About the author: As the Founder and CEO of Flytographer, Nicole shares her story of building the company as well as her passion of capturing memories while travelling. Listen to her podcast, Captured Together, where she invites our community of local photographers to share their best insider city tips and stories from around the world.
What’s Next After an Empty Nest?
The house was too quiet.
After dropping my youngest son, Jack, at university this fall, and with my older son, Harrison, already back at his own campus I walked into a home that had been full of motion for more than twenty years.
And suddenly, it was silent.
I’d been planning this moment for months. Not the silence, but what would come after it.
For two decades, I’d been “Mom” first, and somewhere along the way, I’d also become CEO, building Flytographer for the past twelve years. I realized I had never really stopped to catch my breath.
So I made myself a promise: the moment Jack was successfully launched, I was taking three weeks off to travel through Europe. Alone.
It felt both indulgent and deeply necessary, part celebration, part reset, and part curiosity about who I am in this new chapter. I’ll admit, there was a moment of hesitation. Did I deserve this? Was it justified? Could I really just go? But once I gave myself permission, it felt absolutely right.
Lake Garda: Permission to Pause
I started in Northern Italy at a spa hotel overlooking Lake Garda. For the first few days, my only goal was to do nothing. I read, moved between hot and cold pools, and stayed offline as much as possible.
One afternoon, I tried my first Aufguss, a guided sauna 🧖♀️ritual where a sauna master uses music, aromatherapy, and swirling towels to move the heat through the room. What I didn’t realize beforehand was that it was clothing optional, and most of the Europeans around me took that quite literally. Meanwhile, I sat tightly wrapped in my towel like the modest North American I am.
By the fifth day, I finally worked up the courage to join in as the locals do… setting the towel aside and simply being part of the moment. It sounds small, but it felt deeply freeing. After years of being “Mom” and “CEO,” always protected and prepared, this was the first time I’d allowed myself to just be unguarded, present, and comfortable in my own skin. It felt like shedding a layer I didn’t realize I’d been carrying.
My best friend, Erika, 👯 joined me on the second night. Those days at Lake Garda were all about doing things that made me feel my best… hot and cold pools, sauna, gym, sleep, reading, staying offline. And yes, eating what I absolutely loved. I discovered the best spaghetti 🍝 Pomodoro of my life and promptly decided to order it every single night for five days straight. 😅 Like all good best friends, Erika didn’t judge me for a second she just laughed and joined me at the table. There were no rules, and that felt liberating, too.
Those slow days completely reset my nervous system. Starting my trip with stillness turned out to be the best decision I could’ve made.
Venice: Friendship, Connection, and a Little Magic
From Lake Garda, Erika and I took the train to Venice for a quick 24-hour stop — her first time there. I’d been before, but seeing it through her eyes felt like a brand-new experience.
That evening, we had dinner with Roberta, one of our Flytographer photographers from Rome, and Marta, who lives in Venice. Both have been part of Flytographer since the early days, and I’ve known them for more than a decade. It also happened to be all of our birthdays *Libras united* ♎️ so it felt like the universe had aligned for one perfect night.
Marta’s daughter, Nina, joined us too. I’ve known her since she was five, and she’s now thirteen. Over dinner, surrounded by these incredible women, I was reminded how deeply Flytographer has woven connections across the world, friendships that started with photos and have become something much more.
The next morning, we took a private water taxi to the airport, it pulled right up to our hotel on the canal. Gliding through the quiet morning waterways, bags at our feet, felt like a scene from a movie. It was pure joy 🤩 a perfect little pocket of magic before the next stop on the journey.
Copenhagen: Connection and the Art of Doing Nothing Together
From there, I flew to Copenhagen to stay with Erika, who has lived there for 18 years. Most people don’t know this, but Erika inspired the idea for Flytographer. Back in 2011, we met up for a weekend in Paris, and that’s when the spark was born.
This trip was the first time in ages we could spend real, unhurried time together without obligations in the way.
I celebrated my 53rd birthday there, and Erika took me to her favourite spa for the day, just north of Copenhagen. They have a private pier where you can swim in the ocean so on the morning of my birthday, I plunged into the icy water — the shock was instant: gasping, exhilarating, completely alive.
There was something grounding about slipping into her daily life, grocery runs, cat cuddles, ordinary routines. After years of racing between work and parenting, those small moments felt like luxury.
We wandered through Nyhavn, the colourful waterfront that looks like it belongs on a postcard, and spent an afternoon at a cozy café featured in Season 2 of The Bear. (The pastries lived up to the hype.)
But what I’ll remember most from Copenhagen wasn’t any one thing we did, it was the “art of doing nothing” together. Just two best friends with no agenda, no deadlines, no kids to check on, no phones buzzing. We lingered over coffee, wandered aimlessly, talked for hours, and laughed about everything and nothing.
As women, we lose that kind of time as life fills up, with careers, kids, and endless responsibilities. Everything becomes scheduled and efficient, even our friendships. But one of the unexpected gifts of this empty-nest chapter is the chance to reclaim it. To create space again for the kind of friendship time that’s unscripted, unhurried, and wonderfully unproductive. I’d forgotten how good that feels – and how important it is.
