Thought for the day

[honda03842]

Many of you know I quit working at 58 and took up the RV life when my college roommmate died. As we were helping him prepare for his death, we happened to stop in a FL State Park where I proclaimed to Ginny that we were going to quit our jobs, buy an RV and travel. Realize we had never done any RVing.

Part of my reasoning was that John, my roommate, said to me that there was so much he wanted to do after he retired. I figured one never knows even if you'll make it to retirement.

We are no in our 12th year. We have never regretted it. Today I learned my roommate's wife, only 60, has failing health. My feeling is once one gets to the age.... whatever it is... you simply don't know how long you have to live. On top of that you also don't know how many 'good' years you"ll have.

Part of my driver to quit was my wonderful mother in law telling me sometime before I reached 58 that the golden years are not so golden.

I have not for one second ever regretted hitting the road. It has meant some finacial sacrafice, after all we were in our prime earning years and had to use savings to travel.

Regardless of the financial costs the benefits, the joy of it all, the imrovement in our personal health has made it all worthwhile.

No one that knew me thought it would last, too much of a person who loved to work, they said. Amazingly I easily remade myself, letting go of the former me and creating a new me, letting myself step into the child in me that loves freedom, exploration and the new.

I honestly believe that RVing is an opportunity to have a new life. If you will, an escaping of your former self and being born anew. It's not that my former life was bad in any way but there's something magical about being given a new life, in a sense it's like dying and being given a new chance.

I'm carrying on because my roommmate's wife is now seriously not well.

I feel so fortunate that my roommate called me to help him with his dying because in a sense it gave me "life", the RV life. All somehow silly but true.

Bless everyone, my message is seek joy, be willing to embrace the new.

[Ice-breaker]

Excellent message, you and Ginny are truly inspiring Norm.

[Thomas G.]

I'm a believer. I retired at age 54 and it has been 6 great years. My theory is that it is easier to add on years of retirement to the front end than to the back end.

[Adrian W]

No, none of us have a guarantee on life. My dad died at age 57....as I was nearing age 57 (54), my son graduated from high school & I retired (29 yrs.). I made it past 57, hadn't found anything to replace teaching for working. Subbed for 2 1/2 years. Had an opening at my old high school, when back for another 5 years.

We had always gotten to travel & RV in our 2 1/2 months summer time off (without pay i must add-but the time off was worth more than any extra pay).

Retirement is great, but the need to get out & travel isn't as pressing as when we were working. Then always looking for time off & where to go.

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. -Confucius

If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one. -Dolly Parton

The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. - Barbara Bush

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

[Thomas G.]

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Yogi Berra

[Otters]

Wonderful message to everyone Norm. I lost my brother when he was only 59, so I too had motivation to enjoy life while I can. I retired at 55 and my husband was 60. You know what they say "less money, more honey". But its all good. I haven't regreted the life change for one moment since. I just thank God every day that I've been able to accomplish my dreams in good health. Traveling has been the most wonderful conduit for meeting wonderfully interesting people with like interests. We only get one chance to go through life (that we know of anyway), so make the best of that gift you've been given.

[BigLew]

Norm, I could read your posts all day long. Thanks for always sharing with us.
Lew

[Janb313]

Thank you for sharing. As I prepare to step out of my familiar life of the last 25 years I know it will be a great experience but I still feel the tremors of anxiety at confronting the unknown alone in my wagon. Thank you for the inspiration and encouragement.

[honda03842]

To all thanks for the kind words and thoughts. It's probably obvious in all my posts about how I feel about RVing and life in general however today's mail and a subsequent phone call stopped us both in our tracks.

We have felt truly blessed in our 12 years (even though I'm not very religious). Happy that we made a good decision and went forward.

As to the rebirth comment, something I never seem to be able to describe well enough, some people who hit the road attempt to be what they were before hitting the road, same pets, same hobbies, maybe even the same relationship.... it may be fine to keep the past but it's also possible to create something new, or find something lost that deserves refinding.

We are in the 6 weeks before we leave mode, attempting to get the house and yard in some order, to make some small trailer inprovements, tasks because we were gone for so long last year.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Amazingly I easily remade myself, letting go of the former me and creating a new me, letting myself step into the child in me that loves freedom, exploration and the new.

I honestly believe that RVing is an opportunity to have a new life. If you will, an escaping of your former self and being born anew. It's not that my former life was bad in any way but there's something magical about being given a new life, in a sense it's like dying and being given a new chance.

All it takes is a spark of motivation.

