Things you used to like to do, but now? Not so much.

I am in my late 60s, and I have all but lost the taste for alcohol. For one thing I found it increasingly disrupted my sleep, and I find at this age sleep is already enough of a problem without making it worse. I have an occasional drink, often go weeks without having any, don't really miss it. And if/when I do have a drink, it is generally just one, and on really rare occasions, two. But that is it...low single digits weekly consumption...if a doctor ever told me to stop, it would be a snap to go cold turkey. And I feel like I am already heading there on my own in the next couple of years.

Travel like I was on The Amazing Race - as many places as possible. And flying home the last day of vacation. Now I spend at least 3 nights in one place. And I give myself an extra day or two before returning to work after a trip. Jet lag hits harder now.

I used to feel like I had to go, go, go every day; visiting one site after another and making sure I saw as much as possible. Now I give myself permission to rest, to take an afternoon off (or even a whole day) from sightseeing, and get back to the hotel early to relax with a glass of wine and a good book. That's how I roll now... :-)

I used to feel like I had to go, go, go every day; visiting one site after another and making sure I saw as much as possible. Now I give myself permission to rest, to take an afternoon off (or even a whole day) from sightseeing, and get back to the hotel early to relax with a glass of wine and a good book. That's how I roll now... :-)

Same here, we eased into this mode of slow rolling right before Covid. We schedule very few "events" on our trips, go with the flow, and limit the number of advanced tickets we need to buy for museums, etc. We like to decide each day how we are going to spend it...

I find myself gravitating toward green spaces much more now after years of castles, palaces, museums, churches.

Chatting up the hot women in the room -- I used to think I owed it to them or myself or someone to at least try to get a smile or exchange some attention because they went to the trouble of appearing extraordinary, honestly like it is some kind of requirement of social mores like complimenting the hosts or bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner invite.

Nowadays I'm more on the bubble between benchwarmer and ready to be put to pasture, so I don't feel any obligation to keep those aspects of a gathering spinning. More attracted to people who have interesting backgrounds or careers.

Climbing hundreds of steps up towers, castles and the like just to see the view.
Now, no elevator, no view for me.

For me, it’s been scuba diving in some of the remote corners of the world. Now, with the health of the oceans declining and getting “of a certain age” I don’t see myself continuing. I have another remote dive trip coming up, but thinking it might be my last one. If I continue, it will be less remote and closer to home. Which means the diving won’t be as good. I am very grateful I have seen things underwater that most people will never see.

I love walking.

When I was younger, I used to walk maybe 10 miles a day. I still love walking but can no longer do it like I once did due to age and mobility issues. While I now accept my challenges, it was very difficult some years back when I first had to reduce my walking.

And in my younger years, I was active in the live music scene here in Austin, even doing my masters thesis on the live music scene. That was a long time ago. Every so often, I still get out and really enjoy it when I do. But I have found other things to replace it.

I wish that I could walk like I used to but have to accept the reality of getting old.

Did the Village Italy tour this spring. I have had both hips replaced and they worked, but the steps and knees didn’t cooperate.

Jäegermeister is awful. Don’t like many beers anymore, and very particular about wine.

I congratulate those in their 80’s still going.

All the replies hit home with us. Sadly climbing every (replace that with any tower is not possible , coffee is done after lunch, large elbow to elbow crowds anywhere are avoided, late nights are replaced with quiet nights to regenerate for another day’s adventure and the occasional taxi for tired bodies instead of walking everywhere. Private rooms or apartments have taken the place of shared bunks in hostels. Oh, how about needing to sit on a bench instead of the curb or grass in a park. The bright side is we can still travel!

When I first started traveling, my only thought about where to go was somewhere in Europe.

I haven't abandoned European travel altogether, but I am much more drawn to other corners of the world.

I also used to love breakfast buffets. I now much prefer to get a breakfast made to order.

Glad to hear someone else thinks Jägermeister tastes like Vicks 44. Nasty stuff.
Left the drinking behind 24 years ago and enjoy my travels so much more. It truly is ok to enjoy all of these countries without tasting the local wine, liquor, or beer. The country is still fun and unique.
Climbing towers. I think the last one I climbed was in 2018, when I climbed the steeple in the Kaiserdom in Frankfurt. 323 steps, and with a broken wrist so I couldn't really hold on to anything. Have climbed some smaller towers since then, but I really, really don't want to anymore. The thought of falling down a bunch of spiral stone steps has started to freak me out.

