Empowering Mid-Life Women to Discover the Joy of Solo Travel

At Blooming Traveler, we specialize in helping women embrace the freedom of solo adventures, group retreats, and creative workshops—because your best travel days are just beginning

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Meet Susan Harbourt, Founder of Blooming Traveler

Hi, I’m Susan Harbourt, and I’ve discovered the magic of traveling on my own terms—free from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. After embracing solo travel myself, I realized how transformative it can be, especially for women in mid-life who deserve time to explore and reconnect with themselves. Now, I’m here to help you experience that same freedom, whether it’s a solo getaway or a group retreat with like-minded women.

With Blooming Traveler, you’ll receive personalized planning, insider tips, and all the support you need to make your next journey a reality. Let’s create the perfect adventure—one that’s all about you.

Learn More About Susan's Story

Services

My specialty is helping you curate a comfortable and unique travel experience.

Solo Adventures

Girls Trips

Attend Retreats & Workshops

Family Travel Planning

Plan Retreats & Workshops

Corporate Travel Planning

Travel Planning Made Easy

Planning a trip shouldn’t be stressful—especially when you have a world of possibilities waiting for you! At Blooming Traveler, we offer personalized travel planning services for solo travelers, group retreats, and creative workshops. From itinerary design to booking and on-the-ground support, we’re here to make sure your journey is seamless and enjoyable.

Personalized Custom Travel Itineraries

Tailored travel experiences designed just for you that go beyond the guidebooks. Whether you’re planning a solo adventure or a small group getaway, we take the time to understand your travel preferences and interests. From must-see sights to hidden gems, your itinerary will be crafted with care to ensure your journey is both seamless and unforgettable.

Destination and Accommodation Selection

Find the perfect places to stay and explore. With so many options out there, choosing the right destination and accommodation can be overwhelming. Let us do the research for you! We’ll match you with destinations and stays that align with your style, budget, and needs—whether it’s a cozy boutique hotel, a relaxing beachfront resort, or a hidden oasis in a bustling city.

Insider Tips and Local Recommendations

Discover the best-kept secrets of every destination. Get the inside scoop with our local recommendations, curated just for you. From the best cafes and hidden hiking trails to authentic cultural experiences and dining spots, we’ll ensure you explore each destination like a local. Our tips are designed to make you feel right at home, no matter where in the world you are.

What People are Saying...

Nora

"Susan helped me plan the solo trip of my dreams—I came back feeling like a new person!"

Anna

"Our group retreat was everything we hoped for and more! Susan took care of every detail, and we were able to relax and truly connect."

Nancy

"I was nervous about traveling alone, but Susan made it so easy. I can’t wait to book my next adventure!"

What's New to the Blog!

How to Plan the Perfect Group Retreat: 6 Essential Tips

5 Reasons Why Solo Travel Is Perfect for Women Over 40

Day 6: Reducing Waste
Like many Metalsmith’s, I do my best to collect ever scrap of material that does not go into a finish’s product to reclaim it in some way. From the chunks of metal that I saw off to the tiniest of particles in the air when I file. I even have a particle trap in my sink that filters out precious material that I would be washing down the drain. There is even a specific trash bin that I put used sandpaper, bandaids (a constant companion in the trade) that collected fine metal dust while working, or paper towels that I used during clean up. The large bits can be melted down and reused by me and the tiny bits and “trash” can be sent into a special place to be refined and the precious metals extracted. -
But that’s not what I wanted to discuss today...I wanted to tell you about Olives! When I was in Italy this past October, I had the good fortune to visit an olive mill. It was the poster child of reducing waste! -
Olives come in and are sorted, cleaned, and prepared for mashing almost immediately. Did you know olives are part of the stone fruit family? Do like a juicy fresh peach, oxidation starts to set in and change the fruits flavor almost immediately. Hence the need for immediately processing fresh picked fruit. -
The stones are removed from the olives and set aside, however they don’t go into the trash, they are cleaned and stores as little pellets to be used to heat the facility in the furnace. The olives are then chopped into a mash and placed in a press and every last drop of goodnesses squeezed out of them. The mash chunks leftover from the oil expressing can then be placed in a compost pile. -
The fresh squeezed olive oil is actually a bright almost lime green color, not at all resembling the golden green we are used to seeing in our bottle at home. Once again that is because the olives are so fresh and oxidation has not set in. In order to slow the oxidation process, the best olive oils are stored in tins or dark glass protecting the precious oil from the harmful light and oxygen. -
In addition to all of this, the olive tree trimmings and fallen branches are collected to be used in fireplaces or pizza ovens. Nothing goes

