabeth travels around the world every year, writing and photographing their adventures.

I met Elizabeth at a photography conference in St. Louis. When I heard of her globe-trotting lifestyle, I was intrigued. When I learned how she stayed connected with her family, I thought, “sign me up.” She’s living the dream most of us can’t really comprehend.

Leave our things with family or in storage? Travel with a suitcase and a backpack? When most people are setting up doctor’s appointments, Elizabeth is setting up her next flights. And loving it.

Semi-Retirement

It would appear that Elizabeth and David were inadvertently preparing for the semi-retirement they now enjoy. They met as teachers at the International School of London. Elizabeth taught in International Schools around the world, including Argentina, El Salvador, England, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia).

David, Rhodesian born, was a teacher of history and economics, before becoming a director of various schools.  His final job was as an International Advisor to a group of eight Turkish schools in Istanbul. When he retired, they thought it would “be fun to take off and spend time with family before we decided where to spend the rest of our days. We traveled around visiting family, and somehow, we have never stopped.”