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Let's Not Play Small: A Memoir of Divorce, Healing, and Reinvention Through Solo Travel
One woman's journey of courage, healing, and reinvention through solo travel.
When Dawn Ritter Fischer walked away from a conventional life in 2019, she wasn't chasing bucket lists or Instagram-perfect moments - she was searching for herself.
After divorce, heartbreak, and decades of living by everyone else's rules, she chose to rewrite her story one country at a time. What followed was a reckoning - and the radical act of rebuilding a life.
Dawn boards a cargo ship bound for Patagonia, sails the Caribbean with a French lover, walks 500 miles across Spain and lands in a small village in India just as the world shuts down.
Stranded by a global pandemic, she's forced into the stillness - and into herself. Dawn's story is as breathtaking as the places she's traveled as a full-time solo nomad. Along the way, she learns that solo travel isn't about escaping life - it's about creating it.
The added bonus? Dawn includes a special Solo Travel Toolkit within the book that contains everything you need to know, to travel solo with confidence.
Let's Not Play Small is a raw, funny, and deeply personal memoir about starting over, trusting yourself, personal transformation, and saying yes when fear says no. Through moments of vulnerability and strength, Dawn invites you into her most unforgettable
~Facing fear while traveling solo through unfamiliar countries
~Building connection and community on the road
~Learning how to live fully after loss and reinvention
~Discovering love - in unexpected places and in herself
This is a book for women at a crossroads, women aspiring to travel solo, dreamers craving adventure, and anyone who's ever wondered what's possible when you step beyond your comfort zone.
If you've ever longed to reinvent your life, travel solo around the world or reconnect with your courage, this book will inspire you to take the leap and start living boldly.
Because playing small was never the plan.
This inspiring memoir is perfect for anyone interested
Solo female travel and real-life adventures
Life after divorce and break-ups and reclaiming your independence
Healing and self-discovery through cultural immersion and exploration
Midlife reinvention and creating a new chapter on your own terms
Travel memoirs that mix humor, honesty, and inspiration
Includes a Bonus The Complete Guide for the Solo Female Traveler--with safety tips, packing lists, trip planning checklists, and useful travel Apps and websites. Really, it’s all you need to go solo with confidence.
If you've ever typed "how to start over after divorce" "solo female travel books" or "midlife reinvention memoir" into a search bar, this book belongs in your hands. For readers of Eat Pray Love, and Wild, Let's Not Play Small is both a passport and a permission slip to step into the life you've been longing for.
This inspiring memoir is perfect for anyone interested
Solo female travel and real-life adventures
Life after Divorce and break-ups and reclaiming your independence
Healing and self-discovery through cultural immersion and exploration
Midlife reinvention and creating a new chapter on your own terms
Travel memoirs that mix humor, honesty, and inspiration
- GenresMemoirNonfictionTravel
324 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2025
About the author
Dawn Ritter Fischer
1 book15 followersDawn Ritter Fischer is the author of Let’s Not Play Small, a candid travel memoir about reinvention, desire, and the courage it takes to start over when the life you built no longer fits.
After a breast cancer diagnosis and the unraveling of her marriage, Dawn chose movement over shrinking back.
In 2019, she left with a one-way ticket and no real plan, eventually traveling across seven continents, walking pilgrimage routes, crossing oceans by ship and sail, and learning (sometimes the hard way) what freedom, love, and self-trust can look like.
"I didn’t leave because everything broke. I left because, after the divorce and after breast cancer, I couldn’t unsee the truth: I’d been living small in a life that looked good from the outside, but was quietly hollowing me out from within. Leaving wasn’t running away. It was the first honest decision I’d made in a long time."
Her writing blends emotional truth with practical insight for women who feel the pull toward “more,” especially those learning to be brave after years of being good, agreeable, and fine.
Let’s Not Play Small is as much an inner journey as it is a world journey: messy, honest, and built for anyone standing at the edge, knowing something has to change.
Genres: Memoir, Travel, Women’s nonfiction, Personal growth.
After a breast cancer diagnosis and the unraveling of her marriage, Dawn chose movement over shrinking back.
In 2019, she left with a one-way ticket and no real plan, eventually traveling across seven continents, walking pilgrimage routes, crossing oceans by ship and sail, and learning (sometimes the hard way) what freedom, love, and self-trust can look like.
