Welcome!
I’m Julie
a travel and positive psychology coach, a writer, and the voice behind Second Era Travel.
I work with people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are navigating life’s big transitions such as healing after heartbreak, adjusting to life after the kids have left home, rebuilding after loss or change, or simply choosing to travel, and live, more intentionally. It is for people who are travelling with a little more curiosity, a little more discernment, who believe travel can still surprise them, and who hold a much clearer sense that time is too precious to be wasted on underwhelming places.
If you are looking for travel writing that goes a little deeper, lingers a little longer, and encourages this next chapter to be well travelled, you are in the right place.
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Get inspired
In the Second Era Gadabout Journal the writing is much more for those who enjoy the texture of a place as much as its headline attractions. The tone of a welcome. The rhythm of a street. The sort of hotel that changes the feel of a whole trip. The meal you still think about six months later. The details that do not always make the brochure, but often make the experience.
THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT TRAVEL
Where the idea was born
At a time of life when many people are rethinking how they want to live, travel can become richer, not smaller. Less about rushing. More about noticing. Less about proving anything. More about choosing well.
Here you will find thoughtful travel writing, destination features, hotel reviews, seasonal ideas, and stories shaped by curiosity, character, and a sharp eye for what makes somewhere worth your time. Some places will be close to home. Some will be further afield. All are chosen because they offer something more than surface appeal.
WHAT I LOOK FOR
A Sense of Soul
I’m drawn to places with atmosphere, story, beauty, and a sense of soul. I like travel with substance: elegant rail journeys, memorable stays, cultural immersion, local character, good food, and experiences that leave you feeling you have properly been somewhere rather than merely passed through it. Second Era Gadabout exists for readers who feel much the same.
It is also a space for hotels, destinations, and travel brands that understand thoughtful storytelling has a longer shelf life than noise. I work with a small number of partners whose offering aligns with the readership and the editorial tone of the site.
For a Certain Kind of Traveller
Places with character, not just a list
It is written for those in their 50s and beyond who are choosing to travel well. People who are less interested in racing through a list and more interested in places with character, hotels with soul, experiences with substance, and the small details that turn a trip into something memorable.
It’s also about the art of paying attention.
The light in a room at a certain hour. A thoughtful welcome. A train journey that becomes part of the story. A destination that offers not just things to do, but a particular way of feeling while you are there.
For travel brands, hotels, and destinations, this is also a space for thoughtful partnership and editorial storytelling. I work selectively, with a focus on places and experiences that genuinely fit the tone of the site and the interests of its readers.
Custom Travel Experiences
The Renaissance Programme
If that sounds like your sort of travel, welcome. Pop the kettle on, have a browse, and see where it takes you. and to help other people use travel as a genuine tool for change.
My background spans education, business, property, design and human behaviour, which means I tend to notice things others skim past.
Together we use travel, through private coaching, my signature Renaissance Programme, curated itinerary planning, and retreats both virtual and in person, to rediscover clarity, confidence and connection.
