Since I retired mid June, I’ve visited my children in faraway places. I went to my first major league soccer game in Philadelphia, took my first trip through IKEA, saw the Fourth of July fireworks in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and enjoyed the stares, as my son walked around his new Philadelphia neighborhood wearing his clerical collar. I climbed a small mountain in a redwood forest in Oregon, drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, where the mountains meet the ocean, sipped my way through Willamette Valley wineries with views that would make Napa jealous, and dwelt among my daughter’s 5 roommates.
That’s all I wanted to do, really. So, now what?
It’s almost time for the school year to start and my phone should be ringing with questions and dilemmas that need to be ironed out before the first day.
Let me make myself perfectly clear. I am not complaining. I just haven’t figured out what to do with myself yet.
I am taking a highly unscientific poll. Please use the comment section below as a suggestion box. The only rule is that it can’t be a high dollar event. If I had high dollars, I would already be doing those things. Let’s see what I get. Be as creative as you’d like. Just what would you do if you suddenly had nowhere to be?
Lay on a beach
Write a book
Travel by RV to state parks
Learn to hoop
Learn to sew
Learn to knit
Learn to make quilts out of T shirts
Volunteer in the NICU to hold/rock babies
Create a curriculum for D/HH
Drink (a lot)
Attend a crossfit competition
Swim
Mountain Climb
Hike
I LOVE these ideas, Jillian!!!! I do hope you meant attend a Crossfit and not participate! LOL!! I do love the write a book and develop curriculum. Developing language materials is something I had toyed with in the past, but now I’m bringing those ideas back to the front burner!!
Move to Italy! There you can enjoy your wines from both France and Italy. Take a road trip to France’s wine country too. Then another road to neighboring Slovenia and find some crystal wine decantes to hold your wine in! Slovenia is known for their crystal!
As crazy as it may sound, I may think of a hybrid of moving to Italy. It would be amazing to go in with friends and rent a place in Italy for a month, maybe even a season!! I think I’ll put that on my bucket list.
When I retire, I will have time to devote to artwork that got pushed aside. Expand my garden. I’d like to go sight-seeing up the coast. Maybe the Outer Banks. Look for small shops and places. Go to beach events without the worry of having to be home before a certain time. My husband would be with me, so it will be a lot of fun. It would be a lot of fun with friends too! May not sound like much, but there’s always events going on somewhere.
Leslee, those are great ideas. I did just that on Tuesday by taking the ferry over to Southport and spending the day there. I highly recommend that to anyone for a fun day. There are actually many places to take day trips around here.
What do you REALLY, REALLY enjoy? What ever that is, then dig in and do it in a big way…that will fill your time and give you enormous pleasure.
Henry, do you need somebody to swing a tambourine in your Greywacke band????? Do Do…rhythm….Do Do…rhythm!!!
Yes …and sing
It is for fun, after all !
It’s good for the soul!!
find volunteer opportunities in the community – get involved in a wine tasting ‘club’ (it’s like a book club) – if Wilmington doesn’t have one – start one.
find out what your church is doing and if they need help with something
OMG…..a WINE TASTING CLUB!! So chic! I love the idea of doing that with friends!! I am planning to get on a volunteer schedule soon.
this has been my recipe…always have plans for travel, visiting old friends, the sick, and find about 2-3 intelligent women who are current in their information and can talk about global or nationwide issues…meet for lunch a couple times per month…d something that is not all time consuming…at night, make a list of what you need/want to do tomorrow, go to a coffee house that has very good reading material…attend cultural activities…don’t become stagnant, but develop interests in many things…ex.:perhaps study different cultures and different religions…not to extreme, but to broaden the mind…and, sometimes, wander alone in a town like Wilmington…have coffee and meditate…and on and on…ann
Ann, I wish we lived closer!! I would love to be one of your lunch friends!! You have given me some great ideas also!! You know, we Episcopalians never get extreme with religion….unless it’s extreme inclusion of all of God’s children!! Visiting the sick is a great idea also. Thanks for these amazing suggestions!
I agree with Henry! What is your passion? You could always write a “fiction” novel about our younger days:)
Believe it or not Sandra, I have already written a “fiction” novel about growing up in a funeral home. I may dust it off and give it a give it another look…or just take it in a different direction.
I posted my first choice on FB i.e. learn another language. I was specifically thinking of Italian and that fits with another friend’s suggestion to move to Italy – not permanently- but wouldn’t it be fun to figure out a way to live there for a couple of months at some point?
I also love the idea of volunteering in a NICU – hope to do that someday myself.
I think – not a 100% confident (and for sure we don’t want to jeopardize that NC state retirement) – that you can volunteer in a public school. I can’t think of anything that has greater potential to raise a reader/enhance literacy than to volunteer to do read aloud sessions with children who are not read to at home. I’m sure we will think of more over dinner/drinks this weekend!
I do love the idea of spending time abroad!! Let’s see if we can work on that one. That’s something to think about for later. The school system made it clear that I’m not allowed to even volunteer for 6 months, not even selling hot dogs at a football game (as if), lest anyone think I am on the payroll. I have been thinking about being a surrogate grandparent to a kid. Kind of like a “Big Brother/ Sister”, but I’m clearly too old to pull of that sibling thing. I love that idea!!
Learn how to play golf
Start a girls bunco group
Pickup knitting/ crocheting
Go on church missions
Take dance, singing , yoga, guitar, piano classes,whatever you always wished you would have learned
Become involved in animal rescue groups
Thanks Kathy! I love these ideas. I think I will look and see what the parks and rec has to offer for classes. I love bunco and used to play years ago. It would be great to get that going again!!
Nice to see you are getting your audience “engaged”
Now if it were me….in your shoes… TRAVEL. And it doesn’t always require lots of money. Do a search online for “volunteer tourism.” They are constantly looking for short term educators, etc. in some pretty interesting places. OR start exploring AirBNB’s more modest opportunities, and writing reviews on where you have stayed…. OR take up a hobby that will make extra income. I’ve had some experience with volunteer cooking at Good Shepherd that was personally rewarding. Also did some teaching over at the Ashley House for Veterans… They are always needing teachers. If you wanted to learn a new skill or trade, I think the healthcare field is going to be looking for people who can make sense of the entire healthcare system and help people navigate it… I also think anything having to do with seniors is going to be in huge demand. We have no idea how much burden is going to be put on the system by aging boomers… or maybe we do, but we’re in denial. Or get your affairs in order so when you die, your kids won’t have to figure out everything… .I know if I started right now, that’s a good 10 years of work! lol…
It’s a good thing you are thirsty! There’s a lot to drink up.
There is such a thing as VOLUNTEER TOURISM??? I am not sure that I can Google that quickly enough!! As far as the health care system navigation thing, I, too am lost! I do need to get on a volunteer schedule if actual employment doesn’t pan out. YES, I am already looking for a job!! Thanks!!
Come visit us in Holly Ridge, we are moving down next weekend:)
I WILL!!!!
Enjoy some “guilty pleasures” such as reading and streaming some great shows on Netflix such as Scandal, House of Cards, Six Feet Under, etc. ENJOY
Good Stuff!! These are great ideas and I do love a good scandal!!
I have no doubt that you will keep busy Rhonda. My first thought was for you to dust off that book because I want to read it one day. Attend a cross-fit event and who knows you may end up participating. Have fun. x
Although, the book thing is becoming appealing, I am sure that Crossfit was spawned from Satan and I rebuke him.