Travel changes you.
As you move through this life
and through this world
you change things slightly,
you leave marks behind, however small.
And in return, life– and travel–
leaves marks on you.

-Anthony Bourdain

Meeting Americans in Cape Town is often accompanied by the off-the-beaten-track adventure stories; meeting solo American female travelers, this far away from the States, virtually guarantees such stories. I crossed paths with Ms. Sharon Elder in a restaurant where we dined solo, facing one another at an end of a long table. I’m so glad I asked about her day, because the answer floored me: “I travelled here from Portugal on a container ship. We disembarked around 5AM and it was my first time stepping foot on an African continent. I asked my hostel for food recommendations and they sent me here.” I was momentarily speechless. Turns out that Sharon is a retired grandmother, biomedical engineer, hiker, volunteer, cancer survivor and now a writer and a blogger. By the end of our chat, I wasn’t surprised by anything Sharon threw my way; of course she is travelling only utilizing transportation methods available before 1920, the year that women got the vote in the USA (hint, no planes allowed), of course she doesn’t yet know how she will traverse the Indian Ocean, because the waters off the east coast of Africa are currently pirated, of course she will be fine, making her way to Sri Lanka from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

We met once more in Cape Town before Sharon set off to explore Namibia. She left me with some insightful wisdom and a general sense of excitement about a possibility of an adventure at life’s every corner and definitely at any age. Sharon harbours an idea that a person’s life arc peaks at mid-life; beyond that midpoint, they return to a more youthful spirit. It’s an interesting thought, as the body aches, person’s spirit and mindset are getting younger. Happy to present Sharon’s thoughts in this WOW Woman interview.

- Olga Shmaidenko, Founder of WOW Woman.

Retired Biomedical Engineer, Adventuress, Solo Traveler, Survivor, Cape Town, South Africa

4. What did you study in school?

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University and Master of Science, Manufacturing Systems at New Jersey Institute of Technology.

5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the moment for you that changed your life (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life?

Life: The most significant moment that changed my life was becoming a mother. I will always remember the moment I saw my son for the first time, I had a long and difficult delivery but it was so worth it and continues to be the best and proudest part of my life.

My childhood was difficult. I was born in New Rochelle, New York and for various reasons our family moved every two years. My father was a hydraulic engineer and changed jobs frequently. My mother loved my brother and me but didn’t do well with moving so frequently. She became an alcoholic and addicted to prescription drugs. There were some very tough years and when I turned 15, my mother went into recovery and my parents split. My paternal grandmother, Beatrice, was my role model. I spent most summers with her and my grandfather in Hershey, PA. Those summers and her unconditional love got me through my childhood and gave me my optimism and spiritual foundation.

Career: After high school I worked at several jobs including newspaper reporting and convenience stores. My father helped me get a drafting job and after learning that I was paid about half what someone else with a degree was making doing the same job, I was motivated to start college part time. As a woman in engineering in the 1980’s I received some scholarships. During the eight years it took to get my bachelor’s degree, life threw me some curveballs. My mother passed away, I met my husband, got married, had my son, and moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. I never lost sight of my goal and knew that my education would pay off in the long run.

During my college years I worked at a Department of Defense contract company. The job paid the bills but I felt conflicted working on items of warfare. I promised myself that I would spend my career using my engineering skills for good. After my first job, I landed a job at Stryker, a medical device company, and spent the rest of my career working at companies that helped people restore their health.

6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?

My life has turned out so far beyond what I could have ever imagined. At 20 years old I had not started college yet. I was in an abusive relationship with a man 10 years older than me. We were living in a trailer. My world was so small back then. At the lowest point I considered suicide as a way to escape the situation. It was at that point I knew I had to leave and start my life over.

I called a friend from church and she picked me up. All my belongings fit into two garbage bags and a sewing machine. Fast-forward 45 years later, I’m traveling the world living out of a backpack, blogging about the experience with my daughter and doing my best to inspire and uplight women around the world.

7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?

There have been so many times during my life when I’ve started over and reinvented myself. My faith, friends, family, community and optimism for life have given me the tools to start over again and again. One of the toughest knockdowns was losing my husband and my father within a few weeks of each other in 1995. My husband died of an overdose after a long battle with drug addiction. Just weeks later my father died from heart failure. I leaned into being a single parent and asked for support and help from friends that are still my chosen family today. I went to mental health counseling for my grief and all the trauma in my life. I was in counseling for several years. I went deep into the darkest moments of my life and learned the tools I needed to live a healthy happy life.

In 2007 I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I had kept up with all my mammograms and found a lump while taking a bath. The lump in my left breast was a fast growing tumor. I chose to have a double mastectomy with reconstruction. It was a lengthy process that took over a year including chemo and multiple surgeries. Just prior to my mastectomy I wanted to do something to honor the part of my body I was giving up in order to survive. I came up with the idea to make artistic paintings without brushes, instead using my breasts as brushes. The process was very therapeutic and helped me come to terms with what I needed to do in order to be a survivor. The last painting I made I call “Peace” and it hangs on the wall in my bedroom. I was so moved by all the support and love I received during my cancer journey.

My son and daughter were especially supportive. My cancer journey was a reset to my life and I decided to leave my job at Stryker and moved from New Jersey to Cape Cod to work for J&J.

8. Advice for other women?

Go for your dreams, ask for help, find allies who lift you up.

My personal mantra: The glass is always full, sometimes there is more air than water but the glass is always full. Breathe in the air and believe in yourself.