Paris: Creativity and Curiosity
Next came Paris, and a completely different energy. I met up with girlfriends who were also newly minted empty nesters, plus a few longtime Flytographer photographers. We wandered without plans and spent an afternoon exploring flea markets and cafés I’d never had time for before. We swapped stories over Jazz Palomas at our hotel bar and giggled like teenagers.
One of my favourite moments was recording an episode of my new podcast, Captured Together, in my friend Krystal’s apartment in Montmartre, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Her husband Giuseppe (also a Flytographer!) and sweet pup 🐶 Coco popped by to welcome me.
We talked about creativity, reinvention, and how our work has evolved through different seasons of life. And she took me for dinner at her favorite neighborhood restaurant in Montemartre, it was absolutely delicious.
Paris reminded me that play and curiosity are fuel, and that inspiration often finds you when you’re not looking for it.
Edinburgh: Solitude and Magic
For the final leg, I flew to Edinburgh, a city I’d always wanted to visit. I arrived alone and immediately fell in love. The castle glowed above the city at night, and the cobblestone streets felt like something out of a storybook.
I met one of our Flytographer photographers, Kim, in person for the first time after eleven years of working together. Sitting across from her at a coffee shop, sharing homemade Tiffin she’d made for me, I was reminded why I built Flytographer in the first place: connection. Our photographers aren’t just part of a network, they’re the heart of what we do.
I also joined a hilarious walking tour led by a local comedian – part history lesson, part stand-up show. And complete with his dog trotting along beside us. It was such a fun, lighthearted way to see the city and meet people as a solo traveller.
Those two days on my own were pure magic — peaceful, energizing, and full of awe.
Travelling Solo: A Few Things I Learned
This was my first time travelling solo for three full weeks, and while I wasn’t nervous, I did learn a few things along the way.
Pack light. Seriously.
I brought one carry-on bag for the entire trip, which had to cover everything from swimsuits and spa sandals in Lake Garda to raincoats and sweaters in Edinburgh. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I made. Packing light meant I could easily hop on and off trains and breeze through airports without stress. Outfit repeating in different cities made it simple and stress-free and no one cares what you’re wearing as much as you think they do. Fewer choices, less weight, more freedom.
You don’t need to fill every day.
Some of my favorite memories came from unplanned hours lingering in cafés, reading by the lake, wandering aimlessly through Paris, or getting lost down side streets in Copenhagen.
Leave space for serendipity.
I knew I wanted to start in Italy, but I didn’t plan much beyond that until about a month before I left. And I’m so glad I didn’t. The trip unfolded better than I could’ve imagined, from discovering Lake Garda to realizing that a few of my fellow empty-nest mom friends would be in Europe at the same time. You never know what (or who) will fall into place when you leave room for the unexpected.
Stay open to connection.
From Flytographer photographers I’d worked with for years to locals I met in passing, every conversation reminded me how kind and interesting people are everywhere.
Travelling solo gave me space to listen to my thoughts, my instincts, and my energy. And I realized: independence isn’t lonely. It’s expansive.
Coming Home
I landed back in Canada just in time for Thanksgiving weekend. 🍁 Both my sons came home, my parents joined us, and as I looked around the table, I felt deeply grateful, grounded in where I’ve been and clear on what’s ahead.
This trip wasn’t about escape. It was about intention.
For the first time in two decades, I gave myself permission to pause, to get still, to go offline, to listen. I wanted to celebrate a milestone and invest in myself again: my joy, my energy, my curiosity.
Three Things I’ll Carry Forward
- Celebrate milestones intentionally and make up your own rules. 🎉
Big life transitions deserve to be marked. When Jack left for college, I didn’t want to just “get through it” or distract myself with work, I wanted to celebrate it. However you choose to mark these moments, be intentional. There are no rules. Don’t wait for someone else to plan it or tell you it’s okay. Whether it’s a solo trip, a dinner with friends, or simply a quiet weekend to reflect, find a way to honor the moment in a way that feels right to you.
- Be still, it’s how you recalibrate. 🧘♀️
Between chapters, there’s tremendous power in stillness. For me, that meant a week in Lake Garda unplugged, offline, and unapologetically slow. Long walks, saunas, naps, spaghetti 🍝 on repeat. The point isn’t what you do; it’s giving yourself permission to do nothing and letting your mind and body catch up. That’s where clarity, energy, and inspiration start to rebuild.
- Reconnect with people and places that fill you up. 🥰
That week in Copenhagen with my best friend reminded me of the art of doing nothing together — something we lose in our busy, scheduled lives. Just hanging out, laughing, wandering, no agenda. And beyond that, exploring new places from Paris to Edinburgh reminded me how travel reawakens curiosity and creativity. Whether it’s across the world 🌎 or in your own city, seek out the people and places that make you feel alive.
If you’re standing at your own turning point, maybe the kids just launched, or a chapter has closed I hope you’ll find your way of celebrating, recalibrating and reconnecting with what brings you true joy.
It doesn’t have to be three weeks of travel. It might be a weekend away, a creative project, or a few unstructured hours to dream.
A world of possibility is waiting. ✨🌎