Luckily, I can still walk a Camino. Well, #7 is planned for April, so will see how that goes.

I find myself gravitating toward green spaces much more now after years of castles, palaces, museums, churches.

I have lost my tolerance for spending hours on end in museums, etc. I am good for a max 90 minutes at a time, and an hour is better; I also am extremely selective about doing more than a couple of sites like this on any trip. Whereas I can spend hours and hours walking in the outdoors, in the city, and I seek out parks and nature walks everywhere I go now...I build my days around walking outdoors, not going inside buildings.

A 2023 visit to an old favorite, the Orsay, was marred by the shoulder to shoulder crowds - really, overcrowding like I had never experienced - on our last 2 trips to Paris in 2024, we did not visit a single museum. I may be done with them, though I do still look for smaller, less visited museums, but the "biggies" like the Louvre and Orsay hold no appeal for me anymore. Thank goodness I have seen them throughout the years, but no longer enjoy that experience due to the crowds. I haven't set foot in the Louvre in more than 15 years.

Camping. Decades ago we used to tent camp about half of our European trips. Between age and the extra security a tent and sleeping bags got, it became impractical.

I need to second Mardee.

The older I have gotten, the more concerned I am about catching a cold or the flu, either during the trip or especially shortly after my return home, because of physical exhaustion. I no longer plan trips as though I were running a race, feeling obligated to constantly be on the move and fill every minute with a "productive" pursuit. Some museums I love, but many I can pass on, especially art museums. And there are few "must-see" sites I must visit. Instead, I try to do and see what I really want to do and see, regardless of how unusual my interests are and what the guidebooks say (for really unusual, SOE and Resistance safehouses in Paris or street scenes in Bruges from the movie The Nun's Story). And I really try to slow the pace, at least a tad, and get the proper rest.

Ditto on Jojo rabbit’s comment on large crowded art museums and the enjoyment of small museums focusing on one artist. If in Prague go to the Muncho museum…tiny with lovely art. Ciao, another JoJo. Gardens and green spaces are usually a quiet area to visit with people.

I’m done with large, crowded, expensive concerts where you pay for a seat and everyone stands the entire time. Nope.

I no longer

• Run for busses or trains
• Carry a camera separate from my phone
• Carry luggage up and down stairs (I can do the stairs: just too risky to carry a suitcase if it can be avoided)
• Stay in cheap hotels. Not looking for luxury, just not cutting corners
• Eat at buffets of they can be avoided, at home and abroad

My husband totally gave up drinking a few years ago. He enjoys N/A beers, but doesn't want the alcohol anymore and I drink very little. Usually just a glass of wine if I am at our daughters, and I usually can't finish it.

My husband used to be a mountain climber, but also gave that up a few years ago. He knew that at his age (55 or so at the time) he was not as sharp as before and knew he was too much of a liability due to that.

I used to race walk full marathons and half marathons. That wore out my knees, literally, and especially since I had deformities in them that I did not know until the damage was done. I loved doing those, and came in first in my age division once, so I am happy I had those experiences, but they are behind me now.

We still love to tent camp and backpack, and just came back from camping on our coast this past week. Yes, during the tsunami advisory. We have done a camper van trip in Iceland and are planning another, but I will be dead before I get into an RV. Not gonna happen if I have a say.

We have traveled quite a bit and seen a lot of the big cities, which were nice, but now we both want more outdoor adventures on our travels. I figure I can see more cities when I am older and can't do the stuff we can do now.

Both of us hate crowds, and my husband is worse about it than I am. If we see a crowd, we usually turn the other way.

I no longer
Run for busses or trains

No joke, like in the Paris Metro, I refuse to run to catch a car, I stand aside for the inevitable rush of people racing down the stairs...

I also no longer lug baggage through Metro stations with all the stairs, also don't stay in "cheap" hotels anymore...

