auntie
/ˈɑːnti/ noun
A stereotypical middle-aged woman in Singapore.
She is usually found haggling prices at the wet market, spending the day doing house chores, and binge watching K-dramas.
Every day, the cycle repeats.
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But is there more to the term “aunties” than this stereotypical mundane lifestyle?
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As the sun peeks through the horizon, you head down to the beach for a morning dip.
The scent of savoury smokiness wafts from your nearby campervan and persuades you to emerge from the water.
As you return to your temporary home, you are greeted by two streaks of bacon and sunny side ups sizzling on the hot grill.
“Breakfast is ready!” your best friend smiles warmly and invites you over.
No, this is not the opening scene of a movie. This is the reality of two aunties who have decided to set off on a journey to live their lives.
Meet Norah and Susie.
Known as the 2TravellingAunties, these two older ladies have made it their mission to redefine the term “auntie”, and show the older generation that there is more to life after 50.
In 2019, the two friends left their nine-to-five jobs to hit the road and explore Europe.
Noor, or Norah as she prefers to be called, has had an expansive and colourful career. She started in the broadcast industry, founded her own advertising company, and became a gallery manager before settling as a project consultant for an international art gallery. She enjoyed the dynamic shift of careers and the travelling required of her jobs.
Susie graduated with a law degree from the University of London and pursued a career as a solicitor at a corporate sectoral company. However, feeling trapped in her desk job for almost 20 years, she yearned for something different.
Norah and Susie had crossed paths before, but it was not until 2017 when they had that spark after meeting at a social event.
Over time, the pair bonded and discovered they shared many values and interests. One of which was being tired of the mundanities of their everyday life. The other big one was their love of travelling.
After a year of friendship, Norah and Susie embarked on their first trip together to Thailand.
They travelled to more countries as they enjoyed each other’s companionship. In Indonesia, they stumbled upon a Unimog, a large truck designed to be a mobile house.
It was love at first sight.
Quickly, they researched more about the vehicle and the camper van lifestyle.
Of course, there was much to plan before setting off on their life-changing journey. They rounded up their savings, drafted a travel plan, and agreed upon their ideal camper van.
However, they had a major obstacle in the way of their dream — Susie was tethered to her job.
The original plan was to delay the trip until Susie quit her job, but with the travel plans in the back of her mind, she felt the strong urge to simply pack up and explore.
Eventually, she quit in July 2019, almost a year earlier than originally intended.
The two friends then headed to Perth, where they tested travelling in a rented camper van for a week. Its success was the final stroke needed to convince them to execute their grand plan.
In September 2019, Norah and Susie set off on their journey.
Amsterdam
Here, Norah and Susie got their travel companion for the upcoming journey — their camper van which they affectionately named “VanGar”.
Together with VanGar, they embarked on their camper van journey to 27 different countries!
Any memorable moments from your journey?
Italy
“You have to get pizza in Italy,
pizza will never be the same.”
Greece
“We drove one of our longest journeys in 17 months
and paid the most toll for 387km at 63.35 euros!”
Turkey
“We got to see Troy but the Trojan horse
was a 1975 replica. There is no real one.”
Which was your favourite country you visited?
Morocco
On Christmas Eve of 2019, Norah and Susie arrived in Morocco — the country where they would spend more than half a year in.
Crossing the border, they sought out a place to park before it got dark. One particular parking spot seemed inviting — lights paved the way, and a friendly restaurant stood a few metres down the road.
After filling their bellies, Norah and Susie stepped outside, only to find themselves in pitch darkness. They squinted their eyes to search for the van, but to no avail.
Norah and Susie whipped out their phone flashlights and stumbled around before finally reuniting with VanGar. Merely five minutes later, a knock on their van interrupted their short-lived peace.
“No parking. Very dangerous.” A local warned them.
Dumbfounded, the pair was forced to relocate to a parking spot near a hotel casino. This time, another local cautioned them that they would need a “guardian” for their van.
In Morocco, you have to pay someone known as a “guardian” to protect your vehicle while you sleep. After bargaining with the man, Norah and Susie forked up five euros just for a peace of mind.