"I didn’t leave because everything broke. I left because, after the divorce and after breast cancer, I couldn’t unsee the truth: I’d been living small in a life that looked good from the outside, but was quietly hollowing me out from within. Leaving wasn’t running away. It was the first honest decision I’d made in a long time."
Her writing blends emotional truth with practical insight for women who feel the pull toward “more,” especially those learning to be brave after years of being good, agreeable, and fine.
Let’s Not Play Small is as much an inner journey as it is a world journey: messy, honest, and built for anyone standing at the edge, knowing something has to change.
Genres: Memoir, Travel, Women’s nonfiction, Personal growth.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 1, 2025
I just reluctantly finished reading my advanced copy of this wonderful new book…I say reluctantly because it was one I chose to savor…I am generally not a fan of memoirs…but this is one is like reading letters from a BFF you didn’t realize you had…and one who is willing to share very real and inspiring insights in a most genuine and conversational manner. She gives the good, bad, and the retakes…and gives you the tools…and most importantly she makes you want to “ meet yourself” in your own adventure…and for me…to hopefully meet Dawn as well along the way! Whether you are receiving from a bad marriage, wanting to reinvent yourself…maybe daydreaming about a life yet lived…or just intend to attempt solo travel to explore your greater downtown or Katmandu…you will enjoy reading this one!
“We don't just arrive on some random day in our lives and decide we're done expanding and reaching for our highest consciousness. Life is meant for self-exploration and discovery, and that means continuing to peel back the layers that don't serve us and replacing them with rebooted versions of ourselves.”
“We don't just arrive on some random day in our lives and decide we're done expanding and reaching for our highest consciousness. Life is meant for self-exploration and discovery, and that means continuing to peel back the layers that don't serve us and replacing them with rebooted versions of ourselves.”
October 1, 2025
I was honored to be chosen to be an ARC reader for this book. It’s so good!
I always love memoirs of regular folks; I’m not into celebrity memoirs. I love reading about how a person grew up, or made a major life decision, and what their motivations, their thoughts, their feelings were. This book is so perfect for that.
After her long marriage ended in divorce, Dawn Ritter-Fischer decided to live her dream of traveling solo. In 2019, she packed up her house, rented it out, and headed out into the great unknown. She fully admits that she had little idea of what she was doing at first, but what makes this memoir so delightful is Dawn’s determination to live her dream. Even when things get to be a bit much, she retreats a little does some yoga, looks deep into her soul, and then soldiers on. Her vulnerability shines through; she never tells her readers that it’s oh so easy and you’ll never have one frustrating moment along the way. But she assures us that we can learn from those frustrations, perhaps learning to slow down, or to take curveballs more in stride. Maybe that cancelled rideshare will lead you to a museum or restaurant you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. As someone who already tries to slow down and take time to smell the roses, the reminder to continue doing so was meaningful.
I’m not a person that likes to mark up my books. I don’t write in the margins, I don’t highlight, I don’t dogear my pages. But this book I found myself highlighted sentences and paragraphs and whole passages. Dawn has a clear and encouraging writing style that makes it feel like you’re sitting around the fire late at night with a glass of wine, sometimes swapping stories but also speaking of deeper meanings we find in the lives around us.
Even if you don’t plan on heading out on a solo trip any time soon, Dawn’s words will resonate with anyone looking for some wisdom and encouragement.
I always love memoirs of regular folks; I’m not into celebrity memoirs. I love reading about how a person grew up, or made a major life decision, and what their motivations, their thoughts, their feelings were. This book is so perfect for that.
After her long marriage ended in divorce, Dawn Ritter-Fischer decided to live her dream of traveling solo. In 2019, she packed up her house, rented it out, and headed out into the great unknown. She fully admits that she had little idea of what she was doing at first, but what makes this memoir so delightful is Dawn’s determination to live her dream. Even when things get to be a bit much, she retreats a little does some yoga, looks deep into her soul, and then soldiers on. Her vulnerability shines through; she never tells her readers that it’s oh so easy and you’ll never have one frustrating moment along the way. But she assures us that we can learn from those frustrations, perhaps learning to slow down, or to take curveballs more in stride. Maybe that cancelled rideshare will lead you to a museum or restaurant you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. As someone who already tries to slow down and take time to smell the roses, the reminder to continue doing so was meaningful.