Just thought of this one: going to a theater to see a movie...pre Covid, I went on average twice a week, 100 +/- theater visits a year...Covid changed all of that, and streaming movies at home on my 85 inch TV became the norm...saw no films in a theater from 2020 through 2022, and I have seen fewer than 5 films in a theater since the "end" of the worst of the pandemic in 2023, have pretty much completely lost the habit of going to a theater for something I now prefer to do at home, and I doubt I will ever go back...too much hassle, etc.

Recreational running has gone out the window…..but not long walks/hikes. Cheap hotels, BnBs, economy eats are still good in my book. Travel does become harder with age…but I do it for work and pleasure. There will be an end point but not quite yet.

I used to like being very low maintenance. Physically, that is. Liked doing hardly anything to be ready for the day. Now, there are always things I have to do for my eyes, my ears, my left foot, my right foot, my right hip, blah, blah blah. Annoying. Could be worse, of course --- lots of people have to deal with much, much, much worse.

I used to buy shoes for looks, now I buy for maximum comfort. After several trips in pain from blisters because I bought a new pair for the trip, now I wear my most broken in, comfortable pair I own.

I also have a couple pairs of nylon shorts I wear on each trip because they are lightweight, dry quickly, take very little space in my luggage, and have lots of pockets. I no longer care that I wear the same clothes in all my pictures. I have probably had these for 15 years and hope they last for another 10 years.

When we started traveling 25 years ago we would take the largest suitcase we had and put the next smaller size inside to hold our clothes. That gave us the extra bag for bringing home stuff. So we would leave with one bag, and come home with two. This was before they charged for checked bags. Now my husband has a backpack for his clothes, and I have the smallest roller bag I could find for mine. Almost every trip we take we have an airline employee ask where the rest of our luggage is, and are amazed that is all we have. I am proud I can get by on the most minimum. I even make sure I have spare room to bring home some Christmas ornaments.

This isn’t really “doing”, but I no longer take huge suitcases on trips!
I can still carry a small one up and down stairs and on and off trains, so have gone to carryon for outward travel.
Then I buy a cheap duffel or tote for whatever I might have bought, then check them both on the way home.
My old giant suitcases are now for storing seasonal clothes.
Don’t take my camera now either.

Chatting up the hot women in the room

That's funny. I would have needed the bravery that jagermeister gave to chat them up in my younger days, but now less booze + wife and my chatting days are done.

Mountain Biking comes to mind for me. There was a time that the ultimate dream trip would have included my bike and the Alps or other mountainous terrain around the world. First, kids got in the way of my weekend rides in the Rockies, and now when I think about getting back into it in retirement, I realize 2 weeks of riding would be about 13 days too many.

Activity: Physically I still can go, go, go during a trip (late 60’s), but now I mentally am fine with having only 1-2 activities per city I am planning to do. This year I even had some cities with nothing in ink on the plans. I’ve definitely switched over from FOMO to “it’s a perfect day if I am enjoying being in the moment of whatever I end up doing.”

Packing: used to be what I could fit into a 2-wheeled carry on. Now it’s how little I can take in a backpack (Cotopaxi 35). I switched over as an act to be very kind to my body.

Saving money on Hotels: used to select the cheapest option at a hotel or B&B. Now I check what amenities an extra €20 will give me.

Gelato: used to be 1/day. Now….1/day. Hey, some things shouldn’t change! ; )

This is an excellent question. For me, everything that I once enjoyed and no longer do is a result of medical issues rather than loss of enjoyment. I love to drink (mostly good beer and excellent wines), love to play golf, love eating, love to read, love listening to jazz, love spouting off my many opinions. (This last is offered as a warning.)

I was a runner for many years and only quit after my hip replacement. Other things I can no longer do because of health issues will remain unstated, except I can no longer eat eggs every day for breakfast, which I used to love.

Thank goodness none of my physical limitations really affect my travel, because that's what I love most of all. I'm sure the event horizon for travel limitations is nearer than I'd hope, though.

Wow, so many of these posts ring true for me, too. As for drinking, well, I will have a Guinness if I'm in Ireland, but just one, or a glass of wine, maybe two max, and that's it. Maybe I'm "lucky" in that I know if drink more than that I'll regret it, including GI issues. Having said that a sip of alcohol can be part of a cultural experience.

