Scaling back lifestyles

[Meadbh]

We downsized from a large home to a 2000 sq.ft. penthouse.

Which, IIRC, is in Vancouver. Hopefully above the treeline. Have you had any storm damage?

 

[Khan]

I'm another who doesn't care for travel. I haven't been further than 20 or so miles in years.

That's not to say I never will, but for now no interest.

I like my own house, my own bed, and my own schedule.

Add airsickness and arthritis and dislike of crowds, and I personally don't see the attraction.

To each his own.

 

[Martha]

I like my own house, my own bed, and my own schedule.

Went to bed at 9:30 last night and just got up 10 minutes ago, just before 9:00am. I like my own house, own bed and own schedule, but this better not become a habit.

 

[Leonidas]

I'm another who doesn't care for travel. I haven't been further than 20 or so miles in years.

That's not to say I never will, but for now no interest.

I like my own house, my own bed, and my own schedule.

Add airsickness and arthritis and dislike of crowds, and I personally don't see the attraction.

To each his own.

Interesting. From reading your profile I see I'm about 9 years younger than you and your comments seem to bear out some of the reasoning behind my plan to RE and travel before I get much older. My 65 year-old aunt, who still travels the world regularly, asked me what I meant when I recently told her "I want to make sure I get some of this traveling done before I turn 52." My reply was that I didn't want to wait until I was older and find that I had lost my spirit of adventure or that the thought of leaving the comforts of home was unbearable.

 

[kcowan]

Which, IIRC, is in Vancouver. Hopefully above the treeline. Have you had any storm damage?

Yes the nineteenth floor is above the treeline! We are directly across from the worst damage zone in Stanley Park. One of our 200 pound privot tree planters was blown over (twice) now braced with wood. Lattice work has been torn off the pergola. A few terracotta pots have been blown onto the patio and smashed.

All the patio furniture is tied down. We are headed to Mexico for 2 months tomorrow. The repairs will make a small project this spring.

 

[sailor]

Huh?
I'll be scaling forward/up my lifestyle.
From an 18ft mono sailboat to a 34ft cat.

 

[Zoocat]

Interesting. From reading your profile I see I'm about 9 years younger than you and your comments seem to bear out some of the reasoning behind my plan to RE and travel before I get much older. My 65 year-old aunt, who still travels the world regularly, asked me what I meant when I recently told her "I want to make sure I get some of this traveling done before I turn 52." My reply was that I didn't want to wait until I was older and find that I had lost my spirit of adventure or that the thought of leaving the comforts of home was unbearable.

This is the attitude I'm curious about. Why is it commonly thought that people who don't care for travel have lost the spirit of adventure? What about the adventure of exploring your inner self? I am exploring Buddhism, for example. I would love to go to Bhutan but traveling there is not what I would consider an adventure. Challenging myself by getting outside my comfort zone can take many forms, not all of them are physical, some are spiritual, psychological. Being adventurous to me takes a lot more effort than buying a plane ticket and a hotel room in a foreign country., however fun that would be.

 

[audreyh1]

I like my own house, my own bed, and my own schedule.

Oh, I have my own house, and my own bed. They happen to be on wheels! So I get to do BOTH - travel continuously but be "home" all the time.

The schedule however - that seems to be totally out of my control most of the time. However, that's a big part of the appeal of this kind of adventure. Never a dull moment!

Audrey

 

[LeatherneckPA]

The schedule however - that seems to be totally out of my control most of the time.

Audrey, I'm a little confused. How the heck can the schedule be totally out of your control MOST of the time? I thought the point was to not have a schedule.

 

[Trek]

Why is travel such a high priority with ER folks? Aren't there other goals or activities/pursuits that people would like to have time for, if they weren't working 8 to 6 (the current working schedule for stiffs these days)? For me, I like being semi-ER so that I can pursue my art, but also so that I can be relaxed, take hikes whenever I like, and not be stressed and bored to death by a JOB. I find plenty to do with my life, without traveling the globe. I'm not saying that I don't plan to do some great traveling. Just curious why ERetirement = travel.

