Women Who Wander: Interview #2—Dawn Ritter Fischer

The woman behind #letsnotplaysmall

🌸 Since being introduced to Dawn by my dad’s partner years ago, we have followed each other’s travels virtually. I was thrilled when we found ourselves in the same country once again when she came to Japan. We spent the day walking around Osaka, catching up on all things travel and exchanging stories about our pandemic experiences abroad. I have had the privilege of reading the manuscript of her upcoming book and can’t wait for it to be released to the world. Her nomadic lifestyle and intrepid spirit inspire me, and I believe her insights into not only travel, but big life shifts, will be an inspiration to all of you as well.🌸

Bio

Dawn Ritter Fischer is an American writer, social media contributor, and solo nomadic world traveler. In 2019, Dawn made the bold decision to leave behind a conventional life, embracing the unknown to explore the world on her own terms. Seven years later, she has purposefully crafted a life of meaningful experiences, self-discovery, and personal transformation. Her first travel memoir, Let’s Not Play Small: A Woman’s Journey Through Divorce, Seven Continents, and Creating a Solo Nomad Life is interspersed with candid storytelling infused with vulnerability, sage travel advice, and empowering messages inspiring women to travel solo. Her message is simple yet profound: age is no barrier, and living an extraordinary life is available to anyone who dares to refuse normal.

Where are you from and where are you currently based?

I’m originally from the United States, but since 2019, I’ve been living a fully nomadic life. I gave up my conventional home and career to travel the world solo, and I’ve never looked back. At the moment, I’m based in Albania, one of many places I’ve explored across seven continents.

How would you describe your travel style/international experience (e.g., backpacker, digital nomad, luxury, slow travel, expat)?

I’m a solo female traveler with a slow-travel, nomad lifestyle. I immerse myself deeply in each place I visit, not just ticking off tourist spots, but truly living in and learning from local cultures. My journey has taken me from the depths of Patagonia and the icy stillness of Antarctica, to sailing the Caribbean, walking the Camino de Santiago, the chaotic streets of India, New Zealand, Australia, SE Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, Egypt and most of Europe. I travel not just to see the world, but to transform through it.

What are you passionate about outside of travel?

Outside of travel, I’m deeply passionate about transformation, especially for women at a crossroads in life. I write about reinvention, courage, and what it means to live on purpose. I am also deeply involved in helping to run a philanthropic organization that provides music lessons for underserved military, veterans and their families. Healing through music.

What else would you like people to know about you?

I’m currently writing my first travel memoir, Let’s Not Play Small, which blends my personal story of leaving behind the conventional path with practical advice for other women seeking freedom and meaning through solo travel. I’m also active on Instagram and Facebook, where I share real stories, beautiful places, and reflections from the road. Whether it’s through writing, speaking, or community-building, my mission is to help others, especially midlife women, realize that it’s never too late to change everything. I am especially proud and passionate about my family. My daughter and son are a combination of all the best of me and I live for the times they are able to set aside their busy lives and join me in my travels.

When did the travel bug first bite?

Growing up, my family spent summers camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I never wanted to return home and always asked why we couldn’t just keep traveling. That earned me my childhood nickname of Gypsy because they said I always wanted an unconventional life.

What inspired you to start traveling solo (or live abroad)?

It started with a feeling…that quiet, persistent nudge that said, this isn’t the life I was meant to settle for. After years of doing everything “right”; marriage, career, responsibilities, I realized I was living on autopilot. I wanted more: more meaning, more connection, more aliveness. Travel had always whispered to me, but after a divorce and personal upheaval, it finally shouted. I chose to follow it solo, not to escape my life, but to rebuild it on my own terms.

Was there a moment or event that pushed you to take your first trip alone?

Yes. The end of my marriage wasn’t just about a relationship ending, it was a full identity unraveling. Once I started to come up for air, through doing all the things that used to make me uncomfortable I decided I was strong enough to push my limits with a solo trip to Caye Caulker, Belize to become scuba certified. Both terrified me. But I returned home with a sense of freedom and empowerment that changed the trajectory of my life. Several years later, after moving to a new city and rebuilding a life, I had the opportunity for an early retirement and decided I’d always wanted to travel without a timeline, and this was my chance.

