Читать книгу The New Retirement - Jan Cullinane - Страница 45

“Broadly speaking, human beings can be divided into three classes: Those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death” (Winston Churchill). If lifelong learning opportunities through classes or volunteering aren't enough, let's explore some other activities that enrich your life by broadening your knowledge, sharpening your skills, improving your health, or that are just plain fun:

 Move. I took up tennis in my late 40s, and quickly became a huge devotee. It checks off a lot of what I like – exercise, social support, friendly competition, structure, and enjoying nature (I live in Florida, so it's outside play year-round). Tennis has led to many warm and lasting friendships (and lunches!). If you're looking for something a bit easier on the joints, consider pickleball, which is the fastest-growing sport in America, according to The Economist.If racquet sports aren't your thing, perhaps join a gym (consider a few sessions with a personal trainer to get you on the right track), golf, bowling (a group from our community bowls weekly, with dinner afterward), belly dancing/ballroom/square/swing/line dancing (some studios provide a partner for you if you need one), and swimming and biking (easy on the joints). Snowboarding is so popular among older adults they are called “grays on trays.” Plant a garden. Climb a mountain. Try a SUP (stand-up paddleboard). Of course, there is always walking, which is easy, free, and can be social or solitary. And, if you have a dog, he/she will love it.

 Think. Join or start a book club – with your neighbors, through your local library, or online (check out www.goodreads.com for lots of suggestions). Linda and her husband Pete started a couples' book club in their new neighborhood by mailing an invitation to their neighbors (they didn't know all their names, so just a “Hello Neighbor” and an invite to come to their home on a specific date/time with the book selection included). It was the beginning of a decades-long book club, and decades-long friendships. Or, organize a monthly game night – Euchre, Train Dominoes, Bunco, Pictionary, Mahjong, and so forth. Strengthen your brain by learning a new language or instrument. Do crossword puzzles (I love the free online daily mini-crossword from the New York Times), Sudoku, acrostics, “Words with Friends,” and jigsaw puzzles. Try an “escape room” – work as a team to escape a locked room within an hour by solving clues and puzzles. Addictive and mind stretching.

 “Be Curious, Not Judgmental.” Although this phrase is attributed to the poet Walt Whitman, according to Snopes (a fact-checking site), this is not Whitman's quote. However, if you watch/watched the miniseries Ted Lasso, “Be curious, not judgmental” is how the main character approaches life. Ted asks questions; he doesn't jump to conclusions; he's open; he doesn't assume; he explores all possibilities; he doesn't make snap decisions. This fictional character and this phrase are great models for making the most of retirement.The benefits of being curious are backed by science. A 2013 study in Psychological Science found that improved memory was found only in those who engaged in activities that were “unfamiliar and mentally challenging, and that provide broad stimulation mentally and socially.” Examples included quilting and digital photography. The lead researcher in this study, Denise Parks, said this about keeping our minds sharp: “When you are inside your comfort zone you may be outside of the enhancement zone.” Push yourself to do things outside of your wheelhouse.

 Create. Indulge your inner chef, if you're so inclined, or take up painting or sculpting or photography. Perhaps consider community or local theater. Helene G. performed in the musicals The King and I and South Pacific at Leisure World, an active adult community in Silver Spring Maryland, as well as in a performance of Our Town. (If you have stage fright, you can always work behind the scenes.) Or, sing at your place of worship; St. Augustine said, “To sing is to pray twice.”

 Family. A study by Age Wave/Merrill Lynch found that retirees ranked staying healthy, improving health, and relaxing at the top of their “Everyday Leisure Priorities” list, followed by family connections. Certainly “family connections” can fill lots of hours. But what does that phrase mean to you? Living a short distance from children/sibs/aging parents? Staying in touch via technology? Frequent in-person visits? Following your adult kids if they move? Having a second home near adult children/parents? Acting as a full-time sitter for your grandchildren while their parents work? Moving closer to your kids when you're elderly and need help? This is an important area to consider and discuss, particularly if you're part of a couple – are you both on the same page? To find out, take the survey, “Retire Close to Family … Or Not Too Close!” from TopRetirements.com at the end of Chapter 4, What and Where Is Home?

 Travel. Travel is usually close to the top of the list of “wants” in retirement. No surprise – there's a big and exciting world out there to explore, and retirement provides the time (and hopefully the money – more on that in Chapters 8, 9, and 10). One of Rosemary and Ed G.'s retirement goals (Rosemary was a high school counselor and Ed is a retired CPA) was to visit every continent. It took 12 years to accomplish, but they did.

