I’m 51. After nearly three decades in corporate leadership, I found myself asking a bigger question:

Where do I actually want to spend the next chapter of my life?

Right now, that answer may be Cyprus. Or Crete. I haven’t decided yet.

What I do know is this: menopause changed far more than my body. It changed how I want to live, work, travel, and move through the world.

I’m building toward a slower, more intentional life abroad while navigating hot flashes that ignore itineraries, sleep that now requires strategy, and a body that suddenly negotiates every carry-on item.

I’ve always traveled carry-on only.

Menopause renegotiated the contents.

The checklist I created isn’t influencer packing fantasy or affiliate-stuffed perfection. It’s the real list — what actually helps, what didn’t work, and what I stopped bringing entirely.

If you’re somewhere between “I wonder if I could do this” and “I’m actually doing this,” I made this for you.