Amazingkae is quite busy reading, writing, and...
Okay, time to get more specific with this goal of “Retiring Overseas”... I am not in the writing mode this week, so forgive the informality of my speaking. [Edit will come with time later—right now it is simply a written meditation done in conjunction with my goal of writing something daily.]
There are short and long term elements involved with my goal of retiring overseas, as well as my needing to make some specific intent and wherewithall clarifications. Life is, after all, comprised of a series of choices about being, and with age comes wisdom and opportunity. Retirement is the time of live when the children are grown and have become adults and when you and your “posse” are able to hit the metaphoric trail toward the end of your lifetime’s journey.
Though in my mind, once you approach the age of retirement a little wild western angel should jump out from behind a burning cactus and hand you a fabulous new pair of boots and a kickin’ hat (including the directions that the next 20-40 years of your life should involve hitting the trail, finding your niche, wearing those boots in and getting them dirty and breaking that hat in so well that it will famously be known as your own), I find the scenario highly unlikely. In order to strategize how this goal will realistically be accomplished, I have to think in incremental steps. That includes not only defining what I want for the future and why, but also where I am now and an analysis of what keeps me from doing what I want to be doing.
The inspiration for most of my lifetime travels has been 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.
I don’t believe any person can live a solitary life in any one location and be able to educate themselves to a higher level more fully. Though I recognize this view as bias, my desire is to expand my knowledge base perpetually by enmeshing myself in various locales and communities to the best of my ability. Travel and studying community is WORK. However, since it is pleasurable for me, it is something I wish to continue doing perpetually. This train of thought brings me on track to express my clarification.
First of all, as a long term goal, I think when we retire, I want to retire into being the “Where’s Waldo” American Cowboy of the overseas or world-based community (or to be politically correct a G.R.I.T.S. Southern Belle). [Girl raised in the South] As a 40+, I want to be everywhere, in everything, and absolutely fluid. That way, when I want to country hop I can—and my later life will be spent filling up my passport and lounging about during my free time at gala events and in galleries.
Second, as a short term step towards this goal, I basically am doing this “social tour” already now stateside. {:P} One can read extensively and travel vicariously, but there is no substitute for bonafide journies. After all, you are never truly old until you stop learning-and my desire is to continue living well by consistently “living and learning”. As a matter of attitude, I hope that I will be able to always continue doing this in different venues.
It is practical to push this goal of spending considerable time living overseas forward to when I have even more flexibility.
I am currently on my last round of ownership with a big doggie. The little one can fly on the planes with me, but my big pup I cannot take with us unless by car while traveling. Because he’s a rescue baby and extremely loyal to me, I hate leaving him-and extended overseas traveling right now would be very negative for him and me (he’d worry about me, I’d worry about him, and it would not be good for either of us-not to mention for whomever would be doing the caretaking). By taking him in as our pet and giving him home and family, I have done my good deed—but in the future, my babes will have to be under 10 pounds if they are formally coming to live with me.
Four-Six More Years before this goal can really start to happen probably… giggles—I wonder if that means life has gone to the dogs? Ten or Fifteen and I should be golden. I only want to get better with age and to do more of what I like doing now that I find fun and inspiring (studing art, architecture, social and political philosophy, traveling, meeting people, and spending time helping people in a larger community).
Happy 43 everybody! Writing is a constant process—so thanks for bearing with me through all my notes, revising, and editing.