Day 5: Close Up -
Up close and personal...I feel the eye 👁 is the most important thing to appreciate and acknowledge with a close up. Eyes are a spectacular and symbolic organ. They are what allows us to see the world in our own special way.
-
I came across this quote by Michael Jordan:
-
Look me in the eye. It’s ok if you’re scared. So am I. But we are scared for different reasons. I am scared of what I won’t become. And you are scared of what I could become. Look at me. I won’t let myself end where I started. I won’t let myself finish where I began. I know what is within me, even if you can’t see it yet. Look me in the eyes. I have something more important than courage. I have patience. I will become what I know I am.
-
Look carefully into mine...what do you see? -
If you are literal and look carefully, you can see the world of my studio reflected in my eyes! -
#MarchMeetTheMaker
#MarchMeetTheMaker2020
#LookIntoMyEyes
#LookMeInTheEyes

Day 3: Time

When I was young I used to ask my dad what he did at work as an engineer. His reply was always the same...”I wrote my A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s “. By the time I was an engineer, computers were at every desk, so you could say I typed my A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s. Then I had kids...and I spent my days teaching and singing A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s. .
Now my kids are in school and during the school day I am free to pursue my creative endeavors. You’d think I get to spend the day lost in my own creative musings, but unfortunately if you are trying to do it as a business that is far from reality!

If I’m lucky, the kids are in school for 7 hours a day. But part of that I’m driving to drop off or pick up...so let’s call it 6 hours for ( days a week = 30 kid free hours a week. Here’s the breakdown of where my time goes: .
➰ 10 hours chores to keep the home running (shopping / cleaning / dishes / laundry...etc)
➰ 7.5 hours Still doing my A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s...sending emails, creating product listings, prepping social media posts, writing blogs, packing / shipping products
➰ 5 hours photographing products, places, or things for posts and then editing and cataloging photos so they are ready to share
➰ 5 hours consuming content (learning / researching / daydreaming)
➰Only 2.5 hours actually spent creating! .

I want to work on my habits so I spend less time consuming and more time creating. But for now this is the balance that works. .

Are you surprised? How do you spend you day? What do you wish you did more of...or less of in your day? .

#MeetTheMakerMarch

#MeetTheMakerMarch2020

#MeetTheMakerMarchDay3

The Hands of a Maker.... I used to be so critical of my hands...cursing the thin nails that won’t grow long and all the wrinkles that look like they belonged to a scullery maid many years older than my age. But as I have aged and grew into my wrinkles, I now appreciate my hands and how clever they are and all they do for me.

Sure they fumble a bit, they can get a little cramped feeling at times, and they will never be selected to be photographed for a magazine spread, but they do so much for me. ✍🏻 They translate visions in my head to pieces of art to share with others.
🤟🏻They hold on tight to the ones I love
👏🏻 They clap and cheer on the ones I support
👋🏻 They greet and welcome new people into my life ✋🏻 They preform mundane daily tasks with out complaints 🤚🏻 They are the tools I most cherish in my creative trade
🤞🏻 They are expressive and say so much without making an single sound

What do you love about your hands?

