If Not Now, When?

As my husband and I contemplate retirement two years down the road, God willing, our thoughts have naturally turned to "home" aka California.  We have been away 18 years now.  Prior to that, we spent an additional 10 years living in other states.  Most of our friends remained and we make an effort to return home as often as possible to see everyone.  We miss them, we miss home.  It makes sense to want to retire back where we started, where we are comfortable, where it doesn't snow every other damn day.

Mother Nature has other ideas.  The ongoing drought, four years without a break, is taking a toll I'm not sure I want to pay.  Where is the water going to come from?  What are the 38+MM California residents going to do?  What will the farmers do?  What is it going to cost to live there in the future?

NASA’s top water scientist says California only has about one year’s worth of water left in storage, and its groundwater – often used as a backup for reservoirs and other reserves – is rapidly depleting. He suggests immediately rationing water.  rt.com 3/15/15

This is not a pretty scenario. We want out of the freezing cold in the northeastern U.S. but don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire.  

Of late, we are toying with the idea of a two year trial run in Italy.  It's been a dream for a long time but we're taking it much more seriously now.  Just last week, ex-pat blogger Mary set up a Skype session with us to tell us about living in Italy.  She's been there 6+ years.  She's a wealth of information and, even without sugarcoating, she makes living in Italy sound like a wonderful adventure filled with warm, friendly people with that zest for living, eating and enjoying their lives.  The whole thing is scary but wildly appealing at the same time.  

 Se non ora, quando?

Navigating 60

"They" say

Friends since grade school  Cali visit 2008

•      "It's just a number" 
•      "You're only as old as you feel" 
•      "Looking good is better than feeling   good" 
•      "Confidence is everything."

My number is 61.  Of late, I've been feeling substantially older and there's no trade-off for not feeling good.  Confidence?  It lies somewhere between a good day at work and how well my makeup goes on in the morning.  

I'm on that precarious balance beam between aging and OLD AGE.  No matter how often I walk toe to heel up and down the beam, I lean in towards the tired and decrepit side.  Yes.  I "lean in" but not the way Sheryl Sandberg advocates.  I'm tired and mad as hell and I don't want to play any more!

Pitty party petulant?  You bet.  Envious of my retiring friends with money saved?  Yes again.  Fear of the future?  Definitely.

Class of 1969 H.S. Reunion held 2008

What to do?

Possible options:

• Plastic surgery
• Frequent facials
• More exercise, less food
• More time spent with old friends
• Create an exit strategy for when you retire or get fired

Of course, applying work strategies to personal problems may or may not be the best solution.  But it is a dispassionate approach.  I can already rule out the plastic surgery.   I'd have to dip into retirement funds and that ain't gonna happen.  I was getting frequent facials for a while and they helped.  They're expensive, however, at $60 per.  That means something else has to go and it's not going to be my hair cuts & color every six weeks.  Those will be the last thing I ever give up.

More time spent with old friends my age is the most appealing.   We can talk without flinching about things forty years back, an uncomfortable elephant in the room when meeting new people not clued in to our exact decade in life.  Being a "Sixties" kid is not what it used to be.  I like the camaraderie of shared experiences.  It binds and comforts us.

Party in Westlake Village, CA  2008

My husband and I are thinking hard about our next act, where to live and how to afford it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or experiences on the subject of retirement planning.  Even if you're not there yet, you probably have ideas along the lines of what you'll do.