Around the World with Peg J.: An Epic Adventure with Friends
Road Scholar means the world to Peg J. — literally. Peg discovered Road Scholar in 2009, at the suggestion of her brother-in-law. Just two years earlier, Peg had both retired and dealt with the unexpected death of her husband. She knew she wanted to travel and made the bold decision to become a nomad. “Thank goodness I chose Road Scholar,” says Peg.
“I did everything they say not to do after losing a spouse,” Peg says. “They say not to make big decisions for a year. But I sold the house, put my stuff in storage and started traveling. I split my belongings up between my daughter’s guest bedroom closet, a bedroom at my son’s house and a storage facility.”
Participants in Corsica, France
“Road Scholar has been a lifesaver for me,” says Peg. “I’ve made the dearest friends of my life. Road Scholar has been a true gift.”
Peg highly recommends Road Scholar, especially to singles. “Road Scholar is so inclusive — I never felt like a single when I was traveling alone,” she says. “It has been an incredible fit for me. I’m so blessed to have Road Scholar a part of my life for the past many years.”
Today, Peg has 31 Road Scholar learning adventures under her belt. She has been to all seven continents, served as a Road Scholar board member and made lifelong friends with whom she now learns and explores the world.
The Fab Four
Road Scholar fit in perfectly with Peg’s ambitions to learn and explore the world. She signed up for a women’s golf retreat in Georgia, and the next day, she received an email regarding a safari program inspired by Road Scholar President James Moses. She enrolled on the spot.
“Of all the things on my bucket list, an African safari was at the top,” says Peg.
Serendipitously, she was paired with Jean as her roommate in South Africa for the 2009 adventure. “Everyone had arrived earlier, but my plane had been delayed,” says Peg. “I flew to Zambia to meet up with my group, and upon my arrival a short little red-headed lady called out to me, 'Hi Peg, I’m Jean!' You never know who you are going to end up with, but Jean was the best,” says Peg. “We are sisters by different mothers.”
Safari in Africa
Barbara was also on safari with them, and they planned their next Road Scholar adventure to the Galápagos Islands. In 2011, Peg met Margaret through Barbara. Together, the foursome — Peg from Texas, Jean from Nebraska, Barbara from Montana and Margaret from California — were dubbed The Fab Four. “We have become sisters over the years,” says Peg. “This group of friends is one of several unbelievable gifts from Road Scholar.”
Together, The Fab Four have seen the polar bears in Manitoba, wandered the green hills of Ireland and Scotland and even explored Antarctica. Peg and Jean also took a riverboat down the Amazon in 2019, before travel came to a halt.
During the early days of the pandemic, several programs the group had enrolled in were canceled. “I don’t know what I would have done without The Fab Four during that time,” says Peg. “We got together every Monday by FaceTime, and we still do it!”
After the world reopened, the Fab Four resumed their travels, with their first Road Scholar program in Key West in December 2021. In October 2022, the four went on a Mississippi riverboat program. Most recently, The Fab Four met in St. Augustine, Florida, for seven days in May.
“I’ve been on several Road Scholar experiences by myself, where I didn’t know anyone,” says Peg. Among these solo adventures were Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia and Savannah. “I have no problem doing things alone, but I love doing things with my buds,” she says.
Pinnacle Rock, Galápagos Islands
Giving Back
“I have found that it doesn’t matter where you are or what you do, you can always find something great,” Peg says. “And Road Scholar has facilitated that for me. That’s why I support Road Scholar and why I will tell anyone who’ll listen about Road Scholar learning experiences.
“I believe in giving back. Including Road Scholar in my investments and serving on the board were two ways I could do that — besides telling everyone I know about how wonderful the organization is,” Peg says. “And they’ve given so much to me and so much to people I love.
“Road Scholar has been such a gift and has brought immense joy to my life,” Peg says. “I have met people who are so dear to me that I can’t imagine what my life would be like without them.”
Peg gave up the full-time nomadic life in 2017, after nine years of nonstop adventure, and settled in Florida in January 2024. She continues to plan learning adventures with Jean, Barbara, Margaret and their families. A proud grandmother of five, she has also introduced her grandchildren and other family members to Road Scholar. “I took my daughter, granddaughter and her other grandmother to the Grand Canyon — and they fell in love with Road Scholar, too,” says Peg.
Looking Ahead
Peg enjoys hosting Road Scholar friends who are visiting the area. She is currently planning her 32nd learning adventure: a program to Oregon, one of the few states she hasn’t been to yet, with The Fab Four.
“While I can, I want to do as many of the active programs as humanly possible,” Peg says. “I’ve had a bucket list — like most people do. I call my buddies and see who wants to go — and they do the same.”
"I’ve been to seven continents with Road Scholar and my friends. We are all family now.”