I'm a single mom with 4 sons. For my 50th birthday, I took a solo road trip to rediscover who I was before them.

Jennifer McGuire gifted herself with a solo road trip for her 50th birthday.

Jennifer McGuire

• Jennifer McGuire, a single mom, gifted herself with a 21-day solo road trip for her 50th birthday.
• She drove through New England to visit places from the books and movies that shaped her childhood.
• With four sons in their 20s, the trip felt like a gentle push to become her own person again.

To celebrate my 50th birthday, my four sons — now, all in their 20s — threw me a beach picnic party with friends...