Lessons Learned from Mentors Half My Age

Wisdom from Younger Travelers in Palm Springs

“Hey, is anyone going to try out the hotel pool?” 

At 57, was I really going to put on a swimsuit and join women in their 20s and 30s? Yes—this had to happen if I wanted to be a full participant in the weekend ahead.

I donned my SPF 50 full-coverage floral swim shirt and skirt, slid on my plastic Birkenstocks, grabbed my room key and headed out before I could back out of my momentary boldness. 

A little explanation…when I decided to retire this year, one of my friends who knew I had a travel blog said, “You should apply for this!” It was a mentor/mentee program offered by the Greater Palm Springs Visitors Bureau, bringing together a small group of mentees to learn about travel writing from experienced travel writers and influencers. I was intrigued.

After a 30-year career in marketing, public relations and communications, it was sort of hilarious to fill out an application with the question, “When will you graduate from journalism school?” Ha – the answer was 1989. But I was also given the chance to explain why I wanted to be a travel writer and to share my retirement travel aspirations.

Much to my delight and surprise, I was chosen for the program.

I didn’t think about how the age gap might feel in Palm Springs. Not only was I the oldest mentee, but I was also older than the mentors! With my graying hair, no surprise that one of the first questions was, “Who are you mentoring?”

Back to the Palm Springs hotel pool…beyond the cactus garden with a mirrored disco ball and rows of extended chaise lounges were four young women and four even younger women chatting and chilling in the shallow end. These were the female Mentors and Mentees. 

I was impressed with their welcoming attitude as I definitely stuck out as the “which ones of these is not like the others.” It reminded me of a frequent feeling—I don’t feel old until there is something to remind me I’m just not young. So, I dove into the weekend with the attitude of “why not?” Not only did I learn a lot about freelance writing from my mentor, a 40-something experienced travel and entertainment writer, but I also learned from every single mentor and mentee and from the Greater Palm Springs area itself:

To be comfortable, just be yourself. Much of my corporate career was in the fashion business where I got the Miranda Priestly up-down-dismissed side-eye daily. Now young people embrace unique, eccentric and vintage. I got a genuine smile and, “Nice suit,” when I climbed into the pool wearing my high-necked, long-sleeved swimming costume. Every size, every style, tattoos, cleavage, weird shoes–all are good if you wear it with confidence.

Don’t get upset—now you have a story to tell. To travel writers, this means everything is content. One of the mentors accidentally dropped her phone into the spa whirlpool when filming. Instead of panicking, she laughed while she showed me the video—she was editing it so she could share it with her followers. Over lunch, I told my mentor a few insane stories about my career, and he said, “You think you want to write about food and travel, but your story is interesting. Maybe you should write about it.” With a good sense of humor, you can sometimes turn annoyances into funny stories. Stay calm and content on. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself when trying something new. Being a travel writer may sound glamorous, but like anything done well, it takes effort. Observe, listen, learn, ask questions, take notes, film, write, edit, post to your social channels and don’t forget to sleep. Whew, travel writing is a lot! I still believe being a travel writer is worthwhile, but watching the mentors reminded me that everyone’s job involves balancing. As a recovering Type A, I reminded myself it’s perfectly fine not to have this balancing act figured out just yet. 

I’m not old, I’m vintage. The Greater Palm Springs area is a mecca of mid-century modern (MCM) architecture, much of it built in the late 1960s (like me). I loved the MCM tour I took—seeing iconic homes renowned either due to the famous architects (Neutra, Wexler, Frey) or famous inhabitants (Sinatra, Elvis, Doris Day). In 2024, mid-century buildings look astonishingly fresh. When I asked our tour guide how these amazing places are still around for us to admire, he said, “Well, things weren’t so great in the 1970s in Palm Springs, so they didn’t have the funds to tear these buildings down.” Sometimes I think, yes, I managed to be where I am because I didn’t let anyone tear me down. I’m still standing. 

On one of the chartered bus rides transporting our group, I sat admiring the San Jacinto mountains and overheard a whispered comment from one mentee to another, “I think Lisa is kinda cool. She is showing us that you can learn new things at any age.” 

I guess I was a mentor after all.

#palmsprings #mentoring