<p>H & I will be retiring in a few years, but since we have a freshman in college and because of the uncertainty in the economy, I don’t spend much time thinking about it. When some fantasies do slip in, I think about seeing more of the US in a frugal way, camping/hiking. I’d like to go to art museums all over the country (including those at colleges) and feast my eyes on the originals of masterworks that I have only seen in books. I’d like to pick up the violin that I learned when my kids did Suzuki, and maybe participate in old-timey fiddle play-alongs. I currently have an intense hobby of silver-gemstone-crystal jewelry making, that may lead to a small business. </p>
<p>We live within walking distance of a commuter train into Chicago with all of its attractions, and we love that aspect of our current lives. It is nice being centrally located in the US, near (but not too near) a major airport, and close to stores and medical centers. </p>
<p>My H would really like to run his dad’s small farm/ranch in a small valley in California near foothills. He’d like to plant and tend to fruit trees of all kinds, have a great veggie/herb garden and harvest the nut trees that are already there. </p>
<p>I kind of feel like a kid, in that my future is a blank page.</p>
<p>I think we will stay put. We live in a desirable area and we could sell and cash out and go somewhere else and probably live on what we have made on our house. But my husband loves the ocean. He talks of mountains but when it is said and done I don’t see him even moving inland from the coast.
I also don’t see how he is going to retire anytime soon. He has a family business and unless one of our kids takes over he will continue to work. Even with retirement on in the near future he has begun to slow down. He plays tennis and beach volleyball 6 days a week. Surfs on occasion but is past the stage of life where he gets up at dawn. In summer leaves work early enough to get some time in at the beach with the kids.
We were talking with our college age son who just had 3 weeks off. My husband and I realize we have not had 3 weeks off in a row in 30 yrs. But we can’t complain.
I would love to travel. We traveled often before kids and when the first two were young. The last 5 yrs most of our travel has been to see family. We both were born and raised in Ca and while we have traveled the western half of the US there is much of this country to see.
We daydream of spending some extended time cruising on a sailboat but don’t know if that will happen.
I plan on doing more gardening and maybe taking some courses on gardening.</p>
<p>yep garland, the ocean is a seminal experience and wish I could be with y’all there. But my fiscal conservatism places me several hundred miles distance where a spring/fall sojourn will have to suffice.</p>
<p>Sounds like a lot to see and enjoy where you are, Originaloog. I have to say, though, that if you are several miles from the actual ocean, and half a mile from the Delaware Bay, and don’t mind a little 60s style box of a house, it can be pretty cheap to be “near” the ocean.</p>
<p>But, outdoors anywhere is better than indoors most places.:)</p>