Freedom Looks Like This – solo travel back to yourself

Damianne President – Intentional Travel
  • 5.0 (3)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS

Freedom Looks Like This is a podcast for women over 40 who feel restless, disconnected, or tired of waiting for the “right time” to start living differently.  Hosted by Damianne President, the show explores intentional solo travel as a way to rebuild self-trust, stop waiting for permission, and create a life that actually feels like yours again.  Solo travel is just where the story starts. What this show really explores is what happens when women stop waiting, take themselves seriously, and begin making decisions for themselves, without over-explaining or asking for approval.  Episodes dive into topics like:  solo travel for women over 40fear, self-doubt, and the hesitation to go alonelearning to trust yourself againidentity shifts in midlifechoosing what you want and acting on itWhether you’re planning your first solo trip or simply craving more freedom in your everyday life, Freedom Looks Like This offers real conversations and relateable reframes to help you move forward, whether at home or on the road.

  1. I’m Constantly Deciding... Should I Say Something or Let It Go (when traveling alone)

    20H AGO

    I’m Constantly Deciding... Should I Say Something or Let It Go (when traveling alone)

    I can feel right away when something is slightly off and I have to decide, quickly, what I’m going to do with it. Do I say something. Or do I let it go. I think you know that moment, the one where you’re still in it, and you’re already deciding what it means, whether it’s worth your energy. Sometimes you don’t say anything. But later, you’re still thinking about it. This episode starts with something that happened at a hotel spa in Sapa. But it’s not really about the spa. It’s about that moment where you realize you have a choice, and you don’t always know which one you’re going to make until you’re already in it. I’ve been noticing how often this comes up, also in my everyday life, in conversations, in relationships, in small everyday interactions that don’t quite land. What I’m starting to see is that there’s a cost either way. But you don’t always know what that cost is until after. If you’ve ever walked away from something small and kept thinking about it… or stayed in something longer than you wanted to… you’ll recognize this. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    17 min
  2. The Way You Change an Experience While You’re In It

    MAR 25

    The Way You Change an Experience While You’re In It

    Most people think experiences speak for themselves. But something else is happening while you’re inside them. On this trip to Japan, I noticed three very different moments: a sand spa where I couldn’t control anything, a sushi dinner where I stopped managing and just responded, and a slow tour where I caught myself subtly adjusting to belong. Each one showed me something I hadn’t fully seen before. The way we think, interpret, and manage ourselves in real time doesn’t just sit alongside an experience; it changes it. In this episode,  I’m staying inside those moments and noticing what was happening as they unfolded. If you’ve ever found yourself overthinking, pulling back, or  adjusting even when you’re fully in something … this might help you see it differently. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    16 min
  3. The Pink Door Moments You Can't Plan For (bring opportunities for delight)

    MAR 18

    The Pink Door Moments You Can't Plan For (bring opportunities for delight)

    People think meaningful travel comes from big moments, the kind you plan for, experience, and remember as highlights. But some of the days that stay with you the longest don’t look like much at all. In this episode, I share a day trip to Awaji Island with a friend and her family,  a day that wasn’t supposed to be particularly exciting. It included small stops, simple meals, and moments that didn’t seem significant on their own. And yet, by the end of it, the day felt full in a way that’s hard to explain. This episode explores what actually makes a day feel meaningful, and how solo travel can deeper the experiences we have with other people.. If you’ve ever wondered whether travel always needs to be big or impressive to matter, this might change how you think about it. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    20 min
  4. It's Hard to Leave (even when you're ready to go)

    MAR 11

    It's Hard to Leave (even when you're ready to go)

    Have you ever stayed somewhere longer than you wanted to… just in case? Just in case something important happens at the end.  Just in case leaving early seems rude.  Just in case you’re ... fill in the blank. On a recent solo trip through Japan, I started noticing this instinct in a few different places. It showed up in a moment on a bus when I realized I was sitting on the “wrong” side to capture the ocean. It showed up again during a Buddhist fire ritual in Koyasan, when I found myself sitting there long after my curiosity about the ceremony had already been satisfied. In this episode of *Freedom Looks Like This*, I’m noticing a pattern many of us fall into while traveling (and in everyday life), especially when we’re trying to make the most of our time and avoid missing out. Then, we're determined to make the "right" decision. But some decisions can't be made with logic and a spreadsheet In this episode - Solo travel reflections from Japan   - A Buddhist fire ritual in Koyasan   - A travel decision between Kobe and Awaji Island   - The pressure to stay until the end of experiences   - Noticing the moment when your curiosity is already satisfied This episode is part of the ongoing series exploring what freedom actually looks like when travelling and in everyday moments. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    19 min
  5. Unexpected Pressures You Take With You When You Travel