Concerts. Yep. I'm far less of a fan of crowds nowadays. At our last concert, three 60-ish guys directly in front of us had to stand the entire time, guzzling beer, swaying back and forth, and playfully pushing each other. Not surprisingly they left early lol. Sometimes you have to deal with crowds to an extent.

I enjoy the movies where there is some man who is over the hill but has one fight left in him, like Brad Pitt in F1, or another movie with a former cowboy rodeo star back for one last grasp at fame and fortune. It's a nice fantasy.

Anyway, we were touring some museums in DC last week. Real Feel temp was 100F. After about 4 hours walking all over hell and creation we headed back to the merciful air conditioning of our hotel, enjoying the rest of the afternoon reading, relaxing, and, yes, fooling around.

Concerts. Yep. I'm far less of a fan of crowds nowadays.

Last stadium concert attended, U2 in 2009; last large indoor arena concert, Elton John 2016. Now I will only attend concerts in small venues, say less than 2,000 peeps, if not smaller...my days of being in huge crowds are over. For one thing, the cost to attend is obscene, but really it is the crowds I can't bear anymore.

My last in person major college football game (SEC stadium, famously loud and boisterous, 2022) definitely marked the end of that sort of thing - there are 100k people inside the stadium, and another 100k outside tailgating during the game. No sir, I am done with that...I have friends my age (late 60s) who after decades of attending all home games, season tickets, etc., have given up their tickets after losing interest and patience with all of it, so I am not alone in staying away.

I need to third Mardee. I listen to my body so much more and use some protective measures to attempt to avoid getting sick on vacation.

SOE and Resistance safehouses in Paris

RJ, Oh, this is so me! I would love to do this in Paris. Does a list exist? Sorry, I know off topic.

Smoke.

Smoked for years. Tareytons or Camel Lights. Never smoked in my abodes or my cars.

Early one morning having been up all night filming the underground LA metro station at Graumans Chinese Theatre made the decision I was done.

Haven’t smoked since. That was 35 years ago.

Smell of cigarette smoke gags me now.

Editing: Travel changes: no longer economy, now premium economy. Evolved to be a carry on traveler. Still believe in a paper trail but also have itinerary on the iPhone. Gave up carrying the 35mm Canon ages ago. iPhone is my camera. Upload images on my Instagram account to share. Dress casually. Wear well worn shoes. Relish Smart Wool socks, love Moleskin, have a big meal mid day, no guilt if I nap.

Small Bagallini backpack, door jamb, tea bags, packet of sugarless gum, some toothpicks, twist ties, tiny wooden or plastic spoon, nail clippers, disposable foam ear plugs, small tube of Neosporin, Airborne tablets, vintage Bayer Aspirin tin for Tylenol and Tylenol PM pills, leather coin purse, my own coffee mug and venerable coffee thermos, and passport carrier are my musts when I travel.

Claudia, good for you. Happy for you. I'll bet you feel much better.

Jojo, I hear you. Fortunately some West Virginia football games are not full, so we try to isolate ourselves a little bit in the upper stands. One issue we had included having to stand up every couple of minutes because people are heading to the concessions for more beer and crap food. I wonder if they saw any of the game. Plus, as people have grown much larger over the years, the 22-inch seat width doesn't work. It's just so much more enjoyable at home lol.

Jojo, I hear you. Fortunately some West Virginia football games are not full, so we try to isolate ourselves a little bit in the upper stands. One issue we had included having to stand up every couple of minutes because people are heading to the concessions for more beer and crap food. I wonder if they saw any of the game. Plus, as people have grown much larger over the years, the 22-inch seat width doesn't work. It's just so much more enjoyable at home lol.

Big Mike, another thing I can't tolerate are the long TV timeouts in college football today; when you are at home watching the TV, annoying but not a big deal, hit the toilet and the fridge for another beer. But in the stadium, they fill every available second of time with ear splitting music, of which none of it I am a fan. Too damn loud, not enjoyable at all...I know I sound old, but I remember when I was a student at the same SEC school in the 70s, the stadium held 63k, but over the years it ballooned to the present capacity, and now all SEC games are televised, and the TV timeouts are absurd...

