The
Question of the Month is a bloghop that occurs the first Monday of each month and it is
hosted by Michael G D'Agostino from A Life Examined. Here is this month’s question:
“What does
retirement look like for you?”
When I was in high school, I would
have said I wanted to sell everything and travel the continental United States
in an RV with my husband. As I’ve gotten older, I still love traveling and road
trips, but I also like to have a place to call home, so I think I would have a
more permanent residence and travel occasionally. I do hope I’ll be married with
children by the time I retire and I imagine I would enjoy hosting family
get-togethers or visiting relatives a lot. On quiet days at home, I would still
be writing and probably take up knitting or quilting, and keep a small garden.
I would like to have a home in a quiet, secluded area, preferably near some
mountains. As to what I’d be retiring from, that all depends on if I ever get
married. If I were married, I would be a homemaker, so technically, I would
never really retire, because I would want to continue to have the grandkids
over to visit. I guess, married or not, if my writing career takes off, I might
eventually come to a point where I slow down and let the royalties continue to roll
in (LOL), but I would not completely stop writing. In other words, I’m probably
never going to retire :)
Its nice to dream about retirement, isn't it? Hubby is about 3 years from retiring, me closer to 8 years. We don't do much talking about it, how days will be structured for hubby, etc. I think its important to keep busy with something, volunteering, part time work, hobby, etc. I think sometimes people don't plan well enough for it and then find themselves kind of lost, trying to figure out how to structure their days and then end up being bored, ergo finding part time work, going back to their regular work, etc. I do know unfortunately we didn't plan as well financially as we should have, but should be relatively okay when/if we retire :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Betty, I agree that planning ways to stay busy is important. As for finances, that is the hardest part to try to figure out. Investing/IRAs/Etc. sound so complicated!
DeleteThat's awesome you plan to stay at home with the kids. It will make such a difference in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling writers never do really retire.
Alex, being a housewife was my plan all along, but God has had a different path for me these last few years. Being single has helped my writing a lot. If I would have gotten married, I may have never started a blog.
DeleteMany years ago, my mom wanted a Winnebago camper so she and my dad could travel comfortably. They traveled a lot, but they never got a Winnebago. If they saw gas prices now, they definitely wouldn't want a gas-guzzling camper. I like your plans.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks Janie :) My family had some friends who traveled around in a huge RV, and back then, I thought that looked like a great life. Now, my ideas have shifted quite a bit.
DeleteI prefer your idea of having a permanent home base and traveling occasionally from there. I'm a homebody, but I do love traveling as well. Royalties would be very nice.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Arlee, I love traveling, but there's no place like home :)
DeleteI am hoping that I am healthy enough to enjoy the years and not have too much pain.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, I hope that for you, too :) Health is something that we too often take for granted.
DeleteI love traveling, but there's nothing like that feeling of arriving back home again. I love being home best.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Susan!
DeleteBeware the money pit that is the RV. My father and his wife got one, and they've had some great trips, but then there's the story of the week stuck in Nebraska while they were waiting on some part or other. For the trips that they schedule pretty well, it put a damper on things.
ReplyDeleteLiz, that is another good reason my RV dream has faded.
DeleteI love that you're thinking about what retirement might looks like for you when you reach that stage in your life. I wonder what I would have written if I had asked myself that same question at your age. We're trying out early retirement (we're in our 50s) so that we can travel while we still have our health. We may need to go back to work at some point to top of the savings though.
ReplyDeletei am keenly waiting for retirement of my husband so we will move to our beautiful native town and some world tours too .
ReplyDeleteYour answer sounds a lot like what mine would've been. :)
ReplyDeleteSo basically what you're saying is that retirement is for single people who aren't writers.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Parents and writers never stop being what they are.