Reflections

Tomorrow I turn 61!

WOW - that's a big number!

So, I'd like to reflect a little on my 60th year as it was definitely a roller-coaster ride and a tough year for me. It started out great last February as I had a wonderful birthday party here in the mountains with some of my friends. Then I spent several fun-filled weeks skiing in Summit County, Vail and Beaver Creek, CO.

In April, I went to Germany, spent a few days in Italy and then spent 2 weeks in Egypt. It was a dream-come-true trip as I had always wanted to see the Pyramids and go into the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, but it turned into a nightmare as I brought home an unexpected guest! I apparently picked up a bug in Egypt resulting in ECOLI poisoning, 2 stays in the hospital, and then spent most of last summer indoors recuperating. Being that ill was a definite wake-up call!

In September, I finally launched my BLOG -- it's one of those things I'd been meaning to do, but never got around too. I was really excited when I wrote my first BLOG - see http://myretirementadventures.blogspot.com/2008/09/welcome-to-my-world.html

I made a few trips back to St. Louis to visit family and friends and spent the Christmas holidays there. Now, I'm back in Summit County skiing as I love to spend my birthday skiing.

As I've been sick off and on since June 08 and am still on meds, my illness in this past year has reminded me of how precious life is, how I need to continually re-prioritize my goals, and to consciously decide who I want in my life. So, tomorrow I'll spend some time setting heart-felt goals for my 61st year and thinking of who I'd like to take with me on my next adventure!

I'd love to hear from you -- what does another birthday mean to you and how do you plan to celebrate it!

Feeling Isolated?

I know from personal experience that what we retirees miss most each day when we stop working is our friends and the many social encounters that we have each day, ranging from a simple "Hi" to someone inquiring about your health. It's normal to miss that familiarity.

Winter is the worst time of the year for being stuck indoors. Think about it -- if you're single and don't venture out even in cold weather, you won't see anyone. Social interaction is what keeps us going. It's been proven in several studies that the happiest people are those that are socially affiliated with several social networks. One might be at church, another at the gym.

Here's a group of my friends skiing last season at Beaver Creek.
We were there to celebrate my BD. I'm the short one in black!

We're so much happier when we're around others who enjoy the same things we do -- so, if you can't find a group to join, start one!

A good book on the subject is "Creating your Best Life". For more info, go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Your-Best-Life-Ultimate/dp/1402762593/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233964047&sr=1-1