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Retirement Wisdom

Retire Smarter

Leisure and Social

Travel the World, Learn As You Go

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By Bev Bachel

Fifty-plus and looking to learn while traveling and making new friends?

Road Scholar and other similar programs could be your ticket.

Just ask Pauline Nelson.

“Road Scholar bills itself as ‘the university of the world,’ and that’s exactly what it’s been to me,” says Nelson, who’s been enjoying Road Scholar trips since the mid-2000s. Along the way, the now 62-year-old New Hampshirite has learned that whether you’re interested in seeing the United States or traveling the globe, there’s a program that’s right for you—plus plenty of people to enjoy it with.

Launched as Elderhostel in 1975, Road Scholar was founded to combine not-for-credit classes with inexpensive lodging for older adults. Today, the nonprofit offers thousands of experiential learning adventures in more than 100 countries and all 50 states.

You choose who you learn with—art lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, solo travelers and more, all of whom are both interested and interesting.

You can also choose your activity level; every Road Scholar travel adventure is assigned such a level to help you determine which trips best fit your physical abilities: everything from “easy-going” (minimal walking) to “outdoor-challenging” (you must be able to keep a steady pace on rugged and steep terrain).

Invite the grandkids

“There are also intergenerational trips,” says Nelson. She, her husband and their granddaughter Mackenzie have enjoyed several. “We took our first trip together in 2011, when she was 11, and we’ve gone on almost a trip a year ever since.” The trio has been everywhere from the Rocky Mountains to Peru, from Italy to Kenya.

“It’s been a great bonding experience for us,” says Nelson. “Traveling together not only helps us get to know one another, it’s more meaningful and memorable than a trip to the mall. Plus, sharing experiences gives us plenty to reminisce about.”

Each Road Scholar intergenerational trip includes both structured and unstructured time, plus the grandkids get time with other kids so they can form friendships on their own terms.

“I like the fact that when you’re traveling—whether on your own or with a grandchild or group of friends—you don’t need to worry about where you’re going to stay, how you’re going to get from the airport to your hotel or when or where you should eat,” says Nelson. “Instead, all the details are taken care of so you can focus on spending time together, making new friends, experiencing the world and enjoying your travels.”

“The trips are definitely life-changing,” says Nelson.

A world of options

Another company that prides itself on life-changing trips—primarily by connecting travelers with locals who live in the more than two dozen countries the trips explore—is Grand Circle Travel.

Established in 1958 by Ethel Andrus, the same person who founded AARP, Grand Circle offers high-impact experiences to travelers 50-plus while building local communities through philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and volunteerism.

Whether you sign up for a Grand Circle trip on your own or with a friend, sibling or child, you can look forward to traveling in comfort. This is especially true for Grand Circle cruises: the company’s cruise ships have been custom-built according to the specifications of older adults.

But what if you’re looking for a little less comfort in exchange for more adventure? ElderTreks may be the company for you. Billed as the world’s first “adventure travel company designed exclusively for people 50 and over,” ElderTreks offers active, off-the-beaten-track small-group adventures to more than 100 countries. Trek the jungles of Borneo, experience the magic of Sri Lanka, meet the great apes of Uganda or ski across Antarctica.

And if you prefer to travel from the comfort of your home or are reluctant to travel due to COVID, no worries. Road Scholar and other programs offer multi-day online adventures as well as one-hour virtual lectures on everything from the great whales to butterfly migration, from Chicago’s moveable bridges to Peru’s gold and silver.

Bev Bachel is a 50+ freelance writer who looks forward to once again being able to travel the world.

Note: The information included in this blog post does not constitute an endorsement.

Hobbies in Retirement: How to Find One That’s Right For You

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By Bev Bachel

Don’t just retire, retire to something. That’s the advice of many retirees I’ve talked with recently. And what are they retiring to? Hobbies.

According to experts, hobbies in retirement can go a long way to ensuring a happy post-career life. They’re enjoyable, of course, plus they offer a host of mental and physical health benefits, including increased self-esteem, improved focus and better stress management.

What hobby is right for you?

“I’ve always liked to doodle and draw,” says Nancy Guenther, Penn Valley, Calif., who, last winter, after seeing a friend’s paintings posted on Facebook, got motivated to dig out her watercolors.

