Retirement

It should be a while, but at some point, Cyndi and I will retire. It's something we starting planning long before we knew each other; starting young in the 401K game. The market's been up and down, but hopefully the money we continue to stockpile will amount to something worthwhile early enough so we can enjoy ourselves when the moment arrives.

Cyndi and I were talking about this today as we took a nice early morning 1:1 walk. We don't often get the chance to walk alone, but since we were camping with her family for a reunion of sorts, we took full advantage of the multitude of babysitters. Camping has been a part of Cyndi's life since childhood. We've dabbled in it together over the years. We had a pop-up camper for a year before we moved to Wrigleyville and had to get rid of it. We've stayed in her parents 27' motor home before they upgraded to a 5th wheel. And we've tent camped. That's the way we've camped for the past several years. I often go at it with trepidation, but once we get to our destination, set-up, and begin relaxing, I really enjoy it.

Cyndi's parents and her aunt Tina and uncle Bill (her godparents) have been living the retirement life for several years now. Each couple bought a diesel pick-up truck, and each couple bought their own 5th wheel. A 5th wheel is kind of like a motor home without the motor. You pull it around with the pick-up truck, and once you hook-up at a campsite, the sides of the home jut out creating additional living space. They have a bedroom with a queen sized bed, a bathroom, a shower, a kitchen, a dining area, and a living room area. It's really a lot of room, and certainly is enough room for each couple.

Cyndi's parents typically leave the Chicagoland area in October, and travel to warm destinations, visiting friends, family, and meeting new people. They often travel the same areas. They come back in December for the holidays, and then head back out after New Year's Day. Typically, they come back to the area in April, in time for Frederic's birthday.

Tina and Bill have been at this a little while longer. They leave on December 28 nearly every year. They also head for warmer climates, but mix their areas up. While they have their favorites and have a plan in place, they like the freedom of our country and try to explore the nation. It's probably a ton of work, but it seems like a nice way to retire.

While we were on our walk, Cyndi and I talked about our retirement. We know that's at least 20+ years away, but 20 years can go by so quickly. I wondered aloud if the life her parents and godparents live is the life she'd want to live when we retire. Cyndi thought a bit before she answered. "No," she said, "I'd like to travel our country, but I'd hate to have to worry about a big 5th wheel like that. It just doesn't seem like us. We're not that handy." Being handy is a great way to manage life on the road, we both assume.

We continued talking (or maybe dreaming aloud) about how we envision the final stage of our lives. We'd both like to travel Europe, we'd both like to visit each of our 50 states, and we'd both like to do it together.

Not a bad plan, if I might say so myself.