During the wee hours of the night, Susie was rudely awakened by a clamour. She peeked through the windows, and gasped.
A group of boys was surrounding the vehicle. One of the boys pointed to the bicycles on the van, signalling another to jump and snatch them.
“Go away!” Susie cried out.
Immediately, the boys scattered. The guardian was nowhere to be found, only appearing sometime later, oblivious to what had just happened.
Ten minutes later, the boys returned. Once again, Susie had to do the guardian’s job, who claimed he saw nothing of the sort.
The next morning, Norah and Susie woke up to an unpleasant surprise — a big screw in their tyre. Thankfully, a passing bus driver called a mechanic for them.
While waiting for their tyre to get fixed, one of the men that was hanging around asked Susie if she would be interested in exchanging passport photos. As if things could not get any more absurd, he proposed to Susie.
“He wasn’t that rude. He was just trying his luck,” Susie reasoned, as Norah chuckled.
Speaking of proposals, Norah and Susie had the privilege of attending a nomad’s wedding.
Nomads in Morocco do not live in a fixed place, with the wedding held in a humble tent in the middle of a desert.
Norah and Susie had to walk a few kilometres under the scorching sun, mountain after mountain, to get there. The nomads did offer donkeys for them to ride on, but the two felt embarrassed and refused.
With the nomads preparing the traditional outfits for them, it was a completely immersive experience.
Despite the series of unfortunate events since day one, Norah and Susie were appreciative of their time spent in Morocco.
“Wherever we go, there will be nice people that are genuinely willing to help,” Susie said.
The original plan was to spend three months in Morocco, but changes had to be made when COVID-19 struck.
Before the borders to Europe closed, Norah and Susie had two options: cross the border to Europe and be confined there, or remain in Morocco. The friends chose the latter, and ended up staying in Morocco for another three and a half months.
Although their travel plans were delayed, they made the best out of the situation. From eating gooey roasted sheep’s brain to attending a nomad’s wedding, their time in Morocco was exhilarating.
A Rare Friendship
It is definitely rare to find a friend that one can travel with for years. For Norah and Susie, there were instances when their interests and opinions clashed, but they never let anything get in the way of their friendship.
Whenever conflicts arose, such as when Norah chose the wrong spot for camping or when Susie gave the wrong directions, they would always give each other space to let their unhappiness and anger dissipate.
“We always look at the bigger picture, as we all have our own strengths and weaknesses,” Norah explained.
They believe communication is key to maintaining a good friendship. After every disagreement, they make sure to clarify the problem to work towards a solution.
Travelling the World at 50!
As they are in their 50s, they may face body aches especially after walking long distances. There were moments when their travelling times were extended as they had to get from one destination to another by foot.
“There are some times when we wish we did this 10, 20 years ago. If we’re in our 20s, we can do so many more activities,” Susie chuckled.
In Morocco, a group of tourists suggested that they climb to the mountain’s peak for an incredible view. Worried that the mountain course may be too strenuous, they unfortunately had to pass up the opportunity.
Another similar instance was in Turkey when they met fellow travellers to search for a church in a cave. However, the jagged rocks and unstable path posed a real danger. Just one slip, and they may suffer the repercussions over the rest of the trip. Hence, they stopped midway, leaving the rest to advance without them.
Despite the obstacles that come with age, Norah and Susie have no regrets that they found their passion at this point in their lives.
They imagined how they would not have been friends if they met 20 years earlier. Highly strung, and lacking the financial savings, it would have been impossible to go on such a long trip.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Susie grinned.
Redefining "Auntie"
Norah and Susie wish to redefine the term “auntie”.
They admit that there is no escape from the term “auntie” due to their age. However, by calling themselves “aunties”, they want to show everyone that it can mean something more.
Aunties can be daring, interesting, and do unconventional things that are not expected from people of their age.
Moving Forward...
This is just the beginning of Norah and Susie's adventure! Next year, they have plans to explore the Americas.
Their bucket list of countries has not been fully checked off. With countries from North to South America such as Canada, Brazil, and Chile, they have many more to explore.
As we eagerly wait for their journey to continue, we can take a big leap to embark on our own ageless adventures.
