Strong Enough to Start Again

Hey, I’m LaVerne Murphy — a sunshine-loving, gluten-sensitive, post–gallbladder-removal, hip-arthritis-managing, semi-retired woman figuring this stage of life out one honest day at a time… and sharing the journey as I go.

A few things about me:

  • I’m an Independent Travel Advisor with Fora Travel Inc. (TICO #50026835)
  • I’m also a lifestyle blogger
  • I’m learning to navigate eating after gallbladder removal
  • I’m managing moderate hip arthritis (which affects my fitness journey)
  • I live with SAD, so sunshine is more than just a preference — it’s survival
  • I’m officially semi-retired, building a life with more freedom and less stress
  • My husband and I are creating an off-grid summer home in Canada
  • And the dream? Summers here. Winters abroad. Sunshine whenever possible.

This website is my central hub — a place where travel, wellness, lifestyle, and midlife reinvention live together. Everything is connected by one guiding theme in my life right now:

Because at 57, I’m starting again in my body, in my routines, in my health, in my work, and in the way I want to live the second half of my life.
If you’re here, maybe you’re starting again too.

Travel has always been where I feel most alive.
Give me sunshine, turquoise water, a quiet adults-only resort, and a book? I’m good.

I don’t push deals.
I don’t want to “sell” travel.

I want to share it.

My trips, my experiences, the resorts I love, the moments that made me breathe deeper, the places you’ve never heard of but absolutely should.

If someone wants me to help them plan a trip, amazing.
If not? Also amazing.

Travel is part of my life — not a pressure.

Menopause hit me like a brick wall.
Gut issues? Surprise!
Food sensitivities? Add them to the list.
Energy swings? Check.
Mood changes? Check.
Trying to control my body with the same rules I used at 25? Hilarious.

So this page also follows my journey of:

  • rebuilding my fitness (again)
  • eating for low inflammation
  • figuring out what my body needs NOW
  • navigating SAD during Canadian winters
  • creating a lifestyle where I can travel and feel GOOD doing it

And yes — sometimes it’s messy, sometimes it’s funny, and sometimes I just need a nap and a chamomile tea.

This is the “real life” part of my world — the daily things that make me me:

  • gardening
  • building our off-grid summer cabin
  • cooking
  • Costco runs
  • morning routines
  • life with SAD
  • reorganizing things for no reason
  • dreaming up winter travel plans
  • spending time with my husband
  • learning what semi-retired life feels like

It’s not curated.
It’s not perfect.
It’s just my life.

  • Travel inspiration, not pressure
  • Lifestyle content for women 45+
  • Fitness + health updates (real ones — not “bounce back” nonsense)
  • Recipes that work for my very particular gut
  • Our cabin build journey
  • SAD survival content and how I manage it
  • My “Strong Enough to Start Again” story as it unfolds in real time
  • Blog posts that are honest, helpful, and sometimes a little funny

I want this to feel like you’re hanging out with a friend — not being sold to.

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