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Hi Karcon -- yes, I remember you, especially after seeing "Winter Park FL"! Wasn't there a BF in the mix, or am I thinking of someone else? I sure don't have that worry, LOL! I will certainly let you know how the exploratory visit goes this weekend. I can't wait! Speaking of the Laguna Woods asset requirements, they do have them and I'm not quite sure I meet them. But, one thing at a time. If you moved to CA, would you be getting your own place or living with your children? And if things got tough financially, would "living with the kids" be a fallback plan? Because, I don't have that. Anyway, it is good to hear from you!
Hi Avalon08 and Miruca; No BF in the mix; and no pets now - it's really a lock and go situation which makes life so much easier in that respect. And no fall back plan. Only way that would ever be a possibility is if I had my own "granny flat" separate from the "main" house. They are very popular in Australia and I have found the perfect layout I would love to live in - even as a small/tiny house. Wish Americans could adopt this idea.
Yes, it has been an amazing on-going journey for all of us since Wisteria created this thread. Wonder what she would think of all the changes? Which emoticon would she choose? or
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I make sure all my places have a 'Granny Flat'... for a caregiver, eldercare (parent... again...) or my many hosted international house guests. I am now planning a COUPLE options in each place. Who knows... I might want to 'rent-out' my main house and stay in the granny-flat for free.
I have rural places with separate entrances for each tenant and a few RV sites as well.
There are some granny pods that fit in one side of a Garage. (I will take the 'dog-house' before I sleep in a garage. BTDT enuff (doghouse...))
Hi Avalon08 and Miruca; No BF in the mix; and no pets now - it's really a lock and go situation which makes life so much easier in that respect. And no fall back plan. Only way that would ever be a possibility is if I had my own "granny flat" separate from the "main" house. They are very popular in Australia and I have found the perfect layout I would love to live in - even as a small/tiny house. Wish Americans could adopt this idea.
Yes, it has been an amazing on-going journey for all of us since Wisteria created this thread. Wonder what she would think of all the changes? Which emoticon would she choose? or
Count me in as another California Wannabee !! In fact I have in my hand the brochure packet from Laguna Woods Village ~~ as it has been on my wish list for a couple of years. I'm very interested in your report, Avalon08, so perhaps you can give the details here, please I know no marketing presentation can take the place of an in-person visit. I am thinking of doing it in November. (Rosalee)
I love where I live but sometimes I need a change. We bought a timeshare back in the late 1990's. I have mentioned this before on here but some may not have seen it. Along with our timeshare is a membership in RCI. We use all our timeshare points so I had never bothered to visit the RCI website because we did not need it. If you are the same as me, you might want to go there.
Certain times of the year they put some of the condo's on a special sale. A three day special sale will finish at the end of today and if I could talk my husband into joining me; we could travel many weeks all over the world starting right now for $209 a week. I keep planning trips for several weeks together and he keeps saying no. My favorite ideas are to travel either North or West driving one day between locations. I think it is a great idea and the Fall seems to be the best time to travel in areas that could get a little snow. We don't see a lot of snow here on the NC/SC piedmont border.
The reason I like this idea so much is that we like to travel several thousand miles away and have our own well-kept car instead of a rented car that may not be trustworthy; but we have traveled thousands of miles and it gets harder to do that days in a row. I think it would be nice to have cheap rest days too in between our touring days. These weekly specials basically cost about what we would normally spend for two or three days in a motel and most have full kitchens and a washing machine. We have spent almost that much for one night when we were really tired and just didn't care how much it costs.
Someone from a more expensive area could live in timeshares as cheaply as they live where they do. There is always a part of the world that is off season. These specials happen many times a year.
Just an idea. This would be a really good idea for someone that ended up living with their children but still have times that their health is better and they could be alone.
Reading the first post, this thread was originally created for women. I'm going to go ahead and jump in anyway, and in response to the OP's first post.
Since I only have one daughter, and she has her own life, I'll be retiring on my own. She is not married, and has no desire for having children, so I won't be doing the grandpa thing.
I too will be leaving the state of my birth and the state I have always lived in, except for four years as a member of the Navy. Even then, my boot camp, schooling, and home port was in California. I used to think this place was the most wonderful place on the planet. Then a funny thing happened. I joined the Navy and started traveling around the world, (mostly the orient as it was during the Vietnam conflict). I discovered that there were other places out there. Not better or worse, just different. And, I wanted to experience and learn about these places.
So, out of the Navy, back to school, got a good job in SoCal. In fact, at the same place my dad worked. Not a small place, it has just over 5,000 employees. It's a good job. Pays very well, but after 30+ years, I'm about ready to hang it up and start doing something else...something I want to do for myself.