Good point. Just a stereotype thing I suppose. I've personally never met anyone that said "I can't wait to ER so I never have to go anywhere."

And fine by me, I hate tourists........even when I am one.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

That would be me. I logged about four million miles in the air and havent set foot in an airport since I retired.

Wouldnt mind it if I never did again, although I'll probably be taking my son on some trips when he's a little older.

 

[audreyh1]

Audrey, I'm a little confused. How the heck can the schedule be totally out of your control MOST of the time? I thought the point was to not have a schedule.

Well, OK. I guess you can say that we don't have a schedule!

But what I meant was - we almost never have any idea where we're going to be 48 hours from now, or what we will actually be doing on any given day. That is actually a pretty fun way to live if you are willing to roll with the punches. We've had a lot of major changes in plans due to a parent's illness as well as some some nasty service "surprises" with the motorhome. We finally got smart and gave up planning anything! The truth is that you can have a lot of fun no matter where you end up.

Audrey

 

[Nords]

Went to bed at 9:30 last night and just got up 10 minutes ago, just before 9:00am. I like my own house, own bed and own schedule, but this better not become a habit.

Maybe you're just flushing months of chronic fatigue out of your system... besides, at that latitude you're still going to bed at sundown and getting up at sunrise, right?

If I ever replace travel with books, audio guides or the internet forget ER, please just shoot me.

The point isn't to replace one or the other-- it's to have a choice.

 

[Leonidas]

This is the attitude I'm curious about. Why is it commonly thought that people who don't care for travel have lost the spirit of adventure? What about the adventure of exploring your inner self? I am exploring Buddhism, for example. I would love to go to Bhutan but traveling there is not what I would consider an adventure. Challenging myself by getting outside my comfort zone can take many forms, not all of them are physical, some are spiritual, psychological. Being adventurous to me takes a lot more effort than buying a plane ticket and a hotel room in a foreign country., however fun that would be.

I agree, I don't see much adventure in flying somewhere and crashing in the local tourist hotel. Although I agree that the hazardous/challenging naure of an adventure can include something that is mostly intellectual, in the context that I was speaking, I was particularly referring to physical discomfort and risks.

My aunt, who is an old babe herself by the way, took exception with my wording as well, alhough for somewhat different reasons. She's been a world traveler since she was in her early 20's and is now 65. In fact, before she came here for a visit she had been visiting friends in Europe for a couple of weeks. She also scoffed at my comment, but she's a seasoned traveler who is very comfortable with it. I explained that we could travel together and enjoy her idea of adventure - museum trips, historic sites, great restaurants, and quaint villages - but I don't think she would want to take a ten mile hike with me and the kids as we see the sites along the remnants of the Appian Way.

Now, at age 47, I don't see anything insurmountable about a trip down the rapids of the middle fork of the Salmon River. I hope that when I'm 67 I will be able and willing to do the same thing with my then teenage grandkids. But, I'm not real confident about how enthused (or able) I'm going to be to drag my gray headed self into a raft and shoot the rapids when I'm 77 or 87.

I guess we have to define adventure as something challenging that we want to do, and an ordeal is something challenging that we would hate.

 

[Caroline]

River: One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea
AUTHOR: Colin Fletcher
ISBN: 0375701826
SHORT DESCRIPTION: At age sixty-seven, Colin Fletcher, the guru of backpacking in America, undertook a rigorous six-month raft expedition down the full length of the Colorado River--alone. He needed "something to pare the fat off my soul...to make me grateful,...

I love your definition of adventure vs ordeal, Leonidas. Don't be too sure about the age thing, though. My favorite backpacking friend is 76 this year -- he can still kick my 49-year-old butt on a 50-mile backpack through the canyons of Utah.

 

[kat]

Caroline I have a 76 year old friend just like yours. One of my best hiking companions.

kate

 

[HFWR]

That would be me. I logged about four million miles in the air and havent set foot in an airport since I retired.

Wouldnt mind it if I never did again, although I'll probably be taking my son on some trips when he's a little older.