I’m not a person that likes to mark up my books. I don’t write in the margins, I don’t highlight, I don’t dogear my pages. But this book I found myself highlighted sentences and paragraphs and whole passages. Dawn has a clear and encouraging writing style that makes it feel like you’re sitting around the fire late at night with a glass of wine, sometimes swapping stories but also speaking of deeper meanings we find in the lives around us.
Even if you don’t plan on heading out on a solo trip any time soon, Dawn’s words will resonate with anyone looking for some wisdom and encouragement.
November 28, 2025
Reedsy Review by Laura Hattersley
Let’s Not Play Small by Dawn Ritter Fischer is an inspiring, clear-eyed memoir of midlife reinvention—one rooted as much in emotional courage as in physical movement across the world. Fischer writes with an uncommon blend of vulnerability and steadiness, letting readers feel both the uncertainty of her first steps into a nomadic life and the quiet triumph of reclaiming a self that had long been muted.
The book opens with the bold decision that sets everything in motion: at fifty-six, newly divorced and unsure of what the future holds, Fischer leaves behind her home, community, and conventional safety nets. This leap—equal parts fear and determination—frames the rest of the memoir, and her voice from the outset is magnetic: honest, unguarded, and deeply human.
What gives the book its emotional richness is the way Fischer uses the places she travels as a mirror for her inner transformation. Throughout the memoir, her experiences abroad become lessons in courage, belonging, and self-trust. During long stretches in South America, she confronts the disorientation of starting over and discovers the empowering steadiness that comes from navigating unfamiliar terrain alone. Her journey to Antarctica sharpens her understanding of isolation—not as punishment, but as a teacher—and she writes about this icy landscape with awe and introspection. Walking the Camino becomes a study in endurance and surrender, a physical pilgrimage that reflects the emotional path she has walked since the end of her marriage. Even her time in India, marked by illness, seclusion, and the uncertainties of the pandemic, becomes a crucible in which she learns how to sit with fear without letting it define her.
These travel moments never feel like simple anecdotes; they function as emotional turning points that shape the story’s arc. Fischer’s attention to both the outer world and her inner world gives the memoir a layered, cinematic quality.
Fischer’s writing is rich and immersive, and that fullness will be a gift for many readers. For others, its breadth—geographically, emotionally, and thematically—may feel overwhelming at times. There are chapters so layered that they invite lingering rather than quick reading. Still, these qualities stem from the memoir’s ambition, not from any real flaw; it asks the reader to slow down and travel with her rather than race ahead.
If there is a mild critique, it lies only in the book’s abundance. At times, the emotional intensity moves quickly, and some readers may wish for a slightly slower pacing or more pauses between heavier chapters. But this is a testament to the book’s immersive quality rather than a flaw—Fischer writes with such immediacy that it is easy to read longer than intended.
In its final sections, the memoir broadens into practical encouragement for those considering a more mobile life. This shift may feel slightly different in tone, but it adds a sense of generosity and grounded usefulness that many readers will appreciate.
In all, Let’s Not Play Small is a radiant, courageous memoir—one that shows what becomes possible when we stop shrinking our lives to fit other people’s expectations. Dawn Ritter Fischer offers not just her story, but a spacious invitation: to imagine bigger, to risk again, and to trust the unfolding path even when it demands everything.
A heartfelt, wise, and beautifully crafted read.
Let’s Not Play Small by Dawn Ritter Fischer is an inspiring, clear-eyed memoir of midlife reinvention—one rooted as much in emotional courage as in physical movement across the world. Fischer writes with an uncommon blend of vulnerability and steadiness, letting readers feel both the uncertainty of her first steps into a nomadic life and the quiet triumph of reclaiming a self that had long been muted.
The book opens with the bold decision that sets everything in motion: at fifty-six, newly divorced and unsure of what the future holds, Fischer leaves behind her home, community, and conventional safety nets. This leap—equal parts fear and determination—frames the rest of the memoir, and her voice from the outset is magnetic: honest, unguarded, and deeply human.
