Retirement Talk
WHAT to do with the rest of your life? |
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Episode 005 Retiring and the
Relocating Alternative
We retired in
Anchorage
,
Alaska
.
We had lived there 19 years and loved the rugged beauty and unique characters
that made up the population.
Alaska
seemed to be filled with unique and interesting people. I believe this is still
true. But – we relocated. Today we will talk about why and how.
This is Retirement Talk. I’m
Del Lowery.
When we retired, our
children, who had been raised in
Alaska
,
were going to college in what we Alaskans call “Outside”, meaning the lower 48
states. They urged us to, “Look around. You might find something you like even
better.” We loved
Alaska
, where we skied almost every day and
hiked in the mountains on other days, but, after one year of retirement, we
decided to rent our house for one year and give four or five “Outside” places a
look.
We made a list of features
that we might like in a new home: mountains, salt water, a university close to
a large city, and a climate that was not known for getting hot.
We planned a long year trip
to look around. My wife drove the car loaded with clothes, sound system, my guitar
and the dog. I rode an old BMW Motorcycle as we headed south from
Alaska
. On our list of
places to visit were; Bellingham, Washington; Eugene, Oregon; Sonoma and San
Diego, California; and Santa Fe, New Mexico – even though it wasn’t close to
salt water.
Within thirty minutes of
crossing south from the Canadian border we had found our place to retire. It
was right on the coast – thus, saltwater. The beautiful
Cascade
Mountains
rose up in the east. The
San Juan
Islands
lay to the west.
Western
Washington
University
occupies a
naturally beautiful hillside in the heart of the community.
Seattle
lies 90 miles to the south, and
Vancouver
,
BC
lies 60 miles to the north. We
had found our paradise.
Within one month we were
looking for a house to buy. All the other choices receded in the distance, never
to be compared. By the end of October we had purchased a house with a view of
the bay.
It is now 18 years later and
we still live in the same house. During the first year we volunteered at the
Art Museum to teach a few classes to grade school students. I volunteered at a
local environmental organization. Brenda joined a group of artists experimenting
with watercolors. I found a guitar teacher at the college and plugged into the
local guitar world. We both joined the local chapter of Amnesty International.
We biked every day. We learned our way around the community on two wheels.
We did return to
Alaska
the following
summer to sell our house and pack up all, or at least some, of our stuff. We
drove away and never looked back.
We have become very active in
political and community efforts. We helped start a local farmers market. We
worked on a greenway and trails levy. We managed a political campaign. I even
ran for mayor; I lost, but it was worth the effort. I met some great people and
learned a lot about our community. And, “No”, I never ran again.
This political effort left me
fairly well known in town and I was asked to launch a radio interview show.
Though I had never worked in radio, I found it very enjoyable. Each week for
four years I talked to various people from our community for one hour over the
local college radio station. I met a lot of people and learned a great deal
about our community. “No”, I didn’t get paid. It was a volunteer effort.
We also helped launch the
Northwest Classical Guitar Society. Our group has now met every third Tuesday
of the month for the past 16 years. Amazing! We have heard some great music and
listened to hundreds of different players. We meet in the Fairhaven Library.
The location and time have never varied over the 16 years. I think that is what
has made for the longevity.
We are very glad that we did
venture down that long road many years ago. We still return to
Anchorage
at least once a year to visit our son and family who have returned to
Alaska
to live.
Sometimes we see a few friends when we are there, but not many.
Relocating has worked well
for us. It has opened many new doors; offered us a new perspective on life. It
has challenged us to take a new look at the world and ourselves. You might want
to give it a try.
This is Retirement Talk.
A resource from a listener: Best Free Online Degrees for Seniors guide is designed to assist seniors who aspire to enhance their intellect or consider starting a new career path. It features an overview of the top online degrees for seniors, emphasizing their numerous advantages, and a broad range of subjects to choose from.
A friend's website: Terra Firma Designs: Fine Furniture, Stained Glass and woodworking workshops.
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