I never wanted to write a memoir. Although I had known for years that I loved to write, publishing a deeply personal book that revealed embarrassing truths about myself was never on my to-do list. Writing mysteries or suspense thrillers was something I could imagine myself doing some day, after my daughter was raised and I had more time to pursue my own interests. But life is often full of surprises.
Selling my house, quitting my job, and buying a motorhome to hit the road with my dog at the age of forty-five felt necessary for my sanity and survival. Burned out from decades of working long hours and struggling to make ends meet as a single parent, I found myself envying the homeless for what seemed like freedom from schedules, commutes, and responsibilities. I craved freedom, adventure, and romance. I desperately needed a major life change. Facing an empty nest after my daughter went off to college, I longed to regain the passion for life I had somehow lost along the way.
But first I had to face my fears and overcome the challenges of driving a thirty-foot motorhome while towing a car up and down mountains. There were flat tires, leaking water pumps, fried electrical cords, and misbehaving water heaters to deal with. It was a huge learning experience, and I gained confidence with each problem I conquered.
The new friends I found during my travels made all the struggles worthwhile and added to the fun that had been missing from my life for so long. Hiking new trails, meeting newborn gray whales, cavorting with dolphins, and witnessing the magic of bioluminescence in the Sea of Cortez allowed me to experience the beauty of nature and wildlife like I never had before. I felt alive again.
I fell in love, after what had been a very long dry spell in between relationships, only to discover I had fallen for Mr. Wrong. I battled with my longing for romance and my conscience before realizing who I really was and what was most important. After five years, my life was transformed, and I felt like a new person.
Many people told me while I was traveling that I was living their dream. It was surprising to learn how many people wanted to do the very same thing. After returning from my travels, I found myself writing about my experiences, still processing this amazing time. The members of my writing group encouraged me to turn the stories into a memoir. I thought it might help others who were feeling stuck in life to learn how I became unstuck and regained my passion for living. Confessions of a Middle-Aged Runaway is an honest retelling of the good, the bad, and the magic of one woman’s surprising life transformation.
An RV Travel Adventure
Have you ever felt suffocated by your routine and responsibilities, or just longed for some adventure? Heidi Eliason did, so at the age of forty-five, she quit her job, sold her house, bought a motorhome, and embarked on a five-year road trip with her dog Rylie. It was a journey that transformed her life.
Through the challenges of managing the Green Monster—her motorhome—traveling in Mexico, and getting derailed by Mr. Wrong, she learned—sometimes the hard way—that chasing the corporate ladder and storybook romance was not always a sure route to happiness. She struggled with insecurities, faced her fears, and dug her way out of depression.
By taking a leap into the unknown, Heidi found a new community of friends, met wildlife, traveled the Baja Peninsula, discovered the magic of the sea, and experienced freedom like she had never known.
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