Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

Traveling is one thing many retired people like to do. The experience can be greatly enhanced by exchanging your residence for someone else's. Home Exchange provides a wonderful means for arranging such swaps. We have found our experiences greatly enriched and no money is involved.

Tai Chi has proven itself over hundreds of years. It is good for us. Seeing it practiced and losing my wallet left a lasting impression.

We could all use a map of what might happen if we turn one direction or another. We would like to know which roads lead into a box canyon. That is where experience comes in. It would be well to know what has happened to others that have traveled this road.

Being taken advantage of is a serious matter. The con, or the scam, is always in fashion one way or the other. They can have tragic results and produce compelling stories.

There are some advantages to aging. One is that we have higher BS radar. We learn to be a better judge of character. We have been around the block and can more easily spot the good from the bad. At least we hope so.

Experiences in retirement bring a sharp focus on the time we have to live. If we are paying attention we get an extra incentive to make our time count. Our end can pop up unexpectedly.

Part of the enjoyment of taking a road trip is found in reflecting. We dig out pictures and videos. We listen to audio clips. We look at a big map. Memories are resurrected and pleasure visits us once more.

We point the car south and east to start an extended road trip. It is fall and it is beautiful all over the country. The Northwest is no different. We are off to a good start. And we find espresso everywhere. (We are presently on a similar trip but I forgot a tiny audio jack which prevents me from recording this week. Sorry.)

Our first week on the road: did our plans work? Problems? Experiences. Retirement offers many advantages to travel. We try to not just drive down the road. The goal is to enjoy - each day.

Taking a road trip offers us many options. We can choose bike, motorcycle, RV, car, SUV, pickup truck or whatever. The method chosen can determine much about the nature of the trip.

Planning a road trip is part the American Dream. We want to just leave everything behind and find some new adventure. What is around the bend and over the hill? Lets make a plan.

Keeping something out there to look forward to is always good. But we don't want the future, or the past, to cheat us out of the present.

By the time we retire we may know more than we are aware. Sometimes we just need to someone to approve our thoughts and actions.

Retirement can bring into sharp focus our beliefs concerning what we truly value in life. What gives our life meaning rises to the surface through our daily actions.

Being buried under a blanket of guilt doesn't lead to a happy retirement. Must we feel guilty for leaving the world of work? Is it okay to sit still?

Sometimes what our doctor says just doesn't make sense. Somewhere in our bones we just know that can't be. We want another opinion. We should never hesitate on this one.

What do you with your life now that you are retired? It is a commonly asked question. The answer is not so common or easily given. We do lots of things. A sound bite will not suffice.

"He is always underfoot" is a cliche that accompanies men into retirement. Is it true? Surely there is a way to make the situation less deserving of the slur.

It is comforting to stay in the same place a long time. You develop a sense of place. It is exciting to move somewhere else. It is exciting and challenging. Can we have both?

Retiring offers us the opportunity to move. We could live anywhere - in the world; different climate, new surroundings, change in life. Is it worth it?

What is it that will give us eternal happiness? How can we know that what we are pursuing will satisfy our needs. Do we know what happiness is? Seems like we should

Now that you have decided to retire decisions need to be made that will fulfill dreams or maintain a sense of happiness in your life. What should those decisions be based upon? Life is different after retirement.

How would it be to live in three months in Paris, then Thailand, then Prague, then Puerto Vallarta? That's your first year of living without owning anything. Sell the house, sell the car, sell your stuff. Retirement is the right time.

How do we know when it is time to retire? Will it be the same for us as it has been for others? Is this when we want to not rush life? Or is this time to bail?

Retirement gives us time to - fill in the blank. Food is one of the words that work well. We may want to grow it, cook it or just eat it. Does it give us pleasure? Is it worth the effort?