Retiring & RVing

[2Roadrunners]

This might be a long read........

LK figured out that I have been retired for 10.54 years.

The day after I retired I was out in the woods with my podnah, and I glanced at my watch, it told me that it was 11:35. (True story here). I thought, ''well now I'm retired,I have been programmed by my watch forever. The bus stops here.'' Much to the surprise of my podnah, I took off my Canadian Tire Timex and flung it as far as I could. Since then I have never worn a watch!

The year I retired we went hog wild, believe me. We camped and travelled all over. We'd come home, empty the mailbox, do the laundry, cut the grass and leave. That year I bicycled 5500 km., X-C skied 1150 Km. and camped out almost all summer and fall.

Here comes the importance of RVing, camping or whatever you do. When you retire, you will do nothing new,you will only do more of what you did before. If you hung out at Tim's on Saturday and Sunday mornings drinking coffe and swopping lies with your buddies, well then you'll be doing it 7/7 after retiring. If you tell me that when you retire you will start to travel, I'll tell you that you are full of crap.....you will travel, yes. A tour bus to the nearest casino, and only one time.

RV'ers and campers such as we have learned to keep quite a few irons in the fire, and although it may not add years to our lives, it will add life to our years.

For those who anticipate retirement, may I wish you health, the curiosity of a six-year old to search out new horizons and the marginality to follow your dreams and get off the paved roads of what society dictates.

Thanx for reading me............

[2Roadrunners]

This might be a long read........

LK figured out that I have been retired for 10.54 years.

The day after I retired I was out in the woods with my podnah, and I glanced at my watch, it told me that it was 11:35. (True story here). I thought, ''well now I'm retired,I have been programmed by my watch forever. The bus stops here.'' Much to the surprise of my podnah, I took off my Canadian Tire Timex and flung it as far as I could. Since then I have never worn a watch!

The year I retired we went hog wild, believe me. We camped and travelled all over. We'd come home, empty the mailbox, do the laundry, cut the grass and leave. That year I bicycled 5500 km., X-C skied 1150 Km. and camped out almost all summer and fall.

Here comes the importance of RVing, camping or whatever you do. When you retire, you will do nothing new,you will only do more of what you did before. If you hung out at Tim's on Saturday and Sunday mornings drinking coffe and swopping lies with your buddies, well then you'll be doing it 7/7 after retiring. If you tell me that when you retire you will start to travel, I'll tell you that you are full of crap.....you will travel, yes. A tour bus to the nearest casino, and only one time.

RV'ers and campers such as we have learned to keep quite a few irons in the fire, and although it may not add years to our lives, it will add life to our years.

For those who anticipate retirement, may I wish you health, the curiosity of a six-year old to search out new horizons and the marginality to follow your dreams and get off the paved roads of what society dictates.

Thanx for reading me............

[WillYum]

I can't speak from experience Roadrunner (yet) but after observing my father I believe in many cases you are right. Too many people don't look for anything different just more of the same and those are the ones that don't last too long (on the average). Dad was a machinist and when he retired he just moved his activities from his work place to his own shop. Mom & Dad did a little traveling & did buy an RV (17' TT) but I don't think they used it more than 5 or 6 times. Mom's been gone for 13 years but Dad is still around after 25 years of 'retirement', living in an extended care home after a stroke so he has skewed the statistics.

We intend to do a lot of traveling once we get retired. I have planned to start up a electrical renovation business and put that money into our excursions. I fully intend to schedule jobs around our RV plans.

Going to be crusin' through your neck of the woods in 2007 so we will have to keep in touch and I'll sit and have a cup of Quebec coffee with you.

444 days till freedom

[Novi]

Well said RoadRunners!! I too believe you tend to keep doing what you are already doing. RVing is an active life style and if you never did it before you retire you are not likely to take it up after you retire. Certainly some people do but I think they are a minority. If you have never travelled you don't suddenly take it up just because you retired, people do not normally change their life style unless forced to. PS I too got rid of my watch many years ago.

