Monday, June 9, 2014

Where Have I Been?


If anyone still comes here, you might be wondering why I haven't been here sharing photos and ideas.  Truth is, I've been busy worrying and wondering about retirement.  

I had the perfect job in Philadelphia.  It was challenging enough to be interesting.  I liked the people I worked with and the office environment.  After working for large, impersonal, bureaucratic corporations for decades, I was finally in a small, family owned company.  I had a nice corner spot with windows on both sides in an older building where the windows could still be opened.  We had a friendly doorman to greet us every morning.  I enjoyed commuting on the train… no traffic jams or road rage involved.  I could read on my way to work, or chat with friends I met on the train.  There was always something interesting going on in town.  A movie with Bruce Willis was filmed right on the street where I worked.  I could see the city from my window.  

Then we moved to rural Kentucky for family reasons.  I wanted to work but there was nothing available even remotely like what I had before.  I tried to keep busy, I tried to make friends.  I have good neighbors next door and family nearby, but missed the friends I had before we moved.  My friends keep asking me to come back.  My husband still had his job so we had health insurance and a regular income.  Then just over a year ago, he was laid off from his job when two companies merged.  

Suddenly he was retired too, not that he wanted to be.  Our lives have changed dramatically.  We have to figure out how to plan for retirement.  We have savings and investments, but is it enough?  Where should we live?  What should we do?  We have finally gotten serious about planning for life, not just living day to day with everything the same.  Should we downsize?  Move?  Sell?  We have been busy "lightening our load" so that whatever we do we don't have so much "stuff" to take with us.  

So, I have been preoccupied with all the above.  It's not very interesting to write about but now that I have opened up about it, maybe I can share more of it along the way.  It's an ongoing saga… 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least you and your husband seem to be in the same frame of mind. I really didn't want to move from the Australian countryside to city - where I like to live, my husband doesn't, and it's always been that way.The only thing we agree on regarding this, is that we both like Scotland and Tasmania - still a compromise for me as I'm a desert person.
It seems whatever choices you make, Hawaii, Philadelphia or where you are ,all have their positives. I guess that's what's making it so hard.

judy in ky said...

You're right Pam, at least we have some good options. My husband would prefer to stay here but he's willing to move to Philly. He doesn't think it wise to move to Hawaii though, but we can visit occasionally.

Bearette said...

Is there some sort of expert you can consult? Also, i thought you were a teacher before?

judy in ky said...

We have a "money guy" at the bank for financial advice. I think what I need is a "life coach".
I was a teacher for three years, then went the corporate route until I burned out and found the job that I loved (non-corporate).