Retirement Talk
WHAT to do with the rest of your life? |
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Episode 037 Retirement and Home Exchange
Here we are sitting in a beautiful penthouse condo on the
beach in
Peurta Vallarta
,
Mexico
. Exotic! The blue waves
crash on the rocks directly below our windows. Beautiful sandy beaches reach out on either side of the rocks. The sun
sets in the west. The perfect picture of paradise - just like out of a
magazine. It is all ours – for two full weeks – for free. That’s the best part.
Compliments of homeexchange.com.
This is Retirement Talk. I’m Del Lowery
I wrote the opening paragraph in February, when it was rainy
and dark where I live. Not so in
Mexico
.
We heard about this place on the Internet where one could
participate in a home exchange network. You agree to trade the use of your residence for that of someone else’s.
The trade is cash free. No charge to members.
Just over a year ago, we went to their Internet site and
registered as members. It cost fifty dollars at that time. I think the price
has gone up since then. We filled in all the information about our condo in
Vancouver
,
BC
.
Took some pictures of it and the surrounding
environment and posted everything to the Home Exchange site.
Within days we started to receive emails with invitations to
participate in exchanges. They came from all over the world.
Australia
and
New Zealand
were well represented.
Then we were offered a chance to spend, “April in
Paris
”. Since then we were enticed by
possible exchanges from
Czechoslovakia
,
Belgium
,
Argentina
,
Ireland
,
Montreal
, Vancouver Island,
Los
Angelis
,
Mexico
,
Seattle
, and
others that have faded from my memory.
We started our experience with an exchange fairly close to
home. We traveled to
Eugene
,
Oregon
and took up residence for four days in a beautiful brick home just a few blocks
from
Oregon
State
University
campus. The owners of that house were attending a conference in
Vancouver
and wanted to
use our condo. It worked out perfect. We explored
Eugene
by bicycle, our favorite mode of
transportation. We even meet up with a former student of mine from some thirty
five years ago. It was a treat. The owners of the brick home were professors.
They used our condo in
Vancouver
at the same time to attend a conference.. The only sign that they had been
there was a note of appreciation. Perfect.
Our next exchange was the one in
Mexico
. It was unbelievable. We
enjoyed two weeks in the sunshine. Since it was not the owner’s primary
residence it allowed for a non- simultaneous exchange. They have yet to use
their two weeks in our
Vancouver
condo. I guess they’re building up credit.
We have now arranged for a one week exchange with some folks
from
Portland
,
Oregon
and are looking forward to that. We
have another one scheduled for Seattle – right down town – just above Pike
Street Market. It should be fun. As you can tell, we are not really reaching
out to the exotic regions of the world. Not that we couldn’t. It is just that I
don’t like flying long distances. I’m too tall – and maybe too grouchy. We
traveled a great deal when we were younger and when we retired we picked a
place that I hoped would give travel little appeal. I think it has worked - at
least for me. We have big cities, mountains, salt water, and a temperate
climate where we live. I did not envision spending retirement on a tour buses,
moving in a group from hotel to hotel..
There is still the lure of the exotic and my wife is still
interested in stretching out to other regions of the world. One thing about
home exchange: it certainly opens up the possibilities. It is interesting to
look at home in
Sicily
,
Provence
,
Montreal
, or
Prague
. I suppose one of these days I will
pack my bags and follow her to some exotic place.
Another good thing about home exchanging is that you get a
local look at the place you are visiting. You’re in a neighborhood. In all of
our home exchange experiences we have found notes concerning good restaurants,
coffee shops, places to buy groceries, and points of local interest. It is just
a very different experience than visiting a new place and checking into a
hotel.
You might want to check it our. It certainly is an
opportunity for retired folks. Retirement allows for flexibility and freedom to
roam if we wish. Home exchange literally opens new doors in life. And, as I
said earlier, the price is right - it’s free.
This is Retirement Talk for Seniors, Boomers and Retirees.
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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