#MarchMeetTheMaker
#MarchMeetTheMaker2020
#MarchMeetTheMakerDay2
#HandsofaMaker

Hello! Today is Day 1 of the #MarchMeetTheMaker2020 and I figured it was a good point to reintroduce myself to some of you and possibly introduce myself to others for the first time.
I’m Susan...Wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, engineer, jewelry maker, artist, traveler, dreamer, The BlossomSmith and The Blooming Traveler.
For the first part of my adult life I worked as an engineer in product development. Then relocated from the East Coast to the flatlands and farm fields of Illinois with my husband to start a new chapter in our lives. Kids came, the engineering career was halted, and my jewelry business ramped up after being discovered by Uncommon Goods in a contest for products made by reclaimed materials.
At the height of my jewelry business success I had to put on the breaks and help my husband with his business. 5 years later that business grew to a huge success and was sold and I could return to my passions again.
Interesting thing happens after a 5 year refocus...you realize that you have changed and you don’t want to go back to where you left off. So this past year I have been exploring what I want the next phase of life to be.
What’s next? More travel that moves my soul, more one of a kind jewelry made from ethically sourced materials, more creative projects that inspire me for sure! I also want to start helping others to re-ignite their inner creative spark as well as show them how to enjoy travel in a less commercialized way by hosting creative retreats in inspiring locations.
Where would you love to travel?
What creative things light you up?

#Marchmeetthemaker2020Day1

Thank you for your patience while I do some Social Media account shuffling.
Follow:
@susanharbourt for all my goodies
@thebloomingtraveler for wanderlust travel
@the_blossomsmith for my jewelry creations

Thank you, Annette, for welcoming strangers to your home in Italy and curating such wonderful workshops! I highly suggest everyone out there checks out the 2020 @stylephotoworkshops that are about to open for enrollment! #howtochoose.

Take a break to listen to the song of the wind, talk to the whispering trees, feel the love of flowers, dance with the dancing leaves, and enjoy the tranquility and serenity of nature.
- Debasish Mridha

I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it. -Rosalia de Castro

Life isn't just about darkness or light, rather it's about finding light within the darkness. - Landon Parham

#lafortezzaworkshop

Past experiences are effluvial.
Burn them.
The now is important. -Sandra Harner

Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. - Hal Borland

Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.
- Khalil Gibran

It’s like walking through the pages of a storybook here at La Fortezza.

Some people have asked my why I call myself the “Blooming Traveler”. This picture I took at La Fortezza while visiting @annettejosephstyle for a @stylephotoworkshops with @her_dark_materials workshop pretty much sums it up. If you open your heart to new experiences you are bound to blossom in ways you are not aware were possible.

Awaiting my next adventure...so patiently. I hope this delay will not cause me to miss the next 2 in a series of 3 flights...
Any guesses on where I’m off to?

The Blooming Traveler is who you become when you allow yourself to shed those fears of exploring the unknown, shut down the self limiting thoughts that prevent you from chasing your dreams, realize you deserve it, and allow the wanderlust person inside of you to bloom!
What adventure do you want to take next? Let me know in the comments below.

I loved how when I was with in the walls of the Tower of London I could see the Tower Bridge peaking over looking at me.

One last view of Leeds Castle! It was such a lovely visit. The visitor center is set a ways back from the castle so you get to meander through the grounds before actually arriving to the castle entrance. On the day of our visit, entry to the island, where the castle is, was closed until a special guest departed. It enddd up that the special guest was Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Kent departing after spending the night in the castle. She was there the day before because a garden was dedicated in her name. I have pictures of her departure, but out of respect to her privacy I will not post them. However I will share what was one of my favorite views of our approach to the castle.

King Richard III on his white horse...swipe left for a close up!

Leeds Castle is such a storybook castle, it even has its own moat!

A view into the past at Leeds Castle in Kent. We even saw a Princess that day!

One of the highlights from our trip to Lulworth was the boat ride to the Durdle Door! I wish we had the time and the energy to do the mile long hike from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door to see it from the other side....but after 10 days of walking over 10 miles a day, we were worn out and wanted to just rest and enjoy. But we did manage to hike the entire rim of the cove which was no shabby adventure!

I think I walked into a living story book! What fairytale story belongs here?

Another SWIPE LEFT panorama of Lulworth Cove from the other edge!

SWIPE LEFT to see the panoramic beauty at the Lulworth Cove in Wareham, Dorset, UK overlooking the English Channel. It was a slice of heaven.

We just got home from a big family vacation and the kids kept joking about how my first order of business was to have therapeutic snuggles with the kitties. Looks like they are all ready and waiting for me! Let the purring begin.

Just Purr-fect.I managed to pick up the colds from both kids and add a little something special to it in the form of a fever.Passed out in my bed today I wake up to see Cheeto is keeping a close eye on me.Is it because she knows I’m sick or is she waiting to attack? No studio time for me today.

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