Meet Our Age Adventurously Day Winner: George H.
- June 8 now marks “Age Adventurously Day”, created by Road Scholar to celebrate its 50th anniversary and encourage everyone to embrace adventure at any age.
- The day celebrates the belief that adventure has no age limit, inviting participants to try something new—whether big (like hiking the Appalachian Trail) or small (like joining a dance class).
- Road Scholar invited participants to share how they’re aging adventurously this year, showcasing inspiring stories from around the world—from solo travel and skydiving to photography in the Seychelles.
- Shared stories highlight a spirit of curiosity, courage, and connection, proving that aging can bring bold new experiences and personal growth.
On June 8, 2025, we celebrated Age Adventurously Day, the inaugural day of this annual celebration. We invited Road Scholars to join us in honoring the joys of aging, and to share their stories and dreams of aging adventurously.
Road Scholars didn’t disappoint — we had stories pour in about adventures like flying a plane, exploring Iceland, celebrating 60 years of marriage and more. But one story stood out. We’re happy to announce that Road Scholar George H. is the winner of our first-ever Age Adventurously Day Giveaway.
“I must have gotten an email or something about Age Adventurously Day, and I thought, ‘That sounds kind of nice,’ because I’m a strong believer in lifelong learning,” George said.
For his Age Adventurously Day submission, George talked about his 1972 road trip where he set off with no set plans, just some maps and a sense of adventure. Unfortunately, the harsh weather of Hurricane Agnes made George turn around, and the road trip ended only a few days after it began.
“Since I never really fulfilled my dream of taking an open-ended, no pre-set itinerary road trip, I've committed today to fill that void in my life,” George said. “I'm allowing a whole month to just wander around wherever the spirit moves me from day–to–day. Preferably, I like to visit places I've never been before, but if my route takes me elsewhere, so be it. Living adventurously to me has to transcend a single day or event in our lives; it involves a commitment to a style and philosophy of life that leaves one free to delve into subjects, places, people and/or experiences one hasn't met up with before.”
This spirit of travel, openness and adventure is nothing new to George. In addition to his planned epic road trip, George has been on 53 Road Scholar programs so far. “A lot of people ask me which one was my favorite,” he said. “And I say, ‘That’s hard, I can’t pick!’”
George spoke about how growing up, his father would host visitors from countries across the world that offered a lot of inspiration. Learning from others is a theme that has followed George throughout his Road Scholar adventures.
“It’s not only what you learn from your instructors, but also from your fellow Road Scholars. I’m amazed by some of the people I meet and what they’ve done with their lives,” George said. “There are a lot of differences [when discovering new people and places], but I don’t let that get in the way of exploration.”
George with a group of fellow Road Scholars
George’s road trip will be one of several upcoming adventures — he’s enrolled in a Signature City program in the fall and has several other locations on his must-see list. But George emphasized that aging adventurously goes beyond embarking on a road trip or plane ride.
“‘Aging adventurously doesn't necessarily have to involve travel. Taking up a new hobby, learning another language, writing a book, learning how to cook (that's been a real adventure for me!) etc. are, in my mind, all a form of adventure.”