9. Knowing what we know now in the current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"?

I believe the way forward for feminist values is for each person to follow their own heart path. That path can be different and unique for each of us. The key is to be open to discovering your own path, and it WILL take some twists and turns. I also believe we should uplift other women on their path, especially when it’s different from our own.

10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?

Being in nature, anywhere outdoors especially mountains and near the ocean. Traveling with other like-minded people, volunteering for women’s causes.

11. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?

I’m especially proud of my time volunteering for the Habitat for Humanity International Global Villages. Habitat utilizes local building methods, materials and construction personnel which make the project sustainable and so rewarding. This type of volunteering combines my engineering skills and my passion for travel. Everyone deserves a safe and livable home and I’m proud to contribute to that cause in a small way.

In addition, I’m proud of my community service work at J&J, which included Breast Cancer Awareness, mentoring at-risk high school girls, and several fundraising campaigns for women’s issues.

12. Have you travelled solo? If so, which were some of the most memorable destinations and why?

Yes, I have traveled solo many times and am traveling solo at the moment. Some epic solo trips include hiking the Jordan trail from Dana to Petra with a Bedouin guide, section hiking the Appalachian Trail, time on the Isle of Skye, walking the Camino de Santiago (once when my close friend Pam retired, and again together with Pam when I retired), and traveling on a cargo ship for a month from Belgium to South Africa.

I love solo travel because it challenges my comfort zone and I’m always rewarded with expanding my horizons and meeting amazing people along the way.

Why do you travel and would you recommend it to women?

I travel to explore the world, meet new people, better understand cultures, and keep myself young at heart. I feel more alive when I have to push myself out of my comfort zone.

I believe peace will come in the world one conversation at a time.

If you feel the call to travel solo, I would encourage you to listen to that call, even if it feels a little scary. The reward is so worth it.

13. What do you want to be when you grow up? Future goals/challenges?

I believe that there is an arc to each person’s life and we are the “oldest” at midlife. As a person’s body breaks down those functions return in a similar way to being an infant, and thus needs more care and attention.

14. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?

Some fears still come up once in a while. When I get a new ache or pain, I worry that it’s a sign of cancer returning. To combat that fear I stay up to date on all my preventative care, and get myself checked if something persists. Thankfully I’m a healthy 17-year survivor!

I love being on the water and swimming but I’m not super comfortable being underwater for a long time. I don’t see myself getting into diving. I do have a healthy fear of getting mugged/attacked as a solo woman traveling. I use this as a motivator to stay alert, take precautions and listen to local advice on where and when to go somewhere.

17. What are you hopeful about?

I’m hopeful about achieving Women’s equality. I see in nature and science how all things find a way of reaching equilibrium. I believe the same happens with people, based on what I’ve seen traveling and the women I’ve met along the way.

18. What are some ingredients to a good life?

I believe the ingredients to a good life are love, balance, community, and feeding what feeds your soul, much like a garden. The idea of a good life does assume a certain level of prosperity: emotionally, financially, and physically.

There have been times in my life when I fell into a hole, and had to dig my way out before focusing on the elements of a good life. I have empathy for anyone who is struggling to climb out of such hole, just to be able to get back up to the ground level, where a good life begins.

How did the global pandemic change your perspective about the world, about your life, your goals and dreams?

Just weeks before the pandemic lockdown I was selected by Johnson & Johnson to go on a 6-month assignment to Tanzania. I did the assignment remotely but it wasn’t the same experience. I had time at home to reflect on my career, how much I loved to travel and my passion for women’s causes.

I decided to retire in 2023 and travel around the world, and that included going to Tanzania. The pandemic taught me that postponed goals can be achieved, and that humanity is so much more resilient than any of us could have imagined.

21. What are you reading now? (What books do you gift most and what are your favourite reads?)

I’ve gifted these the most: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams. Reading now (listening on audiobook): “The Salt Path” by Raynor Winn, “The Echo of Old Books” by Barbara Davis.

22. Who is a WOW WOMAN in your world who inspires you and why? Can you nominate three (or more) women you know who perfectly fit WOW WOMAN description? What would you tell them, if you had an opportunity, about why you admire them?

Corrine Kahl, my chosen daughter. She is a beautiful woman inside and out and as time goes on I see her blossoming into her talents more and more each day. I admire the mother, wife, daughter and friend she is to everyone in her life.

Saima Niigambo, Nomad Africa tour guide. She is a strong, proud Namibian woman with so much knowledge about her country, history, and wildlife. As a tour guide leader she is a true ambassador for her country and an example of a WOW Woman for everyone she encounters. I’m so grateful to have her lead my first African Safari.

23. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?

sharoneldertravels.com and sharoneldertravels.com/blog

I fundraise for this: powerofbicycles.org/fundraisers/sharonelder

Instagram: @selder59

My paintings.

Bonus Quick Round Qs:

1. What and who is worth suffering for? My kids, and making the world a better place one conversation at a time

2. What would you do if you knew that nobody would judge you? Swim naked. I’ve skinny dipped but not nearly as much as I wanted to.

3. If you didn't have to work anymore what would you do with your days? Travel, and that’s what I’m doing as a retiree!

4. If you could be anyone for a day who would you be? Astronaut, so I could see the earth from space, that glowing blue ball in the universe with no boundaries and infinite possibilities.

5. If you could relive one year in your life, which one would it be? 1989 (the year my son was born, those days were priceless)

6. What bothers you most about people? What do you love most about people? Bothers me : dogmatic rigid thinking, “the others” mentality. Love: resilience, loving anyway.