Of course, there are many types of travel. Recall the Greyhound bus commercial, with the tag line “Leave the driving to us.” Do all the planning, do some of it, or be like the Greyhound ad, and purchase a complete travel itinerary with most, or all decisions preplanned. All you need to do is show up with your luggage and travel documents and the tour company will take it from there. What kind of traveler are you? Do you want a knowledgeable guide to lead you, or are you more likely to strike out on your own, meet the local people, and create your own itinerary? Or perhaps you're a hybrid of the two approaches, or you want to experience travel in a variety of ways. You could be like Carol and Phil White, who bought a small RV and lived in it for a year as they traversed the United States.

Here are Carol's thoughts and suggestions:

Of all the many ways to travel, RVing may be the most flexible. You can stay in a cozy RV park in the city, in a friend's driveway in the suburbs, in a beautiful national park, a full-amenity recreation complex – or something as unglamorous as a parking lot anywhere along your way.

Phil and I did all of those things in our year-long trip around the United States. We also “cheated” and stayed in a beautiful National Park Lodge or even a cabin by a lake when we were tired of doing the camping life. The beauty of it is that the choice is yours and you are always ready for whatever may come your way. We traveled in a small Class B RV, so we had total flexibility to park downtown or under a tree and call that home for the night.

We recommend having some goals for your trip – see all the state capitols, all the National Parks, something quirky in each state, hiking a famous trail in each area – whatever strikes your interest. Those goals will help shape the planning for your trip.

My sister called it traveling with “our shell on our back,” which is an apt expression because you have everything you need with you. That was a major appeal to us versus taking a car on our long trip. On more than one occasion, being able to pull over at a rest stop or a park and heat up last night's leftovers for lunch proved to be one of the unexpected things we enjoyed – we were always prepared for an impromptu meal. Another plus was that you were always prepared for a “pit stop” – no more looking for the rest area or dying until you got somewhere. This was especially handy when we were stopped in summer construction – sometimes for an hour or more.

Choosing the type of RV that you want to travel in is one of the most challenging aspects of your planning. You have to think carefully about your own driving abilities and desires, about your mechanical adaptability, and what kind of a trip you are planning. If you are planning a mostly urban experience, a 45-foot Class A “bus” would probably not be your first best choice in New York City or Chicago. On the other hand, if one of you is adept at driving a big rig, knows the ins and outs of mechanics and you are planning a week at a time in a beautiful RV park or National Park, then a big rig may be perfect for you. The smaller sized RVs are great for maneuverability, fitting in tight spaces (city parking), and stopping at an auto repair place when something doesn't sound right (most are built on some type of truck chassis). The other option is, of course, a towable – either a trailer or a fifth-wheel that attaches in the bed of a truck. The advantage of this arrangement is you can disconnect and take your vehicle with you and not your entire “house.” Depending on your trip plans, that can be very handy. Towing a car behind a larger RV is also an option that might serve your needs.

If you are planning a long trip, we recommend that you don't overplan it. If you've made reservations ahead and something happens, which it will, then you have all those plans to undo. Have an itinerary of roughly where you want to be when, just to keep you on track, but please don't try to plan it all ahead – most of the fun is the whimsy of each day. Some days we traveled 5 miles, some days a hundred, but our longest day was 380 miles to meet up with some traveling friends. Just let your trip unfold in front of you. Because you have an RV of some type, you can always sleep in a parking lot and if you have a small rig, many “full” RV parks can tuck you in someplace. We had some of the best RV spots that way. They once put us on a tennis court near Zion National Park on a busy holiday weekend with an extension cord for electricity. Fun!

RVing is a great way to meet people, see our country (or another!) and have the time of your life. We were never at a loss for something to talk about from every state (we are part of only 2% of our population who has been to every state) and travel enriches and informs your life forever. Don't wait. Do it now while you have your health. If you need more direction to begin planning your dream trip, grab a copy of our award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream.

Some other options:

 Cruises. Someone else cooks, serves, cleans, makes your bed each day, provides entertainment and enrichment programs, and transports you from destination to destination. What's not to like? Obviously, the pandemic affected the 2020–2021 travel season, but in 2019, there were 30 million cruise passengers with more than half coming from North America. Ships range from the mega (almost 7,000 passengers) to the intimate. Having cruised quite a bit, I've noticed over the years that some people never disembark at the ports because they have been on so many cruises (and they tend to win all the Trivia games since they've heard all the questions before!). Recent welcome additions to many cruise ships include dedicated solo staterooms, so a single doesn't have to pay the dreaded “single supplement.”