Originally Posted by William Shakespeare

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Your achievements may be envied by many. I also know people who had the nomadic life "thrust upon them" in recent years. They did not necessarily choose their path, but they were prepared for it. Like you they embraced the new, arriving from a different path.

[Donna D.]

CRAP 61 y/o is staring me right in the mirror. I was SUPPOSED TO RETIRE June 2011. DAMN economy... But, I still have my health, still have dreams and goals. And, am dealing with elder parent issues that would prevent me from "living my dream." I refuse to live with regrets, but modify my current to fit my future. I'm envious of all that can retire "early." While it won't necessarily be for me... I thoroughly enjoy reading others blogs and travels. Please KEEP IT UP. There are many of us following along...

THANKS to ALL of you!

[Bobbie Mayer]

When I was trying to decide about taking early retirement, I talked to a lot of people. Most of the ones still working warned me against it. But... not a single person I asked who had retired early regretted it. Almost to a person, they told me it was a great decision. As you say, you never know what is going to happen, and worrying about how much money you will have in thirty years may keep you from enjoying life now.

[Glenn Baglo]

How many people do you know who will readily admit a mistake? Of course those who retired early don't regret it.

I retired early, but I got a nice bonus to do so. I don't miss the job and I don't want to go back to work, but watching Judge Judy can wear on you. And, if you didn't worry about the money, watching Judge Judy will be all you can afford.

Early retirement requires planning. Not just the money, but how you will use your time and how you will replace the contribution you made and the value you had as an employee.

I would recommend anyone considering early retirement, or approaching retirement, stop by a library and pick up a couple books on the subject. My daughter gave me "52 ways to wreck your retirement...and how to rescue it" by Tina Di Vito. It is aimed at Canadians. I'm sure there are similar books for U.S. citizens.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I don't think it is that easy to fake contentment with retirement. The people I talked to were genuinely happy with their decisions.

But I agree, it takes planning, you can't just up and quit with no idea how you are going to make it. And I think you have to either already have a life and interests outside of work or be ready to find them. And the people I talked to all fit that description, and had no problem keeping busy after they retired.

And, for the most part, they were people who DID enjoy their jobs when they were working. I suspect someone who takes early retirement primarily because she hates her job is not as likely to be happy with the decision.

[Glenn Baglo]

Not denying that. But, you do have to worry about the money. If you love wood-working, but can't afford to buy wood, if you love fishing, but can't afford to buy a license, etc. etc.

[Ian-Vicki]

We gave our well-paid, high-pressure jobs in 2004, sold our house and moved to a small island. It was after that we discovered FGRV and acquired our Burro and as others have said, no regrets. At 54, I had a decade ahead of good money years with minimal expenses - house paid for, kids through university - so it was a poor financial choice. But the freedom is fabulous, we have learned to adjust to less coming in, and have landed in a wonderful community, both in the real world and online. Had we no made that choice when we did, we would have had none of the wonderful adventures we have enjoyed, nor the ones we are planning. I'm with Norm, unless it means cat food and food stamps to survive, go chase your dreams. In a hundred years, no one will care what choice you make, but in 10 years YOU will care.
That's my view.
cheers
Ian

[Glenn Baglo]

Here's hoping the ferry fares don't trap you on Bowen? Galiano?

[Cam A]

In answer to the time vs. money debate; you can always go get more money.....

[honda03842]

There are many people that retire, even though they have adequate resources immediately seek at least part time employment.

They simply haven't figured out how to transform themselves to non-working.

In some cases I've heard wives say 'I don't want him underfoot every day'.

As to planning, our planning began 6 months before we left in to a totally new life style. Beyond beginning our adventure on 9/11/2001, our adventure has been wonderful. Ginny, though not a big embracer of change, has always supported me and my some times foolish dreams.

Life is definitely short. I do not want to die wishing I had done this or that. If I'm lucky enough to out live my resources I want to do it with Ginny having fun.

Safe and happy travels,

[Ian-Vicki]

Over the course of 25 years as journalists, my wife and I worked together often, sometimes with her as boss, sometimes me (unlike our married life, where there is only one boss) so being together constantly is not an issue. That's how we can survive months at a time in a 17-foot Burro.
As for change, we recognize it as a constant, and embrace it. We have lived in five different provinces in a dozen different houses and have no qualms about movin' on. And if we run out of money, we'll sell this place and find somewhere cheaper. I always say that most of what we have is just stuff, and if you have the memories, you don't need the stuff. If you don't have the memories, then the stuff won't help.
Life is short and there's a big world out there.
cheers
OIan