What Aging Well Means to Road Scholars
- Age Well With Road Scholar free lectures are a collaborative effort. Learn how we listen to some important voices in deciding what they should cover.
- Community members say aging well means staying curious, connected and active. Age Well With Road Scholar lectures give them the tools to keep enjoying the adventurous lives they love.
- These free, community-supported lectures provide insights on how Road Scholars can stay healthy in mind and body and continue to discover, learn and grow.
As our Age Well With Road Scholar series of free lectures has blossomed since its 2025 debut, we’re often asked how we determine the topics for the lectures.
The simple answer is: We listen. We listen to our presenters — they’re subject-matter experts deeply attuned to the challenges and opportunities that surround aging. We listen to our Road Scholar staff, likewise dialed in to the concerns of people we serve. Most of all, we listen to our Road Scholar community members themselves, who generously share their hopes, aspirations and goals with us. All of that input helps guide us in developing the lectures.
As part of the process, we asked our community recently, “What does aging well mean to you?” We received some wonderful and inspiring answers!
“To me, aging well means finding a balance between the responsibilities of life and the passions that make it meaningful. It’s about continuing to stay curious, engaged and open to new experiences, while also making time to appreciate what’s right in front of you. Aging well isn’t just about maintaining health — it’s about nurturing a sense of purpose, connection and enjoyment in everyday life, and allowing that to evolve over time.”
— Teri H.
“I stay as physically active as I can by continuing to play tennis even though I am not as quick as I was 20 years ago. I also enjoy exercising my brain by playing duplicate bridge regularly. Road Scholar programs help me with both my physical and brain health by keeping me active, interacting with new and interesting people and learning about new places I have never had the time to visit before.”
— Sharon M.
“Aging well to me means being able to enjoy the activities I love (travel at the top of that list), being able to engage with family and friends and being able to continue to spend time on issues I care about. Staying healthy, physically and mentally, and continuing to learn, are keys to that for me.”
— Wendy H.
“Aging Well means participating in my community, state and world. Continuing to learn new things and explore new places. It’s being open to the greater world and helping others of all ages enjoy the beauty of the natural world around us all.”
— Lynn H.
“For me, aging well means taking care of myself using my personal beliefs and guidelines. In my case, I would prefer to have a full life of quality versus quantity. I wake up each day and try to go forward with a positive outlook. I anticipate upcoming adventures with friends, family and on my own. I am fortunate at 73 to still have great health and am determined to take advantage of every moment. Like everyone, I have aches and pains, but I try never to be held back by small nuisances. As I heard often when growing up, ‘It’s just a vacation until something goes wrong. Then it’s an adventure.’ If you change the wording of ‘vacation’ to ‘challenge,’ it’s a statement of my philosophy about aging well!”
— Jean M.
“I try to envision my life like a pie chart with sections representing different important parts of aging well: mental, physical, spiritual and family. Every section of the graph should get attention from me. I challenge myself mentally with book club, mahjong and Jeopardy, I make time to exercise with Pilates and golf, I attend weekly Bible study and I spend time with family. If my pie chart is full in each section, I feel I am aging well.”
— Kate B.
“I make travel my top priority. Seeing new places and experiencing other cultures gives me food for thought. I stay physically active to maintain my body and sharpen my mind. I participate in a book discussion and social groups to challenge my brain and widen my circle of friends.”
— Pat M.
“As long as I can keep learning and interacting with people who also enjoy traveling and learning, as long as I remain open to new experiences, as long as I let curiosity guide me, as long as I remain involved in causes that are important to me, I believe I am aging well.’’
— Joyce D.
“Aging well means to live and adventure even if it means going outside your comfort zones. I will keep adventuring until I’m unable to. Keep going, one foot in front of the other!”
— Thomas R.
It means a great deal to us to see our community thrive and flourish, and Age Well With Road Scholar lectures are a way for us to contribute to that. We’re especially proud to note that these free lectures are funded in large part by the generosity of that very same community, who share our belief that learning and adventure know no age limits.
If you’re not yet familiar with Age Well With Road Scholar lectures, or you just want to check in and see what’s on the calendar next, you can find upcoming programs on our website.
