It’s Never Too Late for a New Life: A Designer Celebrates Her 50th Birthday on a Motorcycle 3. 8. 2021
How to Be Better
Forty-three is a great age to turn your life upside down and start living your dreams. Then again, so is any other age. A great example of this is 49-year-old Canadian e-learning course designer Tammy Perry. She kickstarted her dream life in grand style—by embarking on a motorcycle journey across the Americas.
Everything Changed Over a Pillow Fight
It all started at a moment you wouldn’t expect—right in the middle of a marital argument about a pillow. That’s when Tammy realized she wasn’t living the life she wanted, and something had to change.
As a mother, she was, like most mothers, resourceful and always found a way to make things work. She now describes the timing of her decision using a Chinese proverb:
“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.”
In 2004, Tammy and her family moved to Newfoundland to be closer to her husband’s seriously ill parents. To fund the move and their fresh start, the family used up all their savings.
“It was a struggle. My husband and I were both freelancers, raising three kids. We never had enough money for travel, not even to visit my own family. It took years to get back on our feet. To stabilize our finances, I took on a regular 8-to-4 job while still freelancing.”
The Five-Year Plan
During that infamous pillow fight—which, of course, had nothing to do with the pillow—Tammy realized she wasn’t happy and decided to change that. She started by listing everything she had achieved and what she truly wanted. Then she came up with a five-year plan to get there.
“I wanted to see the world and live a more peaceful life. But first, I had to fix my finances and figure out a way to work and travel at the same time. I decided to transition to online work since I already had technical skills, and my job could be done remotely.”
But that wasn’t the only big decision. It also meant ending her marriage.
For anyone considering a major life change, Tammy emphasizes the importance of family support. In her case, her 20-year-old daughter, Tiana, was her rock. She shared her plans with Tiana, who encouraged her to move forward.
The next step was paying off debt. Tammy meticulously calculated her debts and put herself on a strict financial diet:
“I allocated the bare minimum for essentials. I started with the highest-interest debt, then paid off the next one, and the next… With my income and minimal expenses, I managed to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in three years.”
At the same time, she built her online business skills:
“I invested in an eight-week course to learn how to run an online business.”
Since her goal included traveling the world, she took every chance to embrace travel opportunities. Eventually, the company she worked for sent her to Nicaragua and Guatemala for an international development project.
A Dream Ride Across Canada
In the fourth year of her transformation, she took a dream ride across Canada. On her Kawasaki KLR 650, she rode from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Vancouver and back in just 30 days, covering 16,000 kilometers.
A New Beginning
Finally, five years after the pillow fight, Tammy set off on her ultimate adventure—riding across the Americas.
“I sold or gave away everything I owned and rode my motorcycle from St. John’s to California, then down to Guatemala.”
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. One of the properties she planned to sell didn’t go through, forcing her to manage the sale remotely.
“I didn’t get as much for it as I had hoped, and I ended up several thousand dollars short. The job I traveled to Guatemala for was postponed and then canceled altogether. Finding other work was tough. To top it off, I got involved in a romantic relationship that took up too much of my time, and it didn’t end well. I had to learn how to set boundaries and balance work with my personal life.”
Tammy’s unconventional life inspired her daughters. Both visited her in her new home in Guatemala:
“My 25-year-old daughter Renée came to Guatemala and later traveled to Nicaragua to study yoga. My middle child, Tiana, spent three months with me in a small Mayan village, witnessing firsthand how some of the world’s poorest people live. She is now one of the most frugal and non-materialistic young women I know.”
Her youngest child, Ian, remained in Newfoundland with his father:
“He has no interest in my lifestyle. He has his group of friends and enjoys life on the beautiful (though cold) island known as ‘The Rock.’”
“My goal was never to make my kids love travel and adventure as much as I do. I just wanted them to find what makes them happy and do that.”
Learning Along the Way
On her journeys, Tammy gained profound insights:
“I’ve learned that I am far more capable than I ever gave myself credit for. I’ve discovered that most people I meet are friendly and helpful. Opportunities always seem to appear out of nowhere—I just have to be open to them.
If you expect good things to happen, they will.
Photo by the author and Tammy Perry
I see how everything is interconnected. The changes I made in my life created a ripple effect on all my relationships. I learned that I am responsible for my life.
Very few things just ‘happen’ to me—most of my life is a result of my own choices and responses. But it’s hard to see that when you’re too busy blaming the world for your problems.”
During her five-year transformation, she lived frugally—but that wasn’t the hardest part:
“The toughest realization was that my marriage had to end. Simple living was challenging at times, but nowhere near as difficult as I expected.”
And quitting? That was never an option.
“I never wanted to give up. Of course, I wished I’d won the lottery—it would’ve made things easier. But even through all the hard work and sacrifices, I was happy. I had a purpose, and that gave me strength and confidence.”
A Business on the Move
As she travels, Tammy is also building her online business:
“It’s tough, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve never been happier. I’m free, I own very little, and I can go wherever I want.”
In March, she’s launching a new online course to teach people how to use the power of the internet to create more freedom in their lives.
If you want to learn how to start an online course, here’s Tammy’s free guide.
Looking Ahead
As for the future, Tammy plans to spend March in Nova Scotia, possibly gathering all her kids at a cabin—if she can get them in the same place at the same time.
And her Kawasaki won’t be collecting dust.
In September, she’s setting off on a motorcycle journey along the Great Divide in North America.
“Beyond that, I don’t know where my income will come from next. But I firmly believe my business will continue to thrive—though there are no guarantees. And I have to smile at that.
I’ve learned to trust myself and the endless possibilities all around me.
Well done! Nice they put pictures to guess something 😉