Travel Before Retirement

Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up each day starting again with no worries. Attack each day as if it were your first? Oh to be a cat or dog, and have that ability. As humans, we get so hooked on the past that the present doesn’t exist, and whoa the future, forget it.

Do you ever think about how the world works? Why am I here and what is my purpose.? I do. I look at people running around and say to myself, “Is that all there is? Wake up, get dressed, eat, go to work, eat lunch during the day, come home, eat, clean house, go to bed and then start again with the same routine until you retire and then die.”

To me, we are all ants in the giant thing we call Earth. I would imagine even the most popular people on earth think the same from time to time. Their jobs may be different but still the same basic routine.

Maybe you go on vacation thinking you can change your routine, but find it really is the same basic, underlying routine. Throw some kids in there and watch them grow into adults with the same basic routine as well.

Are you waiting for retirement to travel or do the things you love more, just to retire then die? Some people retire and within a year are gone. Why did they wait so long to enjoy life?

I do what I can when I can. I didn’t want to be the person who works and works to retire then not be able to enjoy retirement.

Well that path is gone for me. I became disabled in 2018 at the ripe old age of 51. I can do things I enjoy when my body cooperates. But I thought this way when I worked.

My fiancé, Mike, and I traveled as much as we could around our work schedules. I thought then as I think now, do things while you can because one day that ability could be gone.

I am so happy we did get to do a lot of what we wanted until 2020. Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was gone within two months. I was able to enjoy 13 years with him by traveling to Colorado to visit my brother, Arizona-Grand Canyon, Maryland, NYC, Upstate New York, Chicago, Illinois, and to Dover, Delaware for NASCAR. Niagara Falls, New Jersey Six Flags.

We went to watch the Radio City Rockettes and visited the memorial for the twin towers. We also spent a lot of time at Inner Harbor, MD, and went to watch three NFL games as well as Camden Yards to watch the Orioles.

The one place I really wanted to take him was Walt Disney World but we ran out of time.

Now that he is gone I think about this even more. I am now doing what I can to enjoy life. I have a sister who travels with me across the country to handle my mom’s estate and then we will be taking trips to enjoy what life we have left.

I know there are dogs and cats that live in horrible conditions but still in many cases are loving and want attention. But for those that can wake up to a fresh brand new day, not thinking about the past, and just go about their day are lucky.