An ad for beehives is what inspired Clint and Erika Johnson, Medford, Mass., to take up their new hobby: beekeeping. “We saw the ad, did some research and before long were driving home with 30,000 bees in the back of our car,” says Clint.

Kate Holden’s ancestry is what led to her hobby, the tin whistle. “The tin whistle is associated with Scotland and my distant ancestry is Scottish, so I liked the idea of learning to play Scottish songs such as “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” says Holden of Oakdale, Minn.

These are just three examples but, as this Wikipedia list shows, there are hundreds more hobbies to choose from, any of one of which can deliver a range of important benefits:

Benefit #1: Hobbies make us healthier. Studies show that time spent on leisure activities is correlated with lower blood pressure, less depression and stress, and overall better psychological and physical functioning.[i]

Benefit #2: Hobbies promote flow. Left to our own devices, we often opt for mindless activities such as TV watching and Twitter scrolling. There’s nothing wrong with that in moderation, but we’re much more invigorated by active leisure, the sort of things psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow activities.

If you’ve ever lost yourself in a sport, art project or other challenging activity, you’ve experienced flow. When you do, you feel fully engaged, self-consciousness disappears and time flies.

Benefit #3: Hobbies foster new connections. While some hobbies are solitary endeavors, many lead us to meeting new people and forming new bonds, even if those bonds are now virtual because of the pandemic. Hobbies help us create important new ties to replace those we lose when we no longer see our work colleagues on a daily basis. Countless studies show that these new ties are key to both happiness and a meaningful retirement.

Benefit #4: Hobbies make us interesting. For many, retiring means letting go of a long-held career identity. Hobbies add richness to our self-concept and give us something to talk about. They’re a way of staying engaged. And when you’re engaged, you not only feel more alive, others find you more interesting.

Benefit #5: Hobbies help us keep things in perspective. The benefits of hobbies can spill over into other aspects of your life as well. If you can designate an hour a day or even a few hours a week for a hobby you feel truly inspired and enlivened by, retirement will be far more fulfilling.

Tips from hobbyists

Ready to find a hobby that’s right for you? Here are three tips:

  • It’s never too late to start…or to change. When it comes to painting, Guenther has only one regret—that she didn’t start sooner. And even though she started with acrylic painting, she wasn’t happy with the result. So she switched to watercolors and hasn’t looked back.
  • Scale your ambitions to your abilities. The Gustafsons started off small, giving away their honey to family and friends. But as they learn more, they hope to sell their honey at local farmers’ markets.
  • Social media can be your friend. Part of an active Facebook group, Holden values being able to post videos of herself playing “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” and other songs. “I get encouragement from whistle players around the world and that motivates me to practice and helps me feel connected to others,” says Holden.

Bev Bachel is a freelance writer whose hobbies include journaling, painting, writing letters to friends and watching YouTube videos on investing.

[i] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/smarter-living/the-case-for-hobbies-ideas.html

Forced into Retirement? Strengthen those Social Ties

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by Denis Wuestman

There are many things that can go through your mind if circumstances beyond your control lead you to be forced into early retirement. Your first reaction may be to “start looking for another job”. Understandable. However, depending on demand for your skills, you may discover that the job that you were used to doing may not be there for you again. Maybe work, during this next stage, takes a different form. To help with this transition, one of the most important things you can do is to maintain and strengthen your personal network.

The Benefits of a Network

The extent of a person’s social network can play a significant factor in helping guide a successful transition, both personally and professionally.   From a personal perspective, building relationships can help your focus on “what is next” as you talk to others who have experienced what you have. Simple conversations and connections can ease the solitary nature of this phase. Spending time with people you like can also help bring significant meaning to this part of your life.   Finally, potential job ideas can also come from these conversations.

Tip for Maintaining and/or Starting a New Network

If you are in a situation where you recently left work here are some simple tips for maintaining a social network with your professional connections:

  1. Create an “A-list” of the people that you want to stay in touch with. These are trusted colleagues who impact you positively.
  2. Reach out to them to arrange a lunch or a cup of coffee etc.…(I prefer this over lengthy emails and/or phone calls)
  3. When you meet – it’s important to be yourself and not just focus on looking for a job. Put yourself in their shoes. These are your “A” list of key people from your work life and you ideally may wish to maintain these relationships for a long time.   I suggest considering the following but being authentic rules in all cases:
    • Show an interest in their lives, both work and personal
    • Discuss your situation and ask what advice they might have for you
    • If they make suggestions to help you, be honest with them as to if you will follow-up
    • Once you do try what they suggest – send them a note thanking them and tell them what happened
    • Make a point to stay in touch. People get real busy and you don’t want to appear annoying. I recommend practicing “respectful contact” with regard to frequency. This will vary from individual to individual but I found that people, who are interested in you, and you in them, do not mind hearing about your progress.   Progress is the keyword – you are taking actions to move forward and not waiting for them to do it for you.