Since I enjoy the climate in which I grew up, (warm dry summers, cool wet winters), my choices are somewhat limited. I've decided to go somewhere in the rocky mountains. Wouldn't be able to handle the humidity east of the Rockies. I'm thinking Wyoming might be the best fit for me. I've recently changed my political affiliation because the party of which I was a member no longer reflects my beliefs and philosophy. I'm nothing now. No affiliation. Wyoming is pretty much a "just leave me alone" state. Minimal government influence. Besides, they have a pretty attractive tax structure for retirees.
But...and that is a big BUT. They have pretty brutal winters. My current thinking is that I'll spend part of the year in Wyoming, and the other part overseas. There are four possibilities I'm currently considering. Southern Italy, somewhere in the Apennines. To me, Italy is like "Disneyland for Adults". It really is a magical place to me. Now, I realize that I've only gone for visits and haven't lived there. The bureaucracy would drive me nuts, but that's the cost of living in Fantasyland. Another choice is Andalucia, Spain. Mostly because I can speak the lingo and the climate is an almost exact duplicate of where I grew up. The last choice in Europe is southern France. Quite affordable outside the tourist areas and large cities. However, I'm having a most difficult time learning French. It's just downright weird, (compared to Spanish and Italian). Lastly, if none of those are a good fit, I'm considering Uruguay. Pretty much nothing there, and that would be just fine for me.
My beloved puppy died last summer, and I really miss him. I would very much like another canine companion, but until I figure out where I'll be going and when I'll be doing it, it wouldn't be a good idea to develop a close relationship with one of "man's best friends" until then. Have a wonderful lady friend, and we are best friends, but it wouldn't work out for the long term. We are best friends, but would have a lousy marriage with each other. She is not quite as adventurous as I am either. Family is important to her, as it is to all women. I don't have family, so have a lot more freedom.
Lastly, my parents raised their children to be independent. That has turned out to be a mixed blessing. I can be alone without being lonely, but there are times when I really desire that intimate emotional relationship with someone else.
So, there it is. Hope you women are not too offended by a guy posting to your thread. I'll be going back and will read six hundred something pages of stuff you wrote. Should make for some interesting bedtime reading. Thank you.
Reading the first post, this thread was originally created for women. I'm going to go ahead and jump in anyway, and in response to the OP's first post.
Since I only have one daughter, and she has her own life, I'll be retiring on my own. She is not married, and has no desire for having children, so I won't be doing the grandpa thing.
I too will be leaving the state of my birth and the state I have always lived in, except for four years as a member of the Navy. Even then, my boot camp, schooling, and home port was in California. I used to think this place was the most wonderful place on the planet. Then a funny thing happened. I joined the Navy and started traveling around the world, (mostly the orient as it was during the Vietnam conflict). I discovered that there were other places out there. Not better or worse, just different. And, I wanted to experience and learn about these places.
So, out of the Navy, back to school, got a good job in SoCal. In fact, at the same place my dad worked. Not a small place, it has just over 5,000 employees. It's a good job. Pays very well, but after 30+ years, I'm about ready to hang it up and start doing something else...something I want to do for myself.
Since I enjoy the climate in which I grew up, (warm dry summers, cool wet winters), my choices are somewhat limited. I've decided to go somewhere in the rocky mountains. Wouldn't be able to handle the humidity east of the Rockies. I'm thinking Wyoming might be the best fit for me. I've recently changed my political affiliation because the party of which I was a member no longer reflects my beliefs and philosophy. I'm nothing now. No affiliation. Wyoming is pretty much a "just leave me alone" state. Minimal government influence. Besides, they have a pretty attractive tax structure for retirees.
But...and that is a big BUT. They have pretty brutal winters. My current thinking is that I'll spend part of the year in Wyoming, and the other part overseas. There are four possibilities I'm currently considering. Southern Italy, somewhere in the Apennines. To me, Italy is like "Disneyland for Adults". It really is a magical place to me. Now, I realize that I've only gone for visits and haven't lived there. The bureaucracy would drive me nuts, but that's the cost of living in Fantasyland. Another choice is Andalucia, Spain. Mostly because I can speak the lingo and the climate is an almost exact duplicate of where I grew up. The last choice in Europe is southern France. Quite affordable outside the tourist areas and large cities. However, I'm having a most difficult time learning French. It's just downright weird, (compared to Spanish and Italian). Lastly, if none of those are a good fit, I'm considering Uruguay. Pretty much nothing there, and that would be just fine for me.
My beloved puppy died last summer, and I really miss him. I would very much like another canine companion, but until I figure out where I'll be going and when I'll be doing it, it wouldn't be a good idea to develop a close relationship with one of "man's best friends" until then. Have a wonderful lady friend, and we are best friends, but it wouldn't work out for the long term. We are best friends, but would have a lousy marriage with each other. She is not quite as adventurous as I am either. Family is important to her, as it is to all women. I don't have family, so have a lot more freedom.
Lastly, my parents raised their children to be independent. That has turned out to be a mixed blessing. I can be alone without being lonely, but there are times when I really desire that intimate emotional relationship with someone else.
So, there it is. Hope you women are not too offended by a guy posting to your thread. I'll be going back and will read six hundred something pages of stuff you wrote. Should make for some interesting bedtime reading. Thank you.
Rut roh. Does your lady friend realize your future plans don't involve her? LOL!
I wouldn't generalize that family is important just to women, or that there are no women who are in the same situation as you. I'm sure you could find a few volunteers to live in Italy with you!
Glad you posted; it is interesting to get a man's perspective. I assume you've been to the Wyoming thread? I was just reading one called, "Is Wyoming right for me?" the other day. It was really enlightening -- especially about factors such as wind that you don't think about when you come from other climates.
I'm a little confused -- is CA your home state that you grew up in? I was thrown off by the "cool wet winters". When I lived in SoCal, the weather was just about perfect year-round. Hence, my desire to go back!
Welcome to the board, and please keep us posted! Many of us who are "stuck" where we are will enjoy living vicariously through you!
Thanks for the welcome. The "warm dry summers, cool wet winters" is the classical definition of a Mediterranean climate. Our precipitation actually comes in the late winter and early spring. I want to leave California due to its political climate. The balance is gone, and when either major political party controls all branches of government, little good comes out of it. Our political system was set up to function best when there is a balance of all viewpoints. That balance is gone in this state. Other than the climate and natural beauty, there is little attraction anymore, (for me).
I've been to Wyoming often. First time there, I hated it. Then again, I entered the state at a very unattractive port-of-entry. The place grows on you. I love the wind too. Comes from my childhood experiences growing up along the foothills of the Los Angeles basin. As a kid, in the summers, I just knew that there were mountains right over there. They were only about a mile away, as the crow flies. As a youth, you couldn't see them in the summer. Without video games and tv that nobody had in those days, we spent a lot of time outdoors, and I'd get awful respiratory symptoms due to the physical activity on smoggy days.
The only days where the weather was really clear was during Santa Ana storm episodes. The wind blew from the desert then and cleared out all the smog. It was really beautiful on those days! The winds were blustery, hot, and forceful. My parents lost more than one tree to a Santa Ana wind.
Then I became a sailor, (small sailboats, not the Navy kind - that came later). In SoCal, the only time you can really sail is in the afternoon when the winds were strong enough to propel your sailboat forward. Wind? Good, let's go out. No wind? Dang. No sailing today.
So, I like wind. The wind in most places in Wyoming isn't "that" bad. In fact, every time I've been in the state, I really haven't remembered even noticing the wind at a that time. And I've spent a fair amount of time there, weeks at a time. Just not in the winters.
I've looked extensively at France, Spain (mostly northern where it's cooler) and Uruguay. I decided Italy might be too chaotic for retirement.
That is it. The bureaucracy of Italy might make that a no go for me. My Mercedes mechanic is a Spaniard. He is long past retirement age, and when he does eventually retire, I'll probably sell my Mercedes. I don't trust anyone else to service my baby. He also has a couple of places in Spain, one in the Basque country and one outside Cadiz. He says that if I go there, that I should go somewhere south of Madrid. He says that the people south of the capital are so much more friendly and hospitable than in or north of Madrid.
That is it. The bureaucracy of Italy might make that a no go for me. My Mercedes mechanic is a Spaniard. He is long past retirement age, and when he does eventually retire, I'll probably sell my Mercedes. I don't trust anyone else to service my baby. He also has a couple of places in Spain, one in the Basque country and one outside Cadiz. He says that if I go there, that I should go somewhere south of Madrid. He says that the people south of the capital are so much more friendly and hospitable than in or north of Madrid.
Well, your Mercedes won't fit it in Wyoming, anyway.
I only mentioned the wind because it is mentioned in the Wyoming forum quite a few times. The locals are the ones who advise for/against certain locations due to the wind. I know a guy from back East who lived out there and actually moved back because it was too windy. Said his dog wouldn't even go outside. But hey, if you like it windy, no problemo.
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Karcon and Avalon08 ~~~
