‡ Bottom line up front: The plan is fluid. It’s a work in progress. Subject to change without notice. Certain terms and conditions may apply. See me for details. All that said….
For years I would tell people that my retirement plan was to start a tiny home community in which we supplemented our Social Security income by selling homegrown. I’ve said this a lot, for years, to a lot of people. I was always kindof sortof joking. In reality, there is much more to my plan.* But, plans change.
I’ve abandoned the tiny home idea, though I am not ready to let go of perhaps having a community of small cabins. No matter how much I looked at tiny homes I could not find a version that would place enough distance between a composting toilet and a kitchen, and that is why I finally nixed the idea. I’ve not quite abandoned the idea of some sort of agriculture, though. But I may raise different crops.
Let me also say that retirement for me will not mean never working again. I personally think work is healthy. Retirement for me will mean leaving the 9 to 5 world to do something I enjoy more. So I will have some form of income on top of a pension and Social Security. Also, I will continue to say that 60 is when I will retire but really it may be a few years later. I will be eligible for my pension at 60. Another thing I have figured out is that sometime after my 62nd birthday I will pass that magic point at which my pension and Social Security combined will be more than my salary. So I cannot see too much need to stay in the office world too much longer after that.
There are many reasons why I want to start retirement young – Here are two. First, I remember watching my parents make plans only to have my mother gone before she even retired. I want my life to end on a high note, after enjoying some of my long held passions – Not during some staff meeting on a dreary rainy day.
Second is because I want to see as much of the world as possible. But the older I get the less I will be able to travel far from home. Thus I’ve decided that early 60’s is a good time to start – Especially since I would like to start this new adventure with a giant psyche-cleansing reset. I would like to start my retirement adventure by hiking one of the log trails. There are mainly three to choose from: Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and Continental Divide Trail (CDT), and the Appalachian Trail (AT). I’ve long wanted to do a thru hike but just have never had the time. Spending several months in the wild with just my thoughts will really help me refocus onto what I want to accomplish with my remaining years. It’s for this reason you will often see me posting about backpacking trips, usually lasting a couple days – I’m testing out gear, and getting used to sleeping alone in the woods, and doing it like a bear does in the woods. That sort of thang.
Another major part of my retirement plan will be about where I live. My idea has long been to have two places: A small condo in the city and some land about 1.5 to two hours away. At the start of 2020, just as all hell was breaking loose, I strategically downsized. I sold a large condo I had called home for 18.5 years and bought a smaller loft in the same general part of town. My old place was a great, but for various reasons it was time to move. I used it as an opportunity to downsize with a short-term mortgage I could easily afford on my expected pension. So, I’ve got the small condo in the city part taken care of.
I need to interject, though, that the idea of completely leaving the city has started to work its way into my plans. I’ve been in Atlanta for 31 years, and I’ve stayed this long for various reasons: Large city, decent community, great airport, yadda yadda. But truthfully, for the greater part of the last 31 years the best I’ve ever been able to say of this town is “you get used to it.” So wanting to have a small condo in the city, or at least this city, may change. Also, healthcare will play a huge role in where I spend my retirement – Georgia is actually one of the worst states in terms of bang-for-buck healthcare costs. We’ll see. The next part of the plan is some land outside of town.
The land I am looking for would ideally be in either north Georgia, western North Carolina, or eastern Tennessee. It would be somewhat near the Appalachian Trail or Nantahala Outdoor Center. It needs to have a water source, or at least be bounded by a water source. I want it to be somewhat secluded since I do plan to go full-on Scandinavian with a sauna and plunge pool. And it needs to have some land that can be used for a garden. This can be found easily enough, if you have a lot of change to throw down. I don’t. And since I will be trying to accomplish this purchase on my own, I may need to look in other areas. This part is going to take some planning – IF I want to hold onto a condo in the city….. See my thought process there.
As far as travels go, I can travel cheap. I have no problem staying in hostels, camping with backpacking gear, or cheap hotels. So far I’ve only had two experiences I’d really like to not repeat: Getting bedbugs in Jordan and catching giardia in Vermont. And at this point there is really only one place I definitely don’t want to visit – North Korea. Aside from that, I am pretty open. Let the adventure unfold!
When I start talking about travel, and backpacking, I will do my best to break down the costs and everything that went into planning the trip. I am very eager to read in my comments the tricks and hacks you’ve discovered! And for the most part, I travel alone. This is not an iron-clad rule – I just find it easier to travel alone than coordinate travel plans around a bunch of people. Plus you will always meet people when you travel, so you wont be alone long.
So that is my plan. As of today. What sort of plans are you all making for your retirement?
*Let me just clarify at the start that I would not sell homegrown until it was legalized. I do not wish to spend my retirement years in the poky. But at the same time, I do suspect it will be legal before too much longer, at which time I will most likely try my hand at growing. My stance on the subject should not be interpreted that I use any sort of intoxicants. I currently do not.
#GenX #Retirement #Adventure
Will's GenX Adventure 