Dear Prudence,
I am a single 57-year-old woman who has never had kids. Right now, I have two dogs, and they are my life. I’ve had a very successful career, but was recently laid off from my job, and it has me thinking about moving my life into a whole new direction. I’ve cashed out my small IRA in order to outfit myself with a vehicle and amenities that would allow me to travel the country alone with my dogs. The state of politics scares me here, and I would much prefer to live in the woods, and maybe meet some new friends and even find romance.
I have been working on a plan for living life on the road for a few months now. I know there will be dangers, but I do have two dogs and other ways of protecting myself. I want to go where I can’t be found by anyone unless I choose to be found. It all sounds so exciting and true to myself, and I’m pretty determined to carry it out.
The problem is that I don’t know how to prepare for every contingency, especially if I will be alone. What happens if one of my dogs gets sick or injured? Or what happens to them if I get sick or injured? These are questions I have been asked, and I don’t know where to draw the line between I’m totally prepared for it versus I’ll deal with it if it happens. Wouldn’t it be the same if I had gotten pregnant at an inconvenient time? There will never be a perfect time to follow my dreams. This will be my last opportunity, but the what-ifs are so difficult to plan for. I don’t want fear of the unknown to derail this dream.