What gives the book its emotional richness is the way Fischer uses the places she travels as a mirror for her inner transformation. Throughout the memoir, her experiences abroad become lessons in courage, belonging, and self-trust. During long stretches in South America, she confronts the disorientation of starting over and discovers the empowering steadiness that comes from navigating unfamiliar terrain alone. Her journey to Antarctica sharpens her understanding of isolation—not as punishment, but as a teacher—and she writes about this icy landscape with awe and introspection. Walking the Camino becomes a study in endurance and surrender, a physical pilgrimage that reflects the emotional path she has walked since the end of her marriage. Even her time in India, marked by illness, seclusion, and the uncertainties of the pandemic, becomes a crucible in which she learns how to sit with fear without letting it define her.
These travel moments never feel like simple anecdotes; they function as emotional turning points that shape the story’s arc. Fischer’s attention to both the outer world and her inner world gives the memoir a layered, cinematic quality.
Fischer’s writing is rich and immersive, and that fullness will be a gift for many readers. For others, its breadth—geographically, emotionally, and thematically—may feel overwhelming at times. There are chapters so layered that they invite lingering rather than quick reading. Still, these qualities stem from the memoir’s ambition, not from any real flaw; it asks the reader to slow down and travel with her rather than race ahead.
If there is a mild critique, it lies only in the book’s abundance. At times, the emotional intensity moves quickly, and some readers may wish for a slightly slower pacing or more pauses between heavier chapters. But this is a testament to the book’s immersive quality rather than a flaw—Fischer writes with such immediacy that it is easy to read longer than intended.
In its final sections, the memoir broadens into practical encouragement for those considering a more mobile life. This shift may feel slightly different in tone, but it adds a sense of generosity and grounded usefulness that many readers will appreciate.
In all, Let’s Not Play Small is a radiant, courageous memoir—one that shows what becomes possible when we stop shrinking our lives to fit other people’s expectations. Dawn Ritter Fischer offers not just her story, but a spacious invitation: to imagine bigger, to risk again, and to trust the unfolding path even when it demands everything.
A heartfelt, wise, and beautifully crafted read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2025
Just finished my ARC reading of this book!
“Within one fateful decade I was diagnosed with breast cancer, lost my father to lung cancer, and divorced a husband. The fallout laid bare my many faults, fears, and insecurities. I felt like I was in a battle for my very existence.
In a sense, I was."
So begins the story of one woman's journey to transform her life.
When Dawn began what would become her nomadic lifestyle back in 2019 at the age 56 many of her friends and family thought she'd lost her mind. Seriously, who leaves a good job, a beautful home, and a caring community along with the security all of that offers? Who packs up and sells a lifetime of possessions and trades them for what she can fit in a backpack?
Who does this? Dawn Ritter-Fischer.
In her book, Let's Not Play Small: A Memoir of Divorce, Healing, and Reinvention Through Solo Travel, Dawn takes us with her as she leaves her conventional life behind and sets out to solo travel. Through her vivid storytelling she takes us with her on this deeply personal journey of self discovery and reinvention.
We go to Patagonia, Antarctica, Argentina,and Uruguay. We are transported to parts of Europe and the UK. We are alongside her as she hikes the famous Camino de Santiago, enters an Ashram in India, and makes her way to Mumbai. And as Dawn discovers truths about herself, we are invited to confront our own personal truths.
Whether you are at a crossroads in your life, have a desire to solo travel (which, by the way, this book provides an incredibly helpful solo travel toolkit bonus chapter at the end)), or are simply seeking a uniquely compelling story, this is a book worth picking up. Let's Not Play Small is the story of one woman's courage, healing, and transformation, but it's also a homage to humanity's capacity for kindness. It's an expression of hope and a testament to our shared human experience. I couldn't put it down.
“Within one fateful decade I was diagnosed with breast cancer, lost my father to lung cancer, and divorced a husband. The fallout laid bare my many faults, fears, and insecurities. I felt like I was in a battle for my very existence.
In a sense, I was."
So begins the story of one woman's journey to transform her life.
When Dawn began what would become her nomadic lifestyle back in 2019 at the age 56 many of her friends and family thought she'd lost her mind. Seriously, who leaves a good job, a beautful home, and a caring community along with the security all of that offers? Who packs up and sells a lifetime of possessions and trades them for what she can fit in a backpack?
Who does this? Dawn Ritter-Fischer.
