The other day I posted a question to my readers on my Author FB page asking if they could choose to live anywhere where would it be and who would you take with you? My response was out of the movie
The Holiday starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. In the film, Kate's character has just had her heartbroken, while Cameron's character is just tired of her Hollywood life. Both needed a drastic change to regroup, so they hopped online and found a home swap. Kate would give up here cute cottage in England (I think), and Cameron would trade in her mansion, for one week...(I think...it's been a while since I've seen the movie. Though I may need to go rewatch it for nostalgia purposes). Would I choose the mansion, or the cottage? For me...simple is best. The scenery, the air, the cottage, it all screams me.
One little secret to know about me, if you didn't already, is that prior to marrying my husband, I was a divorced twenty-something young woman, living back with my parents house after a round of depression caused me to lose my job and my apartment in the city nearby. I was as lost as the person who started this blog. I did have my own vehicle, but it was a POS that I eventually sold for $50. I had a job at Walmart. It was by chance or fate, that I met my husband.
It was late at night and I sat on my stepmoms computer scrolling Myspace. Changing out my layout and adding music, rearranging my top 8...or was it 6? When I refreshed the page, my husband's photo came up as a "cool new person" and by chance, I clicked on his profile. No mutuals. I was in Florida and he was in San Diego at the time but hailed from MN. He was in the Navy, which I wasn't familiar with because the only military affiliation was my step brother in the Army.
I messaged him and started a journey that would lead us to today. Within days we had exchanged numbers and I was staying up until midnight just to talk to him at 9pm because of our time difference. I first fell in love with his voice. It's different on the phone, and I found him attractive via his photos and that helped, too. I was floored that he even wanted to buy a plane ticket and fly to meet me in Florida. He didn't owe me anything, and let's face it...I'm not particularly pretty. The one thing I did have going for me back then was I was skinny. Ha!
That weekend we met in person was very short, but filled with family events and close connection. When I dropped him off at the airport that Sunday, I drove to Walmart and ran into my brother, John and bawled my head off. Okay, not literally, but I was devastated. That feeling of being so far away from the best person I had ever met, was something I wasn't prepared for. Our connection was so strong then, and I knew I wanted to see him again.
The next time we saw each other was 2 months later when I flew out to San Diego, and against our parents cautious advice, married Andrew at the court house with a $14 goodwill wedding dress, and Walmart wedding bands. He did get me a diamond ring, and I got it the night before. We celebrated with dinner at Olive Garden and went to the San Diego Zoo as our "honeymoon", though a much better honeymoon would come a few years later.
I don't know why I'm telling you this part...LOL. Maybe because 8 months or so ago, my husband "retired" from the military...though when people hear that word they think playing golf every day, relaxing by the pool, or just tinkering around the house. Nope, that's not what happened. He went from one job that he'd committed his life to for 21 years, and into a new job. We're thankful for the income, but it's not retirement.
So...let's talk about what retirement does look like.
My Dream Retirement Plans:
In 8 years our kids will be off on their own adventures (unmarried, if you ask them both now because they don't want to get married), so the hubby and I will be figuring out what to do with that empty space of responsibility...though I'm sure I'll struggle a bit at the start. My kids are my entire world, and taking care of them hasn't been a job...but a blessing...even on the many hard days we've had thus far.
Before we moved to Minnesota, we talked about traveling the U.S. in an RV for a year or so. We wanted to see what we haven't had the chance to see together because while my husband saw all kinds of stuff, we didn't get to do any of that together. The kids had other plans though, and we missed family, so we decided to move to Minnesota. I'm struggling with this a little...because I'm 41 and other than my grandparents and their kids, the lifespan of our family hasn't been the greatest. We're not guaranteed time. But, I'm making the best of things and do get to travel a little this Spring/Summer.
Once the kids are done with high school, we'd like to travel the U.S. for a year. Actually...maybe I should use the word "I" because while we're on the same page with these plans...some may be more mine than his, and vice versa. So, I would like to travel the U.S. in an RV doing workcamping jobs to fund our travels. I'd love to take photographs of nature and maybe sell those at some point. I'd love to continue to write and sell my books. At the same time, we'd like to buy a piece of land and build our dream home; a all seasoned back porch, with a large front porch (think Maddie's house in Sweet Magnolias). Then, we'd like to homestead. I'd love to have some goats and chickens, and grow things like cucumbers, lettuce, strawberries, apples, grapes....I mean, all the good stuff.
I'm a get my hands dirty kind of gal and feel like I haven't gotten to do that much. I'd love to go fishing and learn to clean my own fish (I kind of know how to do this already, just need a refresher), and just live in peace. I'd love to have Sunday dinners with my kids, and even buy enough land to have homes for them on the property, if they'd like. My daughter wants to take her dog and move to NYC, and my son says he's staying with me...so it'll be interesting to see how things change in the next 8 years.
Anyway, this is long enough. If you got this far. Thank you. What does RETIREMENT look like to you? Comment and SHARE!
xoxo,
Sarah Louise Dale
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