What did your friends/family think of your choice to travel solo/move abroad?

It was a mixed bag. Some were supportive, even envious. Others were concerned, confused, or flat-out thought I was having a midlife crisis (the good kind). But over time, as they saw how alive and grounded I became, the skepticism turned into respect. Now, many of those same people reach out with their own dreams, asking, “How did you do it?” And I tell them: it starts with one brave yes. And then I refer them to my memoir for inspiration and the Bonus Section at the end of the book that outlines everything you need to know to travel solo.

What countries have you lived in/traveled to?

See question #2..and add in Mexico, Ireland, Grenada West Indies, Marquesas Islands, Turkey (and probably some I’m forgetting).

How do you choose your destinations?

Sometimes I follow the whispers and nudges I feel in my soul; a conversation, a photo, a book passage that lingers. Other times, it’s based on logistics like visa duration, safety, or cost. But more often than not, I choose places that stretch me emotionally, culturally, spiritually. I’m drawn to the unknown and uncommon. I don’t chase bucket lists. I chase the version of myself I haven’t met yet.

What is one thing you never travel without?

A sense of humor.

I love that answer! Definitely an essential travel companion. What’s been your most challenging experience abroad?

Loneliness. Not the kind that’s fixed by a night out or a good conversation, but the existential kind. The kind that comes from constant motion, unfamiliar languages, and living between worlds. Being untethered is freeing, but it can also feel like floating without an anchor. Learning how to be my own home has been the real work.

I was also locked down in India when the pandemic started, but that’s a story for another day (and the book).

How have you dealt with language barriers?

With humility, charades, translation apps, and a lot of smiling. I’ve learned that connection doesn’t require fluency, just intention.

What cultural differences have been the hardest to adapt to?

As a solo woman, there are places where your independence is misunderstood or simply not welcomed. I’ve had to navigate unwanted attention, assumptions, and internalized discomfort, all while reminding myself that I belong.

Have you ever faced discrimination or bias as a solo female traveler or expat?

Yes, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. There are places where being an older solo woman sparks confusion, suspicion, or pity. I’ve been asked where my husband is, and why I’m alone. But I’ve also seen jaws drop in admiration, especially from the exact women I am hoping to inspire to step out of their comfort zones and find the freedom and transformation that came to me through this nomad life I purposefully created.

What travel or expat mistake taught you the biggest lesson?

Trusting the wrong people and not trusting myself enough. Early on, I gave others the benefit of the doubt instead of listening to my gut. One sketchy Airbnb host, a taxi scam, a near-miss situation… they taught me to trust my intuition like my life depends on it. Before I began this life 7 years ago, I also doubted my abilities to make tough decisions, do the hard things, and take chances. Now, I crave those opportunities.

What’s been your most empowering or memorable travel moment?

Standing on the deck of a ship as we crossed the Drake Passage into Antarctica; alone, freezing, and fully alive. I had made it to the end of the Earth, quite literally, with nothing but my courage and a backpack. That moment wasn’t just about geography. It was about reclaiming my life. I felt strong, sacred, and sure that I would never again settle for less than awe.

Have you ever felt love at first sight with a city/country?

The South Island of New Zealand.

Have you ever participated in a local tradition or ritual that deeply moved you?

So, so many. Rituals at Ashrams, meditation retreats, the man who guided his blind wife in front of me on the Camino Santiago, climbing to watch a sunset at the top of a mountain on Java, Indonesia. And so many more that will stay in my heart and soul forever. Mostly the moving part of those traditions and rituals was the connectedness of the individuals involved.

What’s the most bizarre or unexpected skill you’ve picked up from living abroad?

I’ve developed the ability to make a home anywhere, out of chaos, language gaps, loneliness. Now, wherever I lay my head each evening is home. That skill comes from purposeful meditation and stillness, feeling comfortable in my own skin (mostly) and always feeling so grateful I chose this life over my old traditional life so many years ago. It just feels right in my soul.

