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Meet Cindy Sheahan

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Today we’d like to introduce you to cindy sheahan.

Cindy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Not too long ago, I came to the stark realization that I wasn’t getting any younger, and nothing is promised to us. I had always dreamed of travelling the world – but wasn’t willing to wait until the typical retirement age of 65.  So I started envisioning a life of travel and began taking the steps to make it happen.

In 2016 at the ripe old age of 56 I took a three-month sabbatical from my job as a corporate software trainer and headed off to the southwest corner of Ireland with two friends to backpack a 130-mile, 12-day trek called the Kerry Way – the first time I had ever backpacked a through-trail. It changed my world!  And when that hike ended, I did a scary thing – I flew off to Portugal on my own to travel solo for the first time. Sure, I’d traveled on business trips alone for the past six years, but this was completely different! I tried staying at a hostel – and I was hooked! From there, I jetted off to Morocco for a few weeks, then roamed around Spain, meeting amazing people along the way everywhere I went.  After returning to Denver, I decided to get ready to travel full time and make my dream come true.

I filed for divorce from my husband of 30+ years, took the cash settlement (he kept the house), worked one more year and then quit my lovely job, rented my apartment fully furnished to generate a bit of cash… and headed to Cambodia and Laos with a friend. After a few weeks, she went back home and I just kept going through Southeast Asia… Vietnam. Bali. Nepal. Malaysia. Singapore. Then off to Paris (finally!) and southern France and next to Italy where I did a caretaker position in a haunted15th-century Tuscan villa for two months, getting a tiny apartment of my own in exchange for a few hours work each day! Next was beautiful Croatia and Montenegro, exotic Turkey, and then off to magical Madagascar and Ile de la Reunion to fly in the sky with a handsome French paraglide instructor I met earlier that year in Nepal! That was my 2018. What a year!!

I continued to adventure along , opting for “slow travel” – staying in places for longer than two or three days by housesitting, pet-sitting, doing work exchanges and getting creative to keep my costs low and my travels ongoing. As a backpacker, I travel “low to the ground” and spend very little money on the daily. In Vietnam for example, I was staying in hostels, eating delicious local street food and taking scooter Ubers all around town – spending maybe $25 US a day!

I also hike – a lot – and much of my travel is centered on hiking. I walked the gorgeous and spiritual 150+ mile Camino Portuguese last summer and did an incredible 7-day village- to-village hike in the stunning countryside of Nepal with homestays along the way. Last summer, I hiked sections of a stunning, ancient coastal fisherman’s path in the Algarve of southern Portugal that I heard about from a woman in a restaurant in Spain. And I recently completed the toughest day hike I’ve ever done at Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand – it was super technical and gnarly!  Now I’m getting ready to hike the Lares Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. I have an awesome shirt that says “hike the world” that I’m wearing in the main photo here- and I’m certainly trying!

Friends ask, how long will I keep going? My answer? Until I don’t want to anymore! I’m happy to be an inspiration to many – the younger travelers I meet tell me they wish their mom or dad would venture out like I am, and my peers are fascinated and curious about how/where/what I’m up to!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it’s been amazing. Sure I get lost (hey, I get lost at home all the time! I have no sense of direction, but there are apps for that!) I’ve learned what the best credit card and debit cards are, the smartest way to book flights, how to get from point a to point b via train/bus/ferry/taxi, how to save money on the things I want to do, and so much more! By staying in hostels, I am surrounded by people who travel extensively and who love to share experiences, ideas, hacks and recommendations!

Has it been lonely? Sure, some days I get lonely. It’s life. But I was lonely living in the house with my (now ex-) husband, and I’d prefer to be lonely by myself at a cafe in Paris or on a night bus in Hanoi!

Sometimes I get exhausted by the logistics and the necessary planning booking flights and accommodations and deciding where to go next, while still enjoying where I am at the moment. I’ve learned to “take a day off” of traveling to stay put and work on plans for the next leg of the journey (I don’t really plan too far ahead – I’ve learned to listen to fellow backpackers and heed their advice on where to go -or not go – next.)

But I promise you I’ve never been frightened, worried or in fear this entire time. I’m not necessarily “brave” – I just use my common sense and I’ve been 100% fine!

I’m also pretty laid back about most things – a delayed flight or a crappy dinner doesn’t faze me. It’s all part of the journey and usually makes for an interesting story!

We’d love to hear more about your work.
My blog, “Posts from a Flashpacker”, is written to showcase destinations, offer travel/packing hacks, and share photos with anyone interested in solo travel, or really, travel of any shape or form! I write a lot about Workaway opportunities, hostel life, off-the-beaten-path spots and great ways to save money while having a ball.

I’m happy (and flattered!) to provide inspiration to people of all ages that are interested in travel, specifically solo travel. It’s been an amazing, fun, educational and enjoyable journey and I am still going strong three years into it. I get a lot of compliments from readers that my photos and my “voice” are why they read my blog. Hopefully, you’ll check it out and see what you think!

I’ve been interviewed for a podcast from one of my favorite Facebook groups, She Hit Refresh. I was also featured in the Caretaker Gazette publication as well as on the Points Guy website (links below). I’m honored to be a part of Voyage Denver and delighted to be able to share my story with your readers!

What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
Ah, luck. So many people tell me, “Oh, you’re so lucky!” and actually, it kind of irks me. I didn’t “get” lucky… I “made” my own luck to make this happen. I’m a firm believer in manifesting and positive energy and tapped into that in so many ways. But I’ve also sacrificed a lot of things in order to make a life of travel happen. I don’t see my grown kids as often as I like (but honestly, I didn’t see them as much as I wanted to when I was home, since they’re busy with friends and work), and I was in Bali when my grandbaby was born. But now when we all get together, it’s mindful, joyful and lots of fun.

I’ve rented out my apartment fully furnished so it’s there when I pop back for a month or two. Many of my friends grimace and say, “oh my gawd. You let someone else sleep in your bed?” “do people steal your stuff when they leave?” and “doesn’t stuff get broken?” the answers are: “yes (and have you stayed in a hotel?)”; “never!!” and “maybe once – someone broke a $12 cereal bowl”.

These sacrifices are small compared to the life of surprises, amazement and interest that I’m leading now. Everyone needs to make choices on what they’re willing to give up or compromise on in order to live this way, and it’s not for everyone. But I recommend you give it a try. I truly believe solo travel provides opportunity for insight, growth, independence, courage, self-reliance and self-reflection and it enriches you in so many ways.

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