Feeling stretched thin but not sure a “holiday” will fix it? This episode unpacks what a real retreat looks like—and how to choose one that doesn’t fall apart the second you’re home. We talk best-practice design, how to avoid the Wellness Trap, and why intentional space beats a packed schedule of treatments every time. If you’ve ever wondered whether a retreat could actually help you feel better, think clearer, and get back in the picture—start here. Wellness Travel, done well.

• Why We Swim - by Bonnie Tsui
• Art Of Stillness - by Pico Iyer
• Retreat Idea - Austria Hotel Post Bezau
  
  

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Anna Manlulo said yes to herself and walked the Camino de Santiago — one step, one day, along hundreds of kilometres of ancient pilgrim paths. We talk about the moment she moved from “one day” to “I’m going,” the logistics around work and family, the day-to-day reality on the trail, and what changed when she came home. You’ll leave with five things: one mindset shift, one planning tip, one safety habit, one packing tip, and a prompt to find a ‘local Camino’ you can try in your own postcode. Why not now? Why not you?

• Buy Anna Manlulo's book here
• And say hello to her on Instagram Adobo Downunder
• Travel journalling app mentioned - Polar Steps
• Family Organiser App - Family Wall
• Anna's Camino Tour with Catholic Mission Australia

📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

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Somewhere between society decided women need permission slips to take a breath. If you need it (and of course we don't 'require permission' - our lives, we need look to only ourselves for how to live life fully) “But if a good nudge is required — take this episode as your signed slip."

• glamgirlsluxtravels.com
• instagram.com/pineapplevilla
• intrepidtravel.com/au/womens-expeditions

📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

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If your house is quieter and you aren't quite sure what comes next - this episode is for you. Mid-life reinvigoration, an emptier nest, and the everyday resets that stick. Monique talks with Prue Francis about naming the wobble, choosing small changes that actually work, and rebuilding connection - fun and supportive. Practical, candid, immediately usable. Why not now? Why not you? Plus, an invitation, to join us at 'A Grown Up’s Gap Year – THE CLUB' (Facebook) to keep the conversation going — plan escapes (big or small), share what’s working, meet some new friends - all to 'put yourself back in the picture'.

Prue highly recommends this article: Why growth requires saying goodbye - Ozan Varol. ozanvarol.com/why-growth-requires-saying-goodbye/

Use this program to check in with better eating and nutrition habits: healthwithbec.com/

And if you would like to get in touch with Prue you will find her business details here: Agricultural Consultants. Experts in farm business strategy and growth.
instagram.com/agrista.au/

📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

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Ever feel like you’re circling the same question - What now? Why not me? - without actually moving forward? This episode of A Grown Up’s Gap Year takes you straight to the compass you’ve been missing: your values.

In less than half an hour, you’ll learn how to uncover your 3–5 non-negotiables - the litmus test for every yes, no, and “not for me.” Monique van Tulder guides you through her five-step “Values Lab,” weaving in real-life stories, Joan Didion wisdom, and practical micro-actions you can try this week.

• Download: Grown Up's Guidebooks - Core Values List

📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

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What if the life you’ve built no longer fits? In this candid, hope-filled episode, author of A Grown Up’s Gap Year, wellbeing commentator and host Monique van Tulder, interviews fellow author, editor and Fit HIIT Pilates founder, Melinda Louise Hutchings, to talk reinvention, no regrets, and why it’s never too late to rewrite your next chapter.

Melinda Louise Hutchings - who not only contributed a powerful chapter to A Grown Up’s Gap Year, but also edited the book.

Melinda knows what it’s like to take a moment to plan a fresh start - from leaving a life that no longer felt right, to retraining, relocating, and rewriting her own rules. We talk about what really happens when you stop saying “one day” and begin instead.

This episode is for anyone hovering at the edge of change:

• If you’re wondering whether it’s too late (it’s not)
• If you’ve been collecting “maybe later” dreams
• If you need to borrow someone else’s courage before you can claim your own

Melinda shares how she let go of the known, handled pushback, and discovered the unexpected joys of beginning again. We also talk ageing with purpose, rewriting mid-life myths, and the power of Pilates (yes, really).

• fithiitpilates.com

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A Grown Up’s Gap Year starts here — Tiny acts, big shifts: the art of feeling alive again. (no job-quitting or plane ticket required).

📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

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Before the book, the podcast, or the well-meaning comments about being “so lucky,”... there was a woman who ran away. Not forever - but far enough to hear herself think.

In this bonus episode, author and wellbeing commentator and host Monique van Tulder shares the real reason she wrote A Grown Up’s Gap Year - how this community was born - from financial truths and invisible workloads to the quiet ache of disappearing behind to do lists and family schedules.

This isn’t just about one woman stepping back. It’s about the systems that keep so many stuck - and why it’s time we talked about them.

💬 Includes a book reading from A Grown Up’s Gap Year, powerful insights on motherhood, money, and mental load, and an invitation to rethink what mid-life could really look like.

⚡ This show isn’t fluff - it’s fuel. For women floundering in beige. For daughters watching. For sons who need a new kind of masculine.

Listen now, and begin your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year - no plane ticket required.

📚 Get your copy of A Grown Up’s Gap Year the book, from Amazon, moniquevantulder.com, bookshops and libraries, subscribe to the podcast, and take the first step toward your own A Grown Up’s Gap Year.

• Monique's LinkedIn
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