How has your intuition evolved through solo travel?

Solo travel sharpened my intuition from a quiet whisper into a full-bodied compass. When you’re constantly navigating unfamiliar places, you start tuning into the subtleties of body language, gut feelings, energy shifts. I’ve learned to trust those signals without needing “proof.” Intuition has become my most trusted travel partner, guide, and protector.

How have your priorities or worldview changed since living abroad?

Radically. I used to prioritize productivity, security, and being perceived as “put-together.” Now I value freedom, presence, and meaningful experiences over polished appearances. Living abroad stripped away the external definitions of success and taught me to live slower, listen deeper, and chase what makes me feel most alive, not what makes the most sense on paper.

Do you feel like the same person who left home?

No. She was brave to leave, but she had no idea how small she was still playing. The woman who left was searching for something. The woman I’ve become is rooted in herself. She’s softer, wiser, wilder, and far less concerned with approval. I carry her with me, but I’ve outgrown her fears and rewritten her story.

Have you ever felt more ‘yourself’ in a foreign culture than in your own? Why do you think that is?

I’ve felt more accepted for my curiosity, warmth, and independence than I ever did in the culture I came from. Maybe because I’m seen without the weight of past roles or expectations. Sometimes you have to leave home to truly meet yourself.

I agree with that 100 percent! Is there anything you grieve about the life you’ve chosen?

Missing time with my adult children. But when we are together, our time is much more meaningful and connected.

Have you formed meaningful relationships while abroad—romantic or platonic?

Absolutely. The road has introduced me to people who entered my life for a night, a season, or a chapter (like literally a chapter in the book), and each one left a mark. I’ve danced barefoot at beach bonfires with strangers who felt like soul family. I’ve cried with women I met hours earlier in hostel kitchens. And yes, I’ve loved, deeply and unexpectedly, in places I never planned to stay. Travel accelerates connection. Without the armor of routine and roles, you meet each other and yourself more fully.

What’s something you’ve borrowed from another culture that you now consider part of your identity?

From Spanish and Latin American culture, the art of slowing down. Long meals, late conversations, and living like there’s time. Not everything needs to be solved, scheduled, or explained.

Reunion in Osaka, Japan

What languages do you speak? Do different sides of your personality come out when you speak different languages?

I speak English fluently, survive in Spanish, and have a collection of scattered words in many other languages. When I speak Spanish, I become more playful, and more expressive maybe because I’m less concerned with perfection and more tuned in to connection.

What does home mean to you?

Home is no longer a physical address. It’s a feeling. A sense of alignment, presence, and safety within myself. It can be found in a lakeside café in Pogradec, Albania, the side of a mountain in New Zealand, in a long WhatsApp call with a soul friend, and in the pages of a great book.

What reverse culture shock have you experienced returning to your home country?

The excess. The speed. The small talk that doesn’t mean anything. After living in places where people sit with their coffee for hours and strangers look you in the eye, returning to the U.S. felt jarring. So much noise, so much rush, and so little space for presence. I’ve learned to visit without absorbing it all, to hold on to the slower, softer rhythm I’ve come to love.

I can relate to that! Who needs 30 different types of Oreos?!
If your travel life had a theme song, what would it be?

Great question. Right now, it would be Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine. It captures the wild liberation of breaking free from the life I thought I had to live. There’s joy and grief braided together in that song, just like in solo travel. It’s messy, defiant, and euphoric. It reminds me that I ran toward something, not away, and that the freedom I’ve found wasn’t handed to me. I claimed it.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to women taking their first solo trip?

Go scared. Go messy. Just go. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You only need curiosity and a willingness to be uncomfortable. The first step is the hardest, but after that, the world meets you halfway. And remember, courage doesn’t feel like confidence. If it did, everyone would do it.

If you’d like to learn more about Dawn or follow her on her adventures you can find out more here:

Contributing Author, Solo Explorers (2023)
Guest, Changing the Rules Podcast E:130 (2022)
Instagram @ Dawn Ritter Fischer
Facebook Dawn Ritter Fischer