In her book, Let's Not Play Small: A Memoir of Divorce, Healing, and Reinvention Through Solo Travel, Dawn takes us with her as she leaves her conventional life behind and sets out to solo travel. Through her vivid storytelling she takes us with her on this deeply personal journey of self discovery and reinvention.
We go to Patagonia, Antarctica, Argentina,and Uruguay. We are transported to parts of Europe and the UK. We are alongside her as she hikes the famous Camino de Santiago, enters an Ashram in India, and makes her way to Mumbai. And as Dawn discovers truths about herself, we are invited to confront our own personal truths.
Whether you are at a crossroads in your life, have a desire to solo travel (which, by the way, this book provides an incredibly helpful solo travel toolkit bonus chapter at the end)), or are simply seeking a uniquely compelling story, this is a book worth picking up. Let's Not Play Small is the story of one woman's courage, healing, and transformation, but it's also a homage to humanity's capacity for kindness. It's an expression of hope and a testament to our shared human experience. I couldn't put it down.
May 26, 2026
It genuinely feels like Dawn grabbing your shoulders and saying: “stop waiting for permission.” By the end I wanted to cry, journal, quit my job, and romanticize my entire existence immediately ✨
April 15, 2026
I’m about to board a plane to do exactly this after spending the last year recovering from a separation and the past 10 years living with cancer.
It was fabulous to be reading this memoir, learning some tricks I’m sure I will have this copy ready for reference at times.
Such a good read, get inspired ladies.
It was fabulous to be reading this memoir, learning some tricks I’m sure I will have this copy ready for reference at times.
Such a good read, get inspired ladies.
November 6, 2025
For anyone seeking to reclaim themselves and live a life on their own terms. Part adventure travelogue, part guide for starting over in life, this memoir proves that no matter where you’ve been, you can change where you’re going. Featuring a rich cast of memorable “characters” and heartfelt insights and reflections on love, grief, and human connection, the author weaves a powerful narrative that reveals the joy and freedom awaiting us when we stop playing small. Whether you are a longtime solo traveler, thinking about taking your first solo trip, or just ready to live life a little more boldly, I highly recommend giving this a read.
May 3, 2026
A must read. I enjoyed this book. I admire Dawn for the courage it took to change her life and travel solo. The way she describes each place she had traveled makes you feel you have traveled along with her.
March 19, 2026
Let’s Not Play Small: A Memoir of Divorce, Healing, and Reinvention Through Solo Travel is a deeply personal and inspiring journey of transformation following heartbreak and major life change. Through solo adventures across multiple continents including sailing voyages, long-distance walking routes, and unexpected stays during global upheaval the author explores themes of resilience, courage, and self-reclamation. The memoir blends emotional vulnerability with practical travel experiences, offering both inspiration and insight for readers drawn to stories of reinvention, healing, and stepping into a more authentic life.
April 30, 2026
I’ve been following Dawn on social media, and so was very interested to read her new book. I sat down today to read a chapter or two…but ended up reading the whole book in one sitting! I couldn’t wait to follow along on her adventures…and to see where she ended up next! She writes beautifully and thoughtfully and the whole book, cover to cover, was a pleasure to read. This should be required research for anyone who has been giving solo travel…whether part time or full time, a try. I am going to pass my copy on to my friend who is struggling with what her life’s next chapter will look like.
July 14, 2026
As an experienced traveller, I found her book helpful in planning future adventures. I missed the nomadic lifestyle she is currently living. I appreciated how she shared in-depth recommendations for countries, places to stay, and transport she enjoyed. Her tips include honest highlights and cautions about challenges nomadic women might face.
April 19, 2026
This was an inspiring book about reinventing yourself after 50. The author shares her insight and adventures as she travels the world on her own.
Along the way, she meets new people, encounters new experiences, and learns more about herself as she reflects on her journey.
The life lessons she learns and her self-reflection was my favorite part of the book. She shares how she has grown and changed in ways she never thought imaginable.
She also includes a section for solo travelers with resources, tips, and advice for those as adventurous as she is.
Along the way, she meets new people, encounters new experiences, and learns more about herself as she reflects on her journey.
The life lessons she learns and her self-reflection was my favorite part of the book. She shares how she has grown and changed in ways she never thought imaginable.
She also includes a section for solo travelers with resources, tips, and advice for those as adventurous as she is.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews