Deciding Where to Retire

 

Life changes as you go into retirement. It isn't just about not attending a daily job anymore. It usually involves a reevaluation of - 

occupants in your home

being single or being a couple

unfulfilled dreams

support community

activity level/health

As I get closer to that fantastic transition, I've considered this time period as a great space to research and make considerations. 

My first thought was to be near my son and his family. But, asI thought about the aging process, I knew that no matter what I'm setting myself up so that he doesn't have to take mom in as I age. I also see my granddaughter reaching the age where she transfers elder focus to peer focus as she goes into adulthood. This freed up the possibility of moving to another state.

I asked myself if I liked where I have been. I have not. I do not like the desert at all! I stayed for others. I've always intended to go back home in the Mid Atlantic. That left me with the region of Virginia (my home state), North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware.

I wanted fresh seafood and ability to go to the beach easily in a day without living right on the beach with all its crowding and tiny yards. 

Then, I asked myself about my obsession I can pursue - gardening and healthful living. So, I asked myself where I had a climate that would not be too severe in winter but also give me seasons and clean air. When I did my research, cleanest air was Wilmington, NC.

I narrowed it down further by the government running the state. I didn't want to go back to my home state of Virginia as it is rather liberal. The same for Maryland, a state that never impressed me. I did narrow down that North Carolina had managed to vote more toward the conservative side. 

I didn't want super hot weather, as the desert wore me down and once you add humidity, it can be unpleasant, so that made me knock South Carolina off the list. Being closer to the water was ideal as far as winters being milder and the breezes. 

I thought about the potential places people retire, such as a houseboat, a tiny home, an RV, a cruise ship, a mobile home, a condo, a house, etc. I knew that, given my strong and good health and need for activity, a home was ideal. I could have my organic garden and fruit orchard, grape vines....

Not wanting to be in a crowded seasonal seaside area and wanting space between me and neighbors, I chose not to be on the beach or in tract housing. 

I also wanted to be accessible for family and friends to visit from around the country, so not far from a major airport, and with enough space for guests. I found Lake Norman in North Carolina and it served the desire to have a pontoon boat, be not far from a major city (Charlotte), and to have seasons. 

Some keys to decide where to retire are to consider your lifestyle. 

Are you social? 

Do you want a place you can leave easily without worrying about it? 

Do you need to be near health care and hospitals? 

Do you want to be a snowbird and enjoy the North, but escape to the South in the wintertime? 

Do you want to travel? Are you picking up an old hobby like art or music? 

Do you want to be with other retirees in an exclusive area with amenities? 

Are you open to being an ex pat and staying in a new culture? 

Begin research beforehand if you can. Manifesting is critical. Imagine the lifestyle and location, how you play out each day, what your life focus is as a retiree. You get to be the commander now. Picture how you dress, what you do, who you do it with, what your home is like. You get to reinvent, downsize, and be spontaneous. 

Consider a completely new look to your environment. No more of the raising children furnishings and fabrics. Go for resort style or simplified Scandinavian. Give a completely different surrounding so there are no memories attached to it. Make it your own at this point in your life. Lighten up. Make it easy. Live out your heart and soul with your colors, your lighting, your location. Turn a dining room into an art studio. Just let yourself get rid of all the suburban raising family mentality and attitude. 

These days, many cannot afford to retire completely. Consider a cohabitation situation. Friends who have divorced or widowed, may need to rent a room to pay the mortgage. Go lookup people you went to school with long ago and childhood friends, and cousins. Seeing other peer's status helps to give you emotional support, but also to see if others are in the same situation and want to pile resources. Often times, the hometown folks are still there and many are widowed or divorced.

Consider a part-time situation that allows you to do something other than what you did during your working years. For instance, an engineer might restring guitars or a teacher might work in a garden shop. At least make the part-time something you enjoy. If I were to take on part-time work, having been an officer worker all my life, I'd paint or open an etsy shop, maybe work at a community garden.

My best advice is to go from biggest to smallest issues - geographic region to city to dwelling type to social and part-time job opportunities. I have fun looking up homes or condos on Zillow and then perusing weird options like retirement communities and even houseboats. 

I did own a home in a retirement community and it had many advantages such as lots of recreation activities and classes, but you pay a monthly or yearly fee for it. Also, I'm a Halloween addict and it was sad to see no one decorate and no children come door to door. Many folks were isolated in their homes, but there were others who daily walked no matter the weather, and often in groups or pairs, so there are ways to connect. I sold the home. as it was on a noisy street, and felt a bit relieved to be out of the retirement area. I'm very young for my age and I love being around all ages. So, I learned that I don't want to segregate with just the elderly.

There is nothing like being liberated from large mortgages and expenses you had during the working years that kept you at the same job to pay these big bills. Downsize. Simplify. And, most of all, live your dreams - no regrets.