Great thread!

Besides all the aches and pains of growing old(er), I no longer tolerate crowds, loud music, etc. as most of you have mentioned. I no longer race through airports, although we did really walk fast to catch a change of trains in Rome Termini this spring.

Maybe one more trip to Lambeau Field this fall with our son. And I can tolerate almost anything for a Packer game but only in Green Bay.

This is something that is very unexpected to me, but after our last trip, which was in March 2025, I think I am done with art museums. That used to be my number one thing. But in March we spent half a day at the Prado in Madrid, and it was overcrowded and exhausting. I've been to so many of the great art museums around the world already, and after seeing another one, I think I've had it. I still love art, in situ, where it was originally intended, like in a cathedral or a home, or in a plaza, but in a museum, where it's statue after statue, painting after painting, masterpiece after masterpiece, with the crowds, and the tour groups, and the school kids running around? I think I'm done with that.

Staying up all night / sleeping in all day.

I used to love to party all night, now I get up when I used to go to bed.

"Sleeping in" means I slept until 7 am.

Overnight flights are the bane of my existence.

-- Mike Beebe

Thinking about the overcrowded museum comments. I live in NYC and frequently go to the Met, MoMA and the Whitney. I can remember a time when these places were relatively quiet on weekdays and never crowded on summer weekends. But now there is never a time when the Met, in particular, is not thronged with tourists. Many do not seem to be all that interested in the art itself.
They zoom from room to room, looking for the blockbusters, then take a photo of it and move on.

This mystifies me. If I weren't interested in art why would I go to an art museum at all? There are plenty of other sights to see in New York: plenty of great parks, plenty of Broadway shows, plenty of interesting historical sites, not to mention our super tall buildings with fabulous views and lovely ferry rides.

At any rate, I too am tired of overcrowded museums, but still visiting because I love the art so much. And for those planning a visit to New York, MoMA and The Whitney are much less crowded, usually, than the Met. As is the Frick -- a smaller, but classic, museum not to be missed.

This mystifies me. If I weren't interested in art why would I go to an art museum at all?

I blame the bucket list mentality, something they can post on social media to declare "look at me!"...I saw the very same behavior last visit to the Orsay...

If I weren't interested in art why would I go to an art museum at all?

My first trip to Europe was to Rome and although I had no interest in art we did go to the Vatican Museum. It confirmed that I definitely have little interest in Renaissance Art but it did open up a whole new interest in me for the history of religion and specifically the reformation. The point is that sometimes you have no idea of what interests you until you've tried it. I could even say the same thing about visiting Europe, I had no interest in going until my wife told me I did, now I'm an addict.

On two recent trips to Europe, I spent a little extra (okay, in one case, a lot extra) to visit museums early in the morning, before they opened to the public. I took the Key Master's Tour of the Vatican (a lot extra), and an early morning tour of the Prado. Both totally worth it.

On the Key Master's Tour, our group of 16 were the only ones in the Sistine Chapel other than the cleaning crew. And we were allowed to take photos. After the museum opened, I went back through at my own pace. It took a while before they crowds became overwhelming, but by then I'd had about five hours.

In the Prado, we stood in front of The Garden of Earthly Delights for ten minutes with our guide offering a thorough analysis.

I wonder if museums need to start enforcing a no photos policy... or at least a "no-selfies" policy!

Sorry if this is a bit of a diversion from the topic, but let me bring it back, at least a little. I won't say I ever liked to be in crowds, but I've become much less tolerant of crowds. And it's not the number of people so much as the crowd behavior. Standing and posing for photos in front of things you want to see without other people standing in front. Crowding the gate area to get onto the plane first. Walking through a door or entryway and stopping right there, blocking the way of others. Walking slowly four abreast where there is no room to get past.

I also used to love flying. Now I only tolerate it because I have gotten spoiled flying business class and can't bear the thought of a trans-oceanic flight in economy.

Lane, as I recall, the Prado does not allow photos.

Marty, that's correct. I meant to say "I wonder if museums need to start enforcing a no photos policy, like the Prado."

