I recently became one of the newest members of the Medicare Club. My 87-year-old mother called to wish me happy birthday and said, “My baby is 65!” No way am I 65, I thought. Old people are 65! I feel like I’m living my best life right now and suddenly it dawned on me that I’m slowly running out of time.
So, I decided it was time to go find my “retirement wish list” that I wrote in 2015. It was a wake-up call of sorts to get my priorities straight, at least in terms of the places my wife and I said we wanted to be destinations in our retirement.
The problem is that when someone asks me, “Where do you go for vacations now that you are retired?” I sometimes chuckle and simply say, “Out my front door!” Living in our Sun City active adult community has been described as: 1. Summer camp for adults; 2. Being on a stationary cruise ship; and 3. College without the classes. There is a lot of truth to all three statements. We feel so blessed to live in a great community with incredible weather and many new friends and to have a purpose with our involvement in our church and with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I really believe Heidi and I researched our retirement destination thoroughly to find the biggest bang for the buck that fit our desired lifestyle.
But that doesn’t mean we want to be homebodies by any means. We remembered that we sat down and made that destination list back in 2015, which has admittedly had to change a bit given the impact of unseen events including COVID-19’s effects. Hitting 65 was a bit of a wake-up call to spring into action.
Our list centered on destinations that we really thought were practical at that time. In keeping with my Pragmatic Passioneer philosophy, we are following the “Dream Big, Keep It Real, Get It Done” mantra. I am determined not to be one of those people who have to say, “In hindsight I wish we would have…”
So where do YOU want to go? Who do you want to go with? How much time do you really have left before you realize your “go-go” years have moved to the “slow-go” years and eventually to your “no-go” years?
Disney used to be the gold standard of destinations for many. Some of us remember when Super Bowl MVP’s would be asked by a media person before they even got to their locker room, “You just won the Super Bowl! What are you going to do next?” The MVP would stare directly into the camera and joyfully announce, “I’m going to Disney World!” (Of course, this would only be after they have agreed to a big payday and a free trip to Disney for their family.)
Disney as a destination was always on our minds while we had young kids who inevitably wanted to go see the big-eared mouse and his cast of friends. These days? No thanks. If I ever venture to see the mouse again it will only be with grandkids.
Another seemingly prime source of destinations, at least for retirees, includes ocean cruises. Well, we could do a lot given our drivable proximity to several ports, but we are really not cruise people. Perhaps in our “slow-go” years we’ll change our tune. My wife and I did do a Disney Cruise for our honeymoon, and it was a lot of fun, but I’m thinking if we do another cruise, it will definitely be an adult-only venture!
Our son Jonathon is our fearless world traveler who inspires us. He went to Australia with “People to People” with other students from Central PA when he was just 12 years old. He has never had a problem traveling anywhere since. In college he did a study abroad program where he traveled throughout Europe, but he’s also been to Panama, Mexico, Iceland, Italy and all over the USA. In my next life I want to be him! I am also recently inspired by our 16-year-old grandniece, Savannah Notz, who just visited Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Yup, they are both on our destinations list.
My wife and I just spent a few glorious days in Boise, Idaho visiting our good friends from State College, Wendy and Ken Bachman. They recently moved to the High Desert climate and the almost constant sunshine that is Idaho. While we were with the Bachmans, the four of us had dinner with longtime friends and former State College residents Lydia and Dave Grimm, who have made the suburb of Eagle, Idaho, their home for years. Never enough time to visit with such great folks.
What’s ironic is that it took a lot of coaxing to get my very frugal wife to agree to travel to Idaho — where I have been teaching two weeks of hockey camp in the resort area of Sun Valley for the past eight years — with me this year. Yes, we are in the middle of building a new home and selling our existing home in Bluffton, South Carolina. Yes, we are going on several other trips this fall including a family trip to Yosemite National Park. Yes, someone would have to watch our faithful dog, Barkley, while we travelled west. The reasons for her not to come seemed rational and, dare I say, pragmatic. But the final decision for her to join me goes back to the idea that money we have, but time is still a great unknown. We saved for our retirement and it’s time to enjoy the “go-go” years while we are still healthy enough to do so. So, what are we waiting for?
Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying. I’m not advocating that you start maxing out your credit cards to go live beyond your means. If you’ve read my book “The Power of Pragmatic Passion,” you know I am a staunch believer in spending in moderation and investing as much as you can while you are young and avoiding living a status lifestyle above your means.
Idaho has lived up to its name “The Gem State” and not because we’ve discovered its rare rocks, but because it is pristine and has such rich natural beauty.
A destinations list is like a “Bucket List” that focuses more on places to go instead of things to do. What destinations would be on your list? I recommend you separate them into 3 categories that fit your budget, your stage of life, as well as your physical abilities:
1. Easily Doable (e.g., Mississippi River cruise to Vicksburg Battlefield)
2. Very Doable (e.g., Alaskan cruise)
3. Possibly Doable (e.g., Egypt/Israel)
So, what are some of the destinations on our list? Croatia; Portugal; Normandy, France;; Yellowstone; Lewis and Clark excursion on the Snake and Columbia rivers; Alaskan cruise; Egypt and Israel; river cruises in Europe; lake vacations in the Western Carolinas; The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Tennessee; Scotland and Ireland; New Zealand and Australia; Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands; the balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico; The Ozarks; The Outer Banks; Key West; Brazil and Argentina; and the Virgin Islands. We’re 65. That’s quite a list, so we better get at it.
It’s so important to write this list down. Make it tangible, and adjustable, as calling an audible is fine. Make the list of friends and family you’d like to include as well as those romantic destinations to share just with your spouse/significant other. It’s OK to have themed destinations, such as my desire to explore Revolutionary and Civil War memorial sites. Perhaps it’s visiting as many national and state Parks as possible while you are still mobile enough to truly experience what they have to offer.
I want to encourage you to take the time to map out a plan. Otherwise, you may find out that you’ve run out of time to make your destinations dreams come true.
