6 things to get you off the couch in retirement
After decades of working and planning, you have finally achieved the greatest desire of many: retirement. You may have served in different roles throughout your career, but finally being able to put on the title of “retired” is a great accomplishment. After a lifetime of hard work, retirement can be a time of adventure for many!
Adventure looks different to each person, but the end goal is the same: have fun and enjoy the blessing of retirement! However, maybe all that free time actually scares you a little. Change from routine can be daunting at times, and worry over how you are going to fill the long days can keep you from enjoying this wonderful time. You want to plan ahead of time to avoid non-financial mistakes.
If you aren’t sure what adventure looks like for you, here are 6 ways you can experience adventure in retirement!
1. Discover your heritage: If you enjoy history, then exploring your heritage might be a great adventure for you. Start taking some time to research your heritage and build the family tree. Start local and figure out where your parents met, find their first house, then expand nationally or internationally depending on how far you want to trace things. Where did your ancestors live? Check out your local library and borrow books about the places your family came from. You can even order a DNA test to trace back your heritage.
My in-laws did some research and found out their ancestors were from Trowbridge. They are excited to plan a trip and visit part of their history soon. Maybe you had a relative that served in the war. You could visit different battlefields and learn more about part of your family’s story. Can you imagine visiting your family’s homeland and discovering your last name on a street sign? It could be very fulfilling figuring out where you came from and how you got to where you are today.
2. Take a road trip: Maybe the house you bought for your family is now too much work to keep up with and you are ready to see landmarks you have only dreamed about or seen on TV. If that sounds like your kind of adventure, then selling your worldly possessions and buying an RV might be for you!
You could plan a trip down Route 66, and visit many of the iconic landmarks along the way. Maybe you are a foodie who would enjoy traveling around to different Diners, drive-ins, and dives to sample dishes from the show.
If you enjoy meeting new people and sharing stories, boondocking may be for you. With a yearly membership, you can gain access to thousands of locations to park your RV for free. Members across the country post their homes, vineyards, and hobby farms for you to be able to stay. This can be quite an adventure for someone who enjoys conversation and new experiences!
The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands pass can be purchased once you reach the age of 62. For $80 you can visit all the national parks for the rest of your life. If you aren’t sure that camping is right for you, they also offer a yearly pass for $20 so you can try it out.
3. Visit United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sites: If you are a history buff, then this adventure may be for you! Born to preserve history, and unite different cultures, UNESCO’s mission to bring people together and share in the rich history of our world can create awe and appreciation for our Creator.
Imagine traveling the world to see the seven wonders and walking through ancient history. The Great Wall, Machu Pichu, and Taj Majal are a few of the UNESCO historic sites you might see. If you would rather stay in the states, you can work on checking off the 24 American UNESCO sites and seeing the things our country has to offer.
4. Take an extended cruise: If you want to see and experience the world but don’t look forward to all the planning it takes, then a year at sea may be the best of both worlds. You can travel around the world without the worry of booking hotels, renting cars, or where you are going to eat. Everything is in one spot and there are even care facilities on the cruise ship.
Typically, all your food and entertainment are included plus you can meet lots of new people. You can experience new cultures and cuisines if you decide to venture off the ship and ports. Many ships offer reputable guides to help you navigate the port you are at and you can book adventures that suit your taste. That could mean going to visit ancient ruins, ziplining through a rainforest, or going on a food tour and shopping.
5. Chase your passion: One of our clients recently took a trip to enjoy her passion for crocheting. She visited a popular destination for yarn enthusiasts and went on a quilting trip. Take the time to journal about things you enjoy and that “spark joy” then make a plan to experience them.
Researching where your passion is most popular or originated from could be one of the factors in going to that region. If your passion is scuba diving, you may want to visit the Great Barrier Reef or other iconic diving sites. Maybe you enjoy church history and would want to see the beautiful architecture of old churches. You could walk where Jesus lived and take a tour of the Holy Land, tracing His steps to Calvary. If you are more of a sports fanatic, you could visit all the iconic ballparks or sports complexes and catch a game while you are there.
If you are in good health, plan to keep your body active. You could train and travel for a marathon or go hiking on a famous trail. Setting a goal for yourself can help not only your body stay healthy, but your mind as well.
6. Plan a staycation: If your health has forced you into retirement, you may not be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail anytime soon. That doesn’t mean you can’t still find adventure. Maybe you have doctor’s appointments that you can’t miss to go on an extended trip. If so, you may enjoy vacationing close by. Think of yourself as a tourist in your city and look at it from a fresh perspective.
Growing up in Kansas City, we took a lot of things for granted until we had out-of-town family visit. We didn’t know all there was to explore until we looked at it from a different perspective. There are so many cool places to see and restaurants to experience. We usually gravitate to the familiar and things we know, but what are we missing out on?
You have worked hard to achieve the dream of retirement. Your idea of adventure may look different than those above or it could even be a combination of several things. Whatever it looks like for you, make sure that you enjoy yourself and plan ahead!
A good retirement plan is crucial to achieving your goals. If you don’t have a retirement plan yet, contact us today so you can start planning your adventure!
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