At the same time, focus on creating a fresh network so you can add some balance to your social circles and your life. This can help you branch out and perhaps uncover new activities, friends, and yes, even work. Here are some ideas to pursue:

  1. Assess the things you like doing that make you feel good. This could include leisure, exercise, helping others, reading, seeing old friends…..
  2. Once you have your list – pick 1 or 2 things that you would look forward to doing with others. Here are some thoughts that may help you:
    • Join a book club
    • Make a date(s) with friends to do something regularly
    • Volunteer at a soup kitchen, school, hospital
    • Look at non-profits in your area and see if the skills you have matched any of the gaps they are looking for.  This may sound like a stretch but I know someone that found a full-time job this way
    • Go out to dinner with spouses
  3. Start taking action. Set a time to discover more or start an activity. The key here is to try something.

Attitude Is Your Friend

Your attitude will ultimately determine the end result.   This next phase is a new opportunity in many ways for anyone forced into retirement if it is embraced that way. Things may have changed, but this next phase can become a time of exploration and further growth.  Your social network can be a big assist and provide enjoyment and engagement with people you like along the way.

We have a coaching program geared toward people who are forced to retire earlier than planned.

Time for a Retirement “Leisure Audit”?

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by Denis Wuestman

Retirement is like life itself- it’s full of surprises. You may find yourself thinking, “I wish I knew then what I know now”.   If we had a dime for all the “could haves/ would haves/ should haves” in our life…well, you know the story. Did you enter retirement life with a plan or are you just winging it when it comes to how you will spend your leisure time? Are you risking having multiple “could haves/would haves/should haves” during this part of your life?

Taking an “audit” of your leisure life up to this point may be worth it.

More than Just TV

Some interesting facts may stir your creative juices as to how you ensure that you control and make the most of your leisure time. It may or may not be shocking to you, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics[i], watching TV is the #1 “leisure” activity for people age 65-74 (4.1 hours a day) versus 2.73 hours a day for all those over 15 years of age.   Admittedly there is a lot of variety available to us via the TV and it has morphed into a true entertainment medium due to all the technology enhancements over the decades. (Which show are you “binge watching” now?)

There is much more to your leisure life in retirement. This is truly a time to take up activities that stimulate your mind and body and create a good balance for a fulfilling retirement life. It’s not too late! You will have a lot more time to invest in leisure activities – perhaps putting that time into the proper “buckets” can make a difference.

Key Elements of Leisure

Let’s see where you are today with regards to your retirement leisure “scorecard”. In the book “The New Retirement” by Richard Johnson, PhD[ii] he defines leisure among 6 key elements, which can help one maintain a healthy balance in our retirement lives. Johnson reminds us that we must regularly “vacate” our lives to remain focused on it! Creating meaningful activities in each of these areas can help us stay fresh in mind, body and spirit. The 6 areas are:

  • Social interaction
  • Spectator appreciation
  • Creative expression
  • Intellectual stimulation
  • Physical activity
  • Solitude

Did you ever think that leisure had so many parts?   Isn’t it just “doing what we want to do, when we want to do it”? Perhaps, but what happens if those moments put you in front of the TV for days on end? Maybe OK for some but I would argue that this could potentially lead to boredom, an unhealthy lifestyle or listlessness. In thinking about these 6 elements, it is rather easy to create a more fulfilling leisure plan for yourself and/or your life partner.

Your Leisure Audit

Now it’s time for your personal “leisure audit”. Start with charting how much of your “leisure time” each day (not working/volunteering) goes to each of the above buckets? Do this for a week or two to get a good sample. Now ask yourself these questions?

  • Are you doing too much of one thing and not enough of another?
  • Which of these are most important to you?
  • Are you satisfied with where you are today?
  • What do you want to change?
  • What will you do differently tomorrow or this week to start that change?
  • What will help you “stick to it”?

