The Choices of Retirement

How you and your spouse agree or disagree on how you will retire or where you will retire is critically important.
Where you choose to live, what you plan to do, how close you want or need to be to your family and friends, all these things are important.  You must consider all aspects of your lifestyle.  You must consider if you want to move in your retirement or stay put.
Then spend time talking and looking at the possible locations way before the time of retirement.
It is a good idea to spend time on a holiday in your choice of location in different seasons.  What is your tolerance for rain, cloudy days, humidity, heat, earthquakes, etc.  What about crime and the political climate in your choice destination?
Most important make sure that you will be content living in your chosen place.  Make sure that what ever happens- whether your family visits or not, whether your kids want to socialize regularly or not, that you will be happy in your choice.
Or plan not to have a plan right away.  But to enjoy where you are currently living and take time to re-discover why you picked where you live in the first place. 
It is not unusual to have difference with your spouse over how or where you will live in your retirement.  Even if your lifestyle dreams seem worlds apart, give your thoughts, wants and needs time to develop to please both of you.
When my husband and I started to plan our retirement, we seemed a life apart.  He was enchanted with travel, possibly living on a boat, selling everything and moving to another country.  His gypsy blood was ruling his thinking.  I was content to stay put, do some travelling and enjoy ourselves and our family.
We talked about just staying put for awhile, while we decide where we realy want to live, because, while you are still working, your blood pressure is higher, you hate the commute to work, you face traffic, deadlines, meetings, and a  boss.  You are usually so wrapped up in work that you haven't had the chance or time to unwind and enjoy what you already have at home.
My feelings are that we are blessed to live in such a beautiful area and I have had the time to enjoy it.  But that my husband needed to retire first and find time to enjoy the surroundings that he does have.  To just sit back and relax for awhile.  To take time in this major life decision.

Some things that will be deciding factors of where you will choose to live are:
-Climate...  not to hot, not to rainy...
-Price
-Health
-Isolation or closeness
-The amount of home and yard maintenance needed

Retirement can be:
-the loss of all that is familiar
-the blessing of freedom
-a terrible bore or a new opportunity

-and then sometimes it's a matter of loving what is.
-not longing for or dreaming of finding your own personal paradise with
perfect weather, perfect neighbors, a perfect house
But of loving life as it is and appreciating the value of family and friends.

Who am I?

Who am I?
What is my purpose in life?
Where do I belong?
Do I make the right decisions?
How can I improve?
What must I learn?
What must I overcome?
Do I give enough?
Do I receive enough?
Who am I?

As we age we are blessed with wisdom,
with dear friends who know us well,
with growing families,
grandchildren and aging parents.
We are blessed with more time,
more freedom and more
courage to be ourselves.
We are blessed with a valuable
wealth of knowledge that
comes from experience.
But we still question ourselves
about our lives... what if...
and our time is to short here on
this earth.

My WIsh

My deepest wish is to grow old with my husband.
to know what makes him laugh,
and to see him laugh.
To share our dreams, our hopes, our accomplishments,
our joys, and our blessings.
And to also know what makes him cry,
what makes him sad,
and to accept the ups and downs of life
together.
To enjoy the amazing mountain views,
the art, and the ocean when we are there.
A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty
of this world and to full fill this realtionship.
So we must get busy...
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The following was written by Khalil Gibran -The Prophet-

And what of marriage, master?
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together
you shall be for-ever-more.
You shall be together when the white
wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall  be together even in the
silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your
togetherness,
and let the winds of heaven dance
between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between
the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not
from one cup.
Give one another of your bread,
but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each one of you be alone,
even as the strings of a lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each
other's keeping.
For only the hand of life can contain
your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together.
For the pillars of the temples stand apart,
and the oak trees and the cypress grow
not in each other's shadow.
                            -Khalil Giran - The Prophet-