 Escorted Tours. Ann and John B. love escorted tours through OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel). My spouse and I took an OAT tour to Israel/Palestine and absolutely loved it. It included visiting residents' homes, and having an open political dialogue with both Israelis and Palestinians. Hotels, transportation, transfers to the airport/hotel, most meals and some sightseeing are usually included in escorted tours. (OAT also offers exclusive women's tours.) Brian P., who is single, loves Smart Tours, which are all-inclusive and pride themselves on being affordable. Brian is a worldwide traveler and we value his advice, and indeed my spouse and I took a Smart Tour to India and loved it. Steve and Debbie L. did a bike tour in Europe through Backroads Rhine River Cruise Bike Tour, riding bikes through four countries in eight days while also enjoying the food and luxury of a small AMA Waterways ship along the Rhine. Those on the trip decided how many miles they wanted to ride during the day, and were transported back to the ship when ready.

 Singles' Travel. The travel industry is finally recognizing that not everyone is coupled. Check out the all-women Oh Solo Mio (www.ohsolomio.travel) or male/female Singles Travel International (www.singlestravelintl.com). Many companies will help match you with a suitable roommate if you want one, using a questionnaire to match up like-minded travelers.

 African American Travel (www.Africanamericantravelers.com). This company was founded in 2013 by Lawrence McLean to “broaden the reaches, horizons and perspectives of our community by bringing them to the world.”

 LGBTQ+ (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer or Questioning, and the + represents inclusion of all people). If you've cruised, you may have seen “Friends of Bill W” or “Friends of Dorothy” listed in the daily cruise activity program. Although many might know that “Friends of Bill W” is an invitation for Alcoholics Anonymous members to meet, “Friends of Dorothy” is an opportunity to gather with LGBTQ+ persons. The large cruise companies offer these get-togethers, and more cruise ships are tailoring itineraries and sailings to various groups.

 Educational Travel. It's almost an oxymoron – all travel is educational, in my opinion (even if it's learning how to make a trendy alcoholic drink on a cruise ship). However, there are some companies, such as Roads Scholar (https://www.roadscholar.org/) (formerly known as Elderhostel – the company wanted to eliminate the word “elder”), National Geographic Expeditions (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/) and Smithsonian Journeys (https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/) that really shine with their emphasis on learning. Greg T. went on a tour to the Amazon with National Geographic, which employs professional photographers, regional specialists, and naturalists. He learned so much about the flora and fauna of the area he felt he should have earned four college credits for a lab course in Biology.

 Voluntourism. Travel with a noble purpose? That's what a volunteer vacation should be. There are a large number of organizations that sponsor travel nationally and internationally, but there are a few cautions about this type of travel. Some experts say it would be better to pay for those who live in a village to perform work (such as digging wells) than have unskilled people who fly in from another country for a week to do the labor. And, it's been documented that sometimes orphanages, a popular voluntourism destination in some countries, aren't always what they seem; some places have “created” orphanages to receive money from the volunteers. Vet all organizations carefully. For voluntourism close to home, a good site is AARP's CreatetheGood (www.createthegood.org). Put in your ZIP code, and see what good things you can do in your own backyard.

 Multigenerational travel. What about several generations vacationing or traveling together? With three adult children, their spouses, and five grandchildren, my husband and I solved this by living on the ocean in Florida, with a pool in the backyard. That's an instant magnet for all generations, as well as siblings and their spouses and children. But for multigenerational travel that doesn't involve buying a house, consider cruises. The megaships have something for everyone, including free childcare and acres of swimming pools. The Disney ships cater to children. Our grandchildren loved the ship, including the three years and older youth clubs the ships offer and the ship's live theater performance of Beauty and the Beast that was Broadway caliber. Other suggestions include dude ranches, all-inclusive resorts, skiing, a safari, camping, and national parks. Paula K. takes each grandchild to a destination of his/her choosing (within reason) when he/she turns ten. Want someone else to do the planning? Search for “Tauck Bridges tours” or “Sierra Club family.” And heed this wise travel advice: “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money” (Susan Heller).Travel not your thing or you don't have enough money for this luxury? Think like Queen Latifah: “I don't have to take a trip around the world or be on a yacht in the Mediterranean to have happiness. I can find it in the little things, like looking out into my backyard and seeing deer in the fields.”

 Working/having a second (or third or fourth) career. Are you interested in pursuing work-related opportunities after leaving your primary career or considering starting your own business? That's up next in Chapter 3.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” This period of your life we call retirement allows us to grow, change, and experience new things. Let's heed this Chinese proverb and make the most of it.