Leisure is one of the fun parts of being retired and more of it is a well-deserved reward after decades of “less leisure time”. Unlike those times, when leisure was a break from work, our retirement leisure can really make a difference in how well we enjoy our time in retirement. Consider a balance of meaningful activities across these 6 areas of leisure – and eliminate the “could haves, the would haves and the should haves” in your retirement life. Get started today!

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[i] Bureau of Labor Statistics Time spent in leisure and sports activities for the civilian population by selected characteristics, averages per day, 2016 annual averages (Table 11A)

[ii] Johnson, Richard P. PhD. (2001), The New Retirement: Discovering Your Dream. Career Partners International

Denis can be reached at denisw@retirementwisdom.com

Glowing Lessons from Baseball and Dads

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by Denis Wuestman

Over 50 Years Ago

Flashback – July 1964.   I was just starting to really like baseball as a young kid growing up in Brooklyn, NY. It was July 7, 1964 – the day the All-Star Game was being played at Shea Stadium (home of the NY Mets back then).   I remember parts of that day vividly some 50+ years later. Here’s why… That morning my father woke my brother and I and asked if we wanted to go see the game in person. Well, you can imagine the excitement! Since we had no tickets we had to go the ballpark and buy them. Well, back then, this type of thing was possible. We arrived very early and stood on a rather long line. It was worth it. My Dad bought three general admission tickets for $ 2.10 (not a typo!) each and we sat in the next to last row in the upper left field stands. I recall the long walk up the stairs to the seats and how high we were. No matter. This built lasting memories and, at that time, had this little kid anxious to pretend he was Willie Mays next time he played stickball.   What an experience. I “glowed” then and even today when I think back to that day.

Some 25 Years Later

Flashback – June 1989. This now “30 something kid” still enjoyed a casual game of softball in between work, family and chores. It was this year that I met the “retired boys of summer”.   One Saturday morning after completing a softball practice, I watched about 20, 60 -75 year-old men take the field for their weekly softball practice. I stuck around to watch. The leader was a gregarious 69 year-old with a friendly smile. With a laugh, he asked us 30 somethings if we wanted to play a game so they could ‘teach us a few things about baseball’.   Well, most of us were on to the other parts of our lives, so we passed that day. This went on for many weeks and I recall watching these retired boys of summer enjoy the game that they most certainly played when they were young. They were good, focused and a little serious at times – old habits die hard!   But, what I noticed was the way they “glowed” playing the game, cheering each other on, doing a bit of friendly trash talking, and just simply enjoying the moment. It was their time to be kids again and experience the awe and fun of the game while spending time with friends. It made me appreciate the “glow” both them and I received from doing something enjoyable – in this case centered around our nations favorite pastime.

Hold that Glow!

Today, as I am in that “retired boys of summer” age group, I think of the lessons being taught that year – they are easier to relate to now.    Try not to lose your glow in life, especially in your post career years.   Do things that make you happy, fulfilling, be like a kid again – whatever it is. For these men- it was a game of softball.  Surround yourself with people you like, plan activities and GO do them. A great balance of meaningful activities that meet our social, physical, mental, creative and intellectual needs will help us have a much more satisfying retirement life. As a side benefit – you are building a legacy for those next 30 somethings to remember.     The 69 year-old man I met that day – passed away 10 years later. As I had stayed in touch with him, it was then that I met his grandchildren for the first time. Their memory of grandpa – playing ball and zest for life!   Helluva “glow” that man had!

Oh yes – back to 1964 – the great game that started these wonderful lessons for me has changed a lot since then. One thing remains – it gave me a “glow” along with many others it seems.   Where did you “glow” in your life?   What will you do in retirement to continue to shine and build a memory for others to learn from? How could lessons from your past help re-kindle your retirement passion?

Thanks Baseball and…..

In case you were wondering about that 1964 All-Star Game – it ended dramatically. Johnny Callison of the Philadelphia Phillies hit a walk off 3 run homer in the bottom of the ninth off of Dick Raditz of the Red Sox, scoring Curt Flood and Johnny Edwards to give the National League a 7-4 win.   Couldn’t get any better than that. I was told that I “glowed” for weeks. Thanks for the life-long memory Dad! And thanks to the “retirement boys of many summers” for the retirement life lessons – came in handy!

Happy Fathers Day to all Dads and Grandfathers!