Marcy Gouge

Marcy is the daughter of a world traveler.  Her father used to take her on his lap and tell about how he had been a Merchant Marine as a young man, traveling across the oceans and “jumping ship” for a few days when the ship docked in an exotic port.  He would leave ship with only a suitcase full of women’s fine nylons and bars of chocolate—and with those two items he could get anything that he wanted in port. Filled with her father’s exotic tales of faraway lands, Marcy dreamed of a vagabond life as well, however times had changed. Realizing that she needed to be practical in a career choice, she first became a Kindergarten teacher and later in life went to law school to become an advocate for children. Marcy retired unexpectedly at age 63 when the large non-profit she worked for decided to downsize.  Suddenly she had nothing to tie her down—she was free to roam the world to see some exotic sights for herself, fulfilling her long-overdue dreams.  She spent the first year traveling to Russia, Finland, Estonia, Norway, Iceland, Spain and Italy.  Future travel plans include France, England and Scotland—along with anywhere else that looks interesting!  Her articles will focus on traveling as a single older woman, with a focus on destinations, events, and experiences that women in particular will enjoy.