A Grown Up's Gap Year
How to Runaway, Seek Joy, & other Handy Mid Life Hints.
Episodes
If you’re a mid-life woman who’s somehow ended up at the top of everyone else’s “people we need” pyramid and the bottom of your own, this one’s for you. In this episode, Monique talks about what happens when you finally admit you’re exhausted – from the unpaid, invisible work that quietly attached itself to your life while everyone else’s stayed more or less the same. By the time she left for her grown up’s gap year, she felt she’d...
Feeling better starts with space — physical first, mental next. In this candid, useful episode, Monique reads from her book, A Grown Up's Gap Year, on the beauty of simplicity, then gets real about the sandwich-generation juggle: a kitchen-table chat about Mum’s future, and a surprise moment of the bloke stepping in with calm, practical wisdom. You’ll leave with THIS WEEK’S GIVE (a 20-minute clear-out you can do today), a cut-...
Feeling stretched thin and a little invisible? This episode gives you a simple, two-minute Travel Prescription Certificate to start reclaiming space—without dismantling your life. We talk the hot coffee moment (after decades of lukewarm), why streamlining comes first, and how to close a few of those 52 tabs in your head so you can actually hear yourself think. Solo when you want it, company when you choose it.
In this episode you’ll...
This episode is part of a ‘series’ on the podcast One Question with host Michelle Cox - where she is talking to all guests about the same topic, and that topic is REINVENTION!
It is a topic she is often asked about; how she reinvented herself, why, the process she went through, and she was keen to talk to others about their transitions and what they went through to create a new life for themselves.
Today, it is wi...
A replay of an Episode where the mic is turned and I am a guest, chatting with Gillian Whitney of Easy Peasy Books podcast.
"Monique, author of "A Grown Up's Gap Year: Put YOU in the picture", shares the inspiring story behind her midlife memoir and self-help book. Discover what prompted Monique's "Shirley Valentine moment" of running away from home at 57 to embark on an 8-month solo journey of sel...
Another replay of an Episode where the mic is turned and I am a guest. This week chatting with Liz Nable, host of Media Magnet podcast (and Chief all round Media and PR wizz Media Masters Academy). Liz asks me about practical tips for building confidence, pitching, and never taking no for an answer. the impact of a coachable mindset and relentless consistency in becoming the media’s go-to expert (Liz's words - not mine - altho...
A replay of an Episode where the mic is turned and I am a guest of Your 2nd Act host Michelle Parsonage: Imagine reaching midlife and deciding to take a gap year, on your own, without your family, and without all the usual responsibilities.
How many times have you thought, "I wish I could just do that," but for some reason, you don’t because you’re scared of change and the unknown? Well, today’s guest is anything...
This episode is the pivot. It’s not about dismantling your life. It’s about backing yourself for a minute. What if your so-called second act isn’t about waiting for perfect conditions, but about remembering who you are — and showing up for it? The moment we stop dreaming about change — and start living it. On purpose. In real life. Living as if… As if you were already the version of yourself you always imagined you’d be. As if you ...
This week we head to Kyoto for a conversation about wellbeing that isn’t performative — it’s lived. We talk kerbside shrines and small daily reverence, seasonal eating, onsen bathing, and why Japanese approaches to rest, ritual, and nature feel like a balm in mid-life. Director of Wellness for Six Senses Kyoto, Ayako Fukuda, embodies a philosophy that is beautifully simple: wellbeing begins by restoring balance between humanity, th...
Feeling stretched thin but not sure a “holiday” will fix it? This episode unpacks what a real retreat looks like—and how to choose one that doesn’t fall apart the second you’re home. We talk best-practice design, how to avoid the Wellness Trap, and why intentional space beats a packed schedule of treatments every time. If you’ve ever wondered whether a retreat could actually help you feel better, think clearer, and get back in the ...
Anna Manlulo said yes to herself and walked the Camino de Santiago — one step, one day, along hundreds of kilometres of ancient pilgrim paths. We talk about the moment she moved from “one day” to “I’m going,” the logistics around work and family, the day-to-day reality on the trail, and what changed when she came home. You’ll leave with five things: one mindset shift, one planning tip, one safety habit, one packing tip, and a promp...
Somewhere between society decided women need permission slips to take a breath. If you need it (and of course we don't 'require permission' - our lives, we need look to only ourselves for how to live life fully) “But if a good nudge is required — take this episode as your signed slip."
Episode Resources & Links:
If your house is quieter and you aren't quite sure what comes next - this episode is for you. Mid-life reinvigoration, an emptier nest, and the everyday resets that stick. Monique talks with Prue Francis about naming the wobble, choosing small changes that actually work, and rebuilding connection - fun and supportive. Practical, candid, immediately usable. Why not now? Why not you? Plus, an invitation, to join us at 'A Gr...
Ever feel like you’re circling the same question - What now? Why not me? - without actually moving forward? This episode of A Grown Up’s Gap Year takes you straight to the compass you’ve been missing: your values.
In less than half an hour, you’ll learn how to uncover your 3–5 non-negotiables - the litmus test for every yes, no, and “not for me.” Monique van Tulder guides you through her five-step “Values Lab,” weaving in ...
What if the life you’ve built no longer fits? In this candid, hope-filled episode, author of A Grown Up’s Gap Year, wellbeing commentator and host Monique van Tulder, interviews fellow author, editor and Fit HIIT Pilates founder, Melinda Louise Hutchings, to talk reinvention, no regrets, and why it’s never too late to rewrite your next chapter.
Melinda Louise Hutchings - who not only contributed a powerful chapter to A Gro...
A Grown Up’s Gap Year starts here — Tiny acts, big shifts: the art of feeling alive again. (no job-quitting or plane ticket required).
📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.
Before the book, the podcast, or the well-meaning comments about being “so lucky,”... there was a woman who ran away. Not forever - but far enough to hear herself think.
In this bonus episode, author and wellbeing commentator and host Monique van Tulder shares the real reason she wrote A Grown Up’s Gap Year - how this community was born - from financial truths and invisible workloads to the quiet ache of disappearing behind to do li...
What happens when you hit your limit - and run away instead of continuing to ‘run on empty?’ In this first episode of A Grown Up’s Gap Year – The Podcast, host Monique van Tulder (author of #1 amazon bestselling A Grown Up’s Gap Year - The Guidebook for mid Lifestyle. Wellbeing. Adventure) shares the real story behind her eight-month escape, why she left, what she discovered, and what it means to hit pause without burning your whol...
Introducing the Grown Up's Gap Year Podcast - a series of interviews.
Women (& a few blokes) Doing Inspiring Things in Fascinating Places.
The sorts of journeys (physical & internal) that are courageous, creative, and totally joyful. Women who have designed a life that suits them - their path may offer possibilities for your options you may never have considered.
Entertaining & practical.
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