I'll just add that the bathroom down the hall doesn't work for us any more. Nope. We once had adjoining bathrooms with the room next door, and they locked our door and forgot to unlock it, so no to that as well. Agree with several posters no more cheap hotels as you generally get what you pay for. AC hotel rooms during the summer months because sleep is too important. We'd like to fly premium economy but often it's so much more expensive, so we look for "duo seats" on some airlines, which means just two seats on the side, which is nice on a full flight, and you never know.

As for museums, at least say in Washington DC, avoid holiday weekends, springtime when many schools plan field trips there, and weekends in general. Mid January mid week is good, as is September when the kids return to school.

Lane, you brought up my biggest complaints about crowd behavior. Here are a few more: People getting off a train, escalator or elevator and then standing right in front of the door or exit area.

Lots of inconsiderate acts. It drives me batty. Once at the very top of the Moorish castle, two young gals had to pose for glamor shots excessively while others waited. Finally, someone just walked right behind them for the hilltop view.

No more large capacity concerts for me.

I wonder if museums need to start enforcing a no photos policy, like
the Prado."

I hope not. It would lessen the experience for me. I often take photos of artifacts and art as well as the decriptive signage of the piece so later I can research it further and get a better understanding of what I saw.

I hope not. It would lessen the experience for me. I often take photos of artifacts and art as well as the decriptive signage of the piece so later I can research it further and get a better understanding of what I saw.

At the Prado I saw people with little notebooks writing down things that they presumably were going to look up later.

"This mystifies me. If I weren't interested in art why would I go to an art museum at all?"

Like Allan I believe “…sometimes you have no idea of what interests you until you've tried it.” Before I started European travel over 20 years ago, I had not had much exposure to art. By visiting various museums over the years, I have discovered I have little interest in Renaissance or Neoclassical, but love Impressionism and Post-impressionism and modernism. I also find some Baroque and Surrealism interesting. If I had never gone to museums or stopped after the first one, I never would have discovered the art I do enjoy.

As far as things I don't enjoy as much anymore, I would actually have to say planning trips. I used to love it, but now I am beginning to find it tedious. Not sure if it is age related, or because the last three trips I have planned (including my upcoming September trip) I have had to plan around my travelling companions who give no input when I ask, but then want me to make changes after a plan is in place and air and hotel have been booked. Very frustrating to have to redo everything on the whims of others. I'm thinking of either making the next trip solo and/or finally trying a tour.

For me it is not pre-booking hotels, trains, etc. Also, the convience of taxis and car services. Business class.

Back in the day when a Eurail pass made sense, I would just hop on a train to any next destination and then find a hotel. That stopped early in the 90's. Then it was just find the least expensive flight and hope for the best. Now it is Business class only after one horrendous flight home where a kid was draped over multiple seats (mom asleep and not caring despite my waking her up to complain). I vowed never again-if I could not afford a Business class seat, I wasn't going. I still don't mind a 2-3 star hotel but it depends on how many stairs I have to climb and in what city/town. Ensuite bath is a MUST.

Same with taxis and car services. I have always taken public transportation until last year when I booked a car service an took taxis multi times. Saved me much hassle/headaches.

It took me 30 yrs to be able to travel this "new" way. I consider myself very lucky that I can travel this way but have no regrets about how I traveled earlier.

Multi-day treks over the Alps, staying in bunk rooms in huts with humans I don't know & washing in icy cold water. Day hikes only!!!

I don't like to drive anymore. I drive a Mini cooper which should be fun, but many times I don't feel safe on the road. I don't drive after dark, and I try to stay off highways.

I don't like to drive anymore. I drive a Mini cooper which should be fun, but many times I don't feel safe on the road. I don't drive after dark, and I try to stay off highways.

Other than the freedom my first car gave me in high school back in the day, I am not really sure I have ever "liked" driving. It is a necessary evil in the US, cities are designed for cars, etc.

I drive only as much as necessary. I dream of a car-less lifestyle, at least not owning a car.

retiredinVT, I'm getting there. Uber or taxis when practicable. I don't mind the Metro or Underground if it's a straight shot to where we're going. I'm tired of switching lines and all of that, and nowadays we plan our trips to make that happen.

I'm debating whether to once again take the RER train from CDG to downtown Paris, or just get a taxi.