[Little Kopit]

I think we're all on the same page.

My father was 42 when I was born and my mother 39. Thus, growing up I witnessed their friends, who retired before them, and had no 'new career', kick the bucket in a very few years. I was young enough to take the lesson to heart.

One reason why I got the camper was as a retirement plan. It's a concession to aging and permits going further than with a wooden cap!!!!! Travelling with two dogs is an active thing to do. I have places on the agenda. AK in 09. Oz in .... EU in .....

But move in 08, the year I retire & move to the other side of that !@(%*@#)($%* ferry. Ok, with a truck camper it only costs me $250 round trip, but that is $250 I could spend on other places. Sure I've explored lots of Newfoundland while living here, but I've neglected many other places. The time to go more is after retirement. The is also why Labrador is my trip for next summer's holidays. It's the one year I have left to do that circuit. I think Labrador will also be good preparation for the AK trip.

(so, Rockman, now you know why I'm going after solar)

808 days until retirement and deducting........

[Skip298]

I retired in July of 04..I spent the last thirty years of my life deeply involved in my career. in that time we bought two homes that I renovated extensively and made some exceptionally good profits.... we did do some travelling..We caught the rv bug about 7 years ago and decided to move north...we downsized everything bought an old home to reno again(gotta keep busy doing something that makes you work) and got our RV...so far we have used it approx 5 months and put approx 17000 km on it...we will be leaving agian in January for 4 months...Wifey was bored and got ajob...she puts alll her money into US funds,,we will be travelling on her dime this year.. which i guess means that she will be the cruise director..

[Novi]

Where you headed to this year Skip298? We leave just after you in Jan headed to Florida this year.

[Skip298]

We will be heading to Mission TX area for about 2 months..then over to AZ to tour the Tucson/Phoenix and Sedona area for a few weeks..we have decided to come back across I 20 and stay in some southerly location for a couple of weeks before we come home.....ie..if its still cold..Im Not coming home...

[Novi]

After I retired we went out to Quartzite, Bullhead City, area for a few years over the winter, quite liked it. Then decided we wanted to see greenery so we did Florida last year, again. Really liked the park we stayed in so we are doing it again this year. Nice to have the freedom of time and movement isn't it, to go and explore and do what you want?

[Little Kopit]

Novi,

Did you notice what Mouser said about FEMA preempting some cgs over in the Deserters, aka snowbirds thread?

Have you double checked the confirmation of your reservations in FLA?

[Novi]

Yes we did LK. Site paid for. Anyone heading to Florida this year with out a site pre arranged may well be out of luck. Several have indicated they have made no reservations just want to stay here and there they may have a difficult time. Even in a "normal" year it is really tight in Feb and March.

[Tom N]

What's the name and location of the park in FL???

Tom
currently parked on the beach at Apache CG Myrtle Beach

[Novi]

Morning Tom: You must already be headed for warmer weather? We have been staying just south of Sebring, in Highlands County, at Buttonwood Bay, a very active 55+ park. Are you using a lap top? I ask because I'm looking at doing that in the next few weeks.

[johny_maple]

It has been interesting to read about how everyone's going to do more of everything, if not something different, after they retire. In my case, it's been less; less canoeing, less cycling, less golf. (The camping has remained steady though, thank goodness.) Reason? Bad shoulders (working out too much for my age is what I was told and here I thought I was keeping in shape to avoid getting bad anything) plus some soome arthritis. So, it's not all about throwing away the watch or throwing yourself into more of everything, it's also about staying healthy. When your health goes, so will everything else. Just in case this posting sounds despondent or demoralizing, keep in mind that I am still able to do all of these activities, just not as much as I would like. I should add too that my young live-in grandson who is into soccer, basketball, chess and wrestling (I used to coach them all), is helping me stay fit, fleet of foot and quick-witted. 'Ne plus ultra'!

j_m