Saturday, April 9, 2016

Retirement Countdown: To Be Re-Born Again

The more I think about it, the more I'm beginning to feel that retirement is almost like being re-born again. As a child I remember that I always enjoyed hopping on my bike and riding around the neighborhood. I would try different routes and ride further out each time, just because I could. It was the lure of discovery and it was the excitement of the adventure.

Being in a structured work environment for the past 32 years leaves very little room for flexibility, freedom and creativity. Sure, my recent travels have given me little slices of that adventurous freedom, but those precious moments have been few and far between.  I miss that child who lived life each day with wonder, that child who enjoyed going for a ride to somewhere new and exciting and that child who had boundless energy with no fear of the unknown.  

In my retirement years I have a laundry list of things I want to do, accomplish and to experience.  Who doesn't?  But at the top of my list, I really want to recapture that child's sense of freedom, that spirit of wonder and adventure and that love of finding new discoveries.   

And it's not always going to be about the big grand adventure that excites me, it's going to also be about the "little" things. One day I was talking to my sister about a recent hike I did. I found myself being excited about telling her that I discovered a new route on the trails? There is real excitement in discovering a new hiking route, reading a cool book, learning a new photography technique and yes even writing a new blog post.  :)  In this new chapter of my life I want to make sure that I savor each moment, each new discovery and each emotion.  

I can't wait for that child to hop right back on that bike again and to ride off to wherever life takes her. 

The Dream Lives On . . . 

10 comments:

  1. Hi Kathy, just wanted to stop by and tell you I'm thinking about you. The news about Prince shocked me so much! What an amazing life he had and what a legacy he leaves behind. I know how much you love him!

    Will come back by later when I'm not working and catch up on all the news on your blog. Take care, Annie

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    1. HI Annie, thank you so much for stopping by. I am so shocked. I thought of you too because I know that you are a huge fan. He did have an amazing life and I agree with you. His legacy and influence on the music industry will live on forever. He touched so many lives with his music (both fans and fellow artists).

      He'll definitley be missed! Take care too.

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  2. Great to see you blogging again -- and I'm happy to learn that you're enjoying your retirement. :)

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    1. Hi YTSL, I'm close. :) I'll officially retire in 89 days, but I'm enjoying my countdown a days. lol Thanks so much for stopping by YTSL.

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    2. Hi again Trekcapri --

      Less than 3 months to go. Sounds good to me! :)

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    3. Hi YTSL, . . . and now it's down to 75 days. I'm in total countdown mode (as you can see). LOL

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  3. Hello again Kathy, I am so excited about your upcoming retirement and walk along the Camino! The Camino is definitely on my bucket list and I can't wait to hear about your experience.

    I don't know if you already know this from the Slow Talk message board but I am no longer able to blog on Churches of Venice. Internet Brands ( the company who bought Slow Travel from Pauline) moved the blog server, and I no longer have access to my blog! I keep emailing asking for help about this but no one will help.

    My blog is still visible but it looks bad, and I can't add posts or see if anyone has commented. Very upsetting but a good lesson about the Internet and how you shouldn't count on any outside companies to respect your work!

    If I decide to re-start my blog in a different location, I'll let you know for sure!

    I have your blog in my feed on Bloglovin so I can follow your posts. Really looking forward to reading about your experiences on the Camino! Take care, Annie

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    1. Hi Annie, oh no. I know that your Churches In Venice blog is a labor of love for you and such a great resource and source of inspiration for all of us. I hope that they will respond to your emails soon so you can access your blog and to post. They need to allow you to transfer your content to a new blog site which you can control (probably better so you don't have to rely on them). I really hope you get a reply soon so you can post again. I've missed your posts.

      Yes, please let me know if you re-start your blog in a different location. I will so happy to see you blogging again and will add your new feed into my blog roll.

      Time is flying by so fast (been so busy working overtime almost daily). But it is keeping me busy and it just makes me look forward to retiring even more. :) I'm betting so excited about my Camino. Like my Retirement, it's so hard that it's just around the corner.

      Please stay in touch Annie. And let me know if you start a new blod so I can follow you. Have a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend.

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  4. Hi Kathy,

    I am SO excited for you!!! You will love retirement and I can't wait ti read all about your adventures on the Camino. I am also looking forward to (hoping it works out) meeting you in June!!

    I was just checking in on all my blogs on my links and realized that Interent Brands really messed up all Slow Travel blogs. I am so glad I transferred everything out. I hope Annie will be able to get access to retrieve all of her blog posts! I wonder if someone still monitoring the slow travel forum can help.

    Congrats again!! :) girasoli (susan)

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    1. HI Girasoli, thanks so much. I'm so excited too. That will be very cool if you can come by in Vail. Yes, come hang out with me and my co-workers. Just a bit of warning, we can get a little, well let's just say "enthusiastic". lol

      We're looking forward to visiting Colorado. For most of us it will be the first time there. Only one girl has been there before, but she's not visited Vail yet. So it is going to be a new experience for all of us.

      The organizers said that we had to bring water bottles with us and stay hydrated because of the altitude. They have walking tours of the botanical gardens. We want to go walking around to explore the area because it looks so beautiful. I can't wait. We're all bringing our workout clothes.

      I, too, hope that Annie is able to get someone there to help her gain access to her blog. I love reading her posts about Venice. I'm active on Pauline's Slow Europe Forum and almost never go on SlowTalk now. :(

      Anyway, hope to see you in Vail. They are working on booking our flights tomorrow, so I'll be able to give you a more accurate arrival time in case you want to come by on Sunday. If not, Monday or Tuesday.

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It's me Trekcapri (aka Kathy). Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment.