Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Jim
Thanks, Tom. Travel has been a part of our lifestyle during most of our years together. We retired early, 11 years ago, so we could do the boat cruising and RV traveling we enjoy.
Family time is good: our one and only daughter lives about 1,348 miles from our home... we go there, she and her husband visit us. In their 40s, they are still working folks (as we had been with our previous "fun summer jobs"). When we go to visit them, we generally stay for a couple months... not with them, but in our motorhome. They are both teachers - we volunteer in their classrooms, make supper for them, and run errands. We see them after work, then they get their house to themselves and we go back to our cruising condo... not too much togetherness, so each day is a delight.
When away, we check in with them each night by phone or text. When boat cruising, we used a SPOT device (satellite) to let them know where we were and that we were OK. Somewhere along the way, the roles change and the kid starts worrying about the parents.  They understand our lifestyle, even though they prefer to cocoon at home.
They have been lobbying for us to move to Phoenix. If they had a grandkid for us, we might be willing. I've been told "that ship has sailed." IF we lived there, we'd still want to do the traveling, so it isn't like she'd see us any more than our current situation. When we do go home, we like having a house with water access... not much opportunity for that in the desert.
Probably more than you wanted to know. |
No, not at all. I find this very interesting. At 55 y/o, my wife and I also retired fairly young...5 years ago. Perhaps you read a post I made not too long ago, where I had mentioned that for a few years leading up to retirement, we took up sailing, bought a Catalina 22 to eventually work up to buying a Gemini 105 sail cat (my wife isn't overly fond of heeling) to cruise the Caribbean (and perhaps elsewhere as skills improve) each winter. We went to Florida with an idea of buying one, but after a lot of discussion, we decided that full-time winter sailing wasn't for us.
Then we planned to RV/motorcycle. I bought a HD Road King to get my skills back, and planned to tow it behind a smaller RV, a Mercedes sprinter chassis type. After two seasons of riding, again returned to Florida with a plan to buy the RV at which time our $Cdn was at par and as fixed properties were very affordable, again we changed our mind, deciding to fist establish ourselves in the south, so we bought a manufactured home in Fort Myers Beach. This doesn't mean that the RV/bike plan in particular isn't in our future. Quite the contrary and in fact the urge is rising in me again. We'll have our north and south homes as base camps.
Our two married sons and one granddaughter (to date) live within a 1/2 hr.of us (younger son and d-i-l) just bought land and are about to break ground for a new custom home this summer/fall) will be only 7 min. from us. We are all close both socially and geographically, so although we (me in particular) want to travel a lot throughout North America, this closeness it's our kids could likely make being on the road a lot difficult, even with social media.
Anyhow, I read this thread of yours somewhat living vicariously through you in my longing for the open road, and water, and cf guitar playing.
Probably more than you (or other readers) wanted to know.
Oh well!