    MAR 4

    Unexpected Pressures You Take With You When You Travel

    When you travel alone, it’s easy to fall into the habit of accomplishment: the pressure to see more and make the most of every moment. But what if the real question isn’t where you should go next? In this episode of Freedom Looks Like This, Damianne shares a moment from Japan that changed the way she thinks about pace, presence, and what it means to truly inhabit a place. After moving quickly through several countries, she arrives in Wakayama, a destination she first dreamed about more than 15 years ago. Standing on the cliffs at Sandanbeki, something shifts. Instead of moving on like everyone else and hurrying from place to place, she slows down. This turns out to be a moment that shapes the rest of the trip by opening a deeper reflection about slow travel, accomplishment, and the subtle pressure many capable women carry to “use time well.” As she considers two possible next destinations (Kobe or Awaji Island) another realization begins to surface: sometimes the question behind our travel decisions isn’t about curiosity at all. Through experiences in Japanese ryokan, public onsen baths, and the  rhythm of Wakayama, this episode explores: • how the pace of travel reveals more about us than the destination • the difference between accomplishing a trip and inhabiting it • why structure can sometimes create freedom while traveling • how to recognize the habitual voice that asks if you’re “using the moment well” • what happens when you choose presence instead of optimization If you’re a woman over 40 who is exploring solo travel, intentional travel, or the idea of slowing down while traveling, this episode invites you to reconsider how you choose your next destination and how you show up once you land. Damianne is currently deciding between two very different next destinations in Japan: Kobe or Awaji Island.  She shares the dilemma in this episode and will reveal the decision in the next one. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    20 min
  6. What Really Makes a Solo Trip "Worth It"

    FEB 25

    What Really Makes a Solo Trip "Worth It"

    What actually makes a solo trip worth it? Is it how much you see? How early you wake up? The number of places you fit in? Your distance from home? In this episode of Freedom Looks Like This, Damianne reflects on the subtle pressure many women feel when traveling alone — especially in midlife — to “make the trip count.” After moving through Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, and now Japan, she explores the quiet tension between rest and expansion, depth and depletion, slowing down and overdoing it. What happens when you’re working remotely while traveling? When you feel tired but don’t want to shrink? When you wonder if you’re pushing yourself for growth or simply because you’re afraid of a flat experience? If you’ve ever: Felt drained on a solo tripQuestioned whether you’re doing too muchStruggled with travel burnout as a digital nomadWondered how to balance slow travel with meaningful experiencesOr felt pressure to justify the cost, time, or distance of traveling aloneThis conversation will meet you where you are. Rather than offering a checklist or destination guide, Damianne shares lived moments from Kandy, Laos, and the Sandanbeki Cliffs in Japan, and the internal negotiations that came with each one. Because maybe what makes a trip “worth it” isn’t what we’ve been told. And maybe choosing where to go next has less to do with what looks impressive and more to do with what you’re already carrying. If you’re navigating solo travel over 40, intentional travel, or simply trying to design a life that fits your actual energy, this episode will give you something to sit with. Listen in. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    26 min
  7. Competence Can Make You Invisible

    FEB 18

    Competence Can Make You Invisible

    Can competence make you invisible? If you’re a capable woman over 40, the one who organizes, anticipates, manages everything, you already know how to move through the world efficiently. You know how to make things work. But what if the very skill that makes you strong is also the thing that keeps you partially unseen? As I traveled through Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Laos this past month, I noticed something unexpected. In unfamiliar places, where no one knew my history or reputation, I still defaulted to being the competent one. I handled it. I figured it out. I didn’t ask. And slowly, I realized: I disappear into competence. In this episode of Freedom Looks Like This, we explore how solo travel for women over 40 exposes the roles we carry, especially the role of “the capable one.” We look at how visibility shifts when context shifts, why independent midlife women often default to self-reliance, and how competence can quietly limit connection. This conversation touches on: • Solo travel and identity after 40  • The invisible woman experience in midlife  • Confidence vs. competence  • Independent women and self-reliance  • Why environment shapes who we become  • The tension between strength and being held  • Midlife reinvention and personal growth through travel  • How intentional travel interrupts old patterns Solo travel doesn’t magically make you fearless. But it changes the room. And when the room changes, you start to see which parts of you are habit … and which parts are choice. If you’ve ever been praised for being strong, capable, or independent, or wondered whether that’s the whole story, this episode will resonate. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    20 min
  8. The Story You Tell Yourself in the First 30 Seconds

    FEB 11

    The Story You Tell Yourself in the First 30 Seconds

    There’s a moment that happens so quickly we almost never notice it. You want something. Something small. Something light. And before you can even finish the thought, it’s already over. A reason has appeared. A story has formed to hold yourself back. It sounds reasonable enough that you don’t question it. In this episode, I’m exploring what happens in the first thirty seconds after desire shows up — before it turns into “later,” or “that’s a waste of time,” or “that’s not really me.” I share a moment from Angkor Wat when I almost stepped back from something playful because I didn’t want to be seen as too much. We talk about how conditioning shapes the speed of our self-talk. And I sit with a question I’ve been asking myself more often lately: why not now? This isn’t about changing your thoughts. It’s about noticing them earlier. If you’ve ever talked yourself out of something before it even had a chance, this conversation will feel familiar. Tune in and listen to the end for this week's invitation. Email: contact@changesbigandsmall.com Join Skool: https://freedomlookslikethis.com/community Shownotes: https://freedomlookslikethis.com

    16 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Freedom Looks Like This is a podcast for women over 40 who feel restless, disconnected, or tired of waiting for the “right time” to start living differently.  Hosted by Damianne President, the show explores intentional solo travel as a way to rebuild self-trust, stop waiting for permission, and create a life that actually feels like yours again.  Solo travel is just where the story starts. What this show really explores is what happens when women stop waiting, take themselves seriously, and begin making decisions for themselves, without over-explaining or asking for approval.  Episodes dive into topics like:  solo travel for women over 40fear, self-doubt, and the hesitation to go alonelearning to trust yourself againidentity shifts in midlifechoosing what you want and acting on itWhether you’re planning your first solo trip or simply craving more freedom in your everyday life, Freedom Looks Like This offers real conversations and relateable reframes to help you move forward, whether at home or on the road.

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