Wait...Im Sixty?! When did that happen?! - Episode #1

"I’m not sure what turning sixty meant for you, but for me, it meant I was officially at the age where walking into a room and forgetting why I’m there is totally justified."

In this very first episode of Next Chapter, Uncensored, host Liana Rowlands welcomes you to a judgment-free zone for women reinventing themselves at 60. With her boys grown and her career behind her, Liana is tackling the big questions: What do I do next? Can I afford this life? And where did the steady version of myself go?

From 3:00 AM hot flashes to mood swings that go from zero to sixty faster than a sports car, this episode is a raw, honest look at the post-menopausal transition. Liana shares how she is actively working on just being herself—no drama, taking things one moment at a time.

Grab your coffee, tea, or wine, and let’s figure this out together.

Transcript

Introduction: Welcome to Next Chapter, Uncensored

Speaker 0:12

I'm not sure what turning 60 meant for you, but for me it meant I was officially at the age that when I walk into a room I could justify forgetting why I was there.

Speaker 0:22

Remember those days as a child, you were outside playing with friends or walking in the mall and you saw someone with slightly graying hair, maybe walking a little slower, maybe a group of them gathered around a table sharing conversations and coffee. I recall thinking to myself, they must be old.

Meeting Liana & The Empty Nest

Speaker 0:41 Speaker 0:41

Well, flash forward, and here I am. Welcome to next chapter Uncensored. My name is Liana Rowlands. I'm a mother of two grown men. My oldest is married to a wonderful woman and are parents to my first sweet grandchild and living in British Columbia. My youngest lives with a sweet young lady here in Ontario.

Speaker 1:03

So yes, the nest is officially empty. My boys are grown, and while I love them to pieces, this podcast isn't about them. It's about us. It's about what happens next. Like many women our age, I've suffered through the menopause symptoms in all its glory. I'm here to talk to you about what it means to me to turn 60 and talk about the stuff people like to gloss over.

Expectations vs. Reality at 60

Speaker 1:28 Speaker 1:28

Turning 60 has hit me in waves. I remember thinking to myself in my younger days that when I turn 60, I'd be retired, living somewhere near the water, maybe enjoying a coffee on a deck, listening to the loon singing. In reality, I am retired, forced into it, but ultimately welcomed, though that is a whole other story for a future episode. Right now I'm just trying to navigate through the daily noise in my head. What do I do next? Should I be looking for work? Do I even need to? And the big question, am I able to afford the life I have on this reduced income? Those aren't just daytime thoughts either. They like to show up at 3 a.m. right along with that sudden spike in body temperature.

Navigating the Post-Menopausal Paradox

Speaker 2:16

Mentally, some days I feel like I'm completely on top of it, ready to reinvent myself, conquer the world, and embrace the freedom. But other days, the battle inside is real. The mood swings can take me from zero to sixty faster than a sports car, and I'm left wondering where the steady, predictable version of myself went.

Speaker 2:39

Physically, my coping mechanism used to be staying busy and grinding it out. But now, between the brain fog making me forget why I walked into the kitchen and the sheer exhaustion from sleep deprivation, my body is screaming at me to slow down. It's like this weird paradox. My mind tells me I need to be doing more to figure out my life, while my post-menopausal body is holding up a stop sign.

Building a Support System & Protecting Peace

Speaker 3:06

The big question is how am I navigating through this change? Well, I have a counsellor that I reach out to when I feel like I'm losing my mind. I have a menopause coach to help me navigate my body's changes, and I've finally started working on me. Not the mother, not the spouse, not the nine to five working professional, just me. The woman that loves to live my life simply. No drama. I will figure out all the financial stuff. For now, I will take things one day, one moment at a time.

What’s Next: Real Talk Ahead

Speaker 3:41

So if you're sitting there at your kitchen table or driving in your car or wide awake at 3 a.m. wondering who the heck you are now that you're 60, just know you're not alone. We are figuring this out together, one moment at a time. On this show, we're gonna dive into all of it. In the coming weeks, we're gonna talk about the heavy stuff like navigating grief and what happens when you're living with an alcoholic. We'll talk about the practical stuff like managing money on a reduced income and the totally unfiltered stuff like why am I settling, eating my emotions, or how it feels to have an entirely empty nest. No glossing over, no sugar coating, just real talk. Thanks so much for sitting down with me today and grabbing a beverage. Your time means the world to me. If today's chat resonated with you, please hit that follow or subscribe button and leave a review if you can. It helps other women find our little corner of the podcast world. I'll see you next week on next chapter uncensored. Until then, protect your peace, give yourself some grace, we will navigate this next chapter together. Bye for now.

Music Attribution

Speaker 4:59

Special thank you to Moavii for the track Try Me, which was used under a free-to-use attribution license.