It's a small world after all...

 

[BUM]

I'll probably be taking my son on some trips when he's a little older.

I was a workaholic dad. Never had time for vacations and DW was a homebody anyway. I finally took the kids to Disneyworld. They had a great time. They were in their 20's

Still scaling back for us has little to do with travel.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Some of my most distinct childhood memories were taking weekend and yearly vacation trips around the eastern seaboard with my parents and a pop up tent trailer. Apparently my mom was a good sport about sleeping in outside in a contraption and not having a bathroom within usable distance. In fact, I've surprised my dad by telling him about a trip to one place or another or something that happened on one of those trips when I was only 3 or 4. I also remember well my first plane ride down to see disneyworld when it first opened. By the way, disneyworld in august isnt well recommended.

Not just a childhood phenomenon, seems to me my best cemented memories are of traveling and what I did and saw. I think I've had enough of it for the time being, but its something I'd like my son to experience early and often. In fact, we might spend a year or two once or twice living in another country while he's growing up.

My wife says it has to have a bedroom with walls and a roof and a bathroom, however.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

For all of those who scoff at "virtual tourism" through travel videos, they certainly offer the opportunity to "travel" to places when it's too expensive or difficult to get there, the weather sucks, there's civil unrest, there's been a military coup, a bird flu epidemic is brewing, etc... True, you're viewing the world through someone else's eyes, but doing so is better than staring at the four walls. Besides, high-definition travel videos can really make use of those big LCD/Plasma TVs everyone seems to be buying.

Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoy traveling. But when w*rk is piling up and I can't get away for real, a few episodes of Globe Trekker help me realize how broad and diverse our little blue planet really is.

 

[haha]

IMO, most of what we call travel is synthetic. If you are traveling as a couple you are unlikely to meet many people who are not trying to exploit you in some way or other. If you travel alone it is different- there you just need to be aware of the microbiological environment. And carry cash if you are male.

It helps to live somewhere that you consider beautiful and satisfying, so you are happy where you are.

If you know the language and can make connections, IMO travel is worth the effort and risk. Otherwise, stay home. Much of what we think is exotic or charming is only that because we don't understand the language or the customs. Or don't understand the hostility behind the groveling of the wait-staff in our hotels

Also, if you are really rich, and can travel essentially insulated from local problems, why not?

The only thing I really would like to see again is the Museo del Oro en Bogota. I might go, but I also don't want to get my throat slit going to clubs, and I know myself.

http://www2.dsu.nodak.edu/users/fernando/colombia2001/bogota/museo/museodeloro.htm

BTW, I know more than one person who died an untimely death from travel related injuries or illnesses. Return from Africa, have abdominal pain, get typically poor workup re: tropical disease, rupture an amebic hepatic cyst, and die.

I remember from my childhood watching that poor schmuck the Duke of Windsor get dragged around the world by his ugly wife. I asked my Dad, doesn't that guy have a business or family? When told he used to be a King I figure I had finally encountered a definition of foolishness that would last me a lifetime.

Ha

 

[audreyh1]

I remember from my childhood watching that poor schmuck the Duke of Windsor get dragged around the world by his ugly wife. I asked my Dad, doesn't that guy have a business or family? When told he used to be a King I figure I had finally encountered a definition of foolishness that would last me a lifetime.

Audrey

 

[kowski]

Anyone remember the George Perot show in Detroit. It was a travel log and was very enjoyable.

 

[BUM]

if you are really rich.

I've been rich and super rich. Super rich is better.

 

[Jarhead*]

It helps to live somewhere that you consider beautiful and satisfying, so you are happy where you are.



Ha

Ha: We've made a couple of trips up to your neck of the woods in the last 3 years.

Oak Harbor, (Whidby Island). Can certainly understand your lack of enthusiasm for traveling.

That's exactly the way I feel about where we've been living for the last 20 years.

As you mentioned, after retiring, and kids and job pressures in the background,
living in an area that you're compatable with takes away a lot of desire to "get away from
it all" by traveling.