How many times are you surprised at how differently others see retirement. You hear friends claim that they can’t stop work because they would not know what to do with themselves, or they need more money. Or, on the other hand retired women whose life becomes housework. And grumpy guys who stare at the TV and get in the way of the vacuum cleaner wielded by the wife who won’t leave home for fear of neglecting the roses.
Sometimes we don’t have choices in life but when we do we should take the most enriching option as life is too short. What’s this got to do with caravanning you ask? Well we Grey Nomads, we’ve chosen a life of adventure. A life where you learn new things every day, meet new people and learn about their lives and where they live.
The other day while poking about the rocks on the beach I met a woman with a bucket. In fact, there were many people with buckets. I asked this woman what they were doing and she replied “Looking for cabbage.” Yeah right. Ask a silly question get a silly answer. I wondered if she meant sea lettuce but she said it was the green stuff growing on the rocks which apparently is coming into season and the Black fish (Luderick) just love it. One must assume that they were fisherfolk and not just going out to feed the little buggers. But hey, isn’t that a whole lot more interesting than vacuuming?
itchingforhitching 
Definitely! I speak as a woman who was vacuuming yesterday. Mind you, I don’t do it very often.
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I love retirement. It’s what I have been waiting for all my life. Back when I was working, some of the guys hated rainy days when we couldn’t work and would be sent home. They would complain about having to “sit around the house with nothing to do but watch TV.” Not me. I always had things to do – hobbies and projects for which work was a huge interruption.
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Yes there’s always plenty to interest a fertile mind.
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My husband took early retirement and now tells everyone he doesn’t know how he ever found time to work! We knew we had to make a plan and that he shouldn’t just stop and have nothing in place. And he does the vacuuming 😉
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Now that’s a tactic that I have to work on. 😉
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Brings dividends – except he tends to miss corners and needs copious amounts of tea to keep going 😉
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Blimey – I just can’t understand people who can’t give up work. I love your quote that when faced with a choice, we should take the most enriching option! We gave up work as soon as we could and now travel nearly full-time in our caravan. We thought we might do so for a couple of years, but my hubby now has 13 years of trips planned..! We are just loving it and I can’t see us stopping any time soon. As for the money, we have ENOUGH. A friend who has also retired early said to us the other week “There are so many things not to spend money on!” and I can’t help but agree. If making a few financial sacrifices is what it takes never to work again, I say “Bring it On.” And there’s not much vacuuming to be done in a caravan. Even with four dogs!
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Oh I agree wholeheartedly. I’m in awe of your hubby I thought I was wearing out the WikiCamps Trip Planner. There are thousands of things that one can do for next to nothing and the experiences are priceless. And as I site here on the computer waiting for the floor to dry, yes cleaning the van is so much easier. Thanks for following and see you on the wallaby!
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