The Four Seasons of Retirement
Retirement for us, began last September. We have come full circle, shifting and sorting our lives through the fall, winter, spring, and summer. We’ve learned a few lessons along the way.
A few days after he retired, my husband headed to Lyon where he had rented an apartment with four friends during World Cup Rugby. I stayed behind to tidy up some loose ends. Two weeks later, I flew to Portugal for a solo trip - Sintra for a week, then Porto, where my husband later joined me.
We had been told by friends and colleagues that the best thing to do at the start of retirement was to travel. Put responsibilities aside, they said, and leave work behind. What a great piece of advice! We travelled through Portugal and Spain for two months. As we packed to head home, we wistfully shared that if not for commitments and financial limitations, we could easily travel for another month or two.
Seasonal travelling in retirement
In November, we were lying on a beach in Lagos. Three weeks later we were back on the cold, rainy west coast. This is where we ran smack into the reality of retirement. The two of us, together day after day, with few plans, living in a community where we hardly knew a soul. Then, just as the weather began to improve, we were off again! Our daughter was getting married in Bali, so we decided to head to Asia for six weeks. It wasn’t until we returned home from this second long trip that we realized we had missed our favourite West Coast seasons - fall and spring.
What have we learned?
We can enjoy our favourite seasons at home and still have amazing trips. Many places are worth a visit all year around - and much more enjoyable when tourist season is over, cafes are quiet, and accommodations are cheaper.
Often, the best time to get to know a place is when all the tourists go home! We stayed in a cosy apartment in the historic neighbourhood of Haro, on the edge of the Rioja wine region for $80CDN a night after tourist season wrapped up. Yes, lots of restaurants had closed and tourist attractions had shut for the season. But we were able to wander nearly empty streets, our favourite bakery down the street was open until ten o’clock, locals greeted us as we walked to the grocery store, and we went on some spectacular winery tours without having to book months in advance.
If we’re going somewhere, we may as well go for a few months! Especially when we have no responsibilities holding us back. But from now on, we’ll wait until November before leaving and head home by mid-April.
We also realized that if we really want to get to know this new island home, we need to stay here through all the seasons - through the power outages from windstorms, weeks of heat that turn the grass to tinder, and torrential rain where all I want to do is curl up with a pile of books. So this year, we have planned no long trips and we are staying here to get to know the island and the people. (That said, if it all becomes too much we may end up heading to Oaxaca for a month!)
Living on less
How much money do you think you’ll need for your annual expenses, our financial advisor asked as we approached retirement. We prepared several budgets. What new costs might arise? What will we spend less on in retirement? How much should we save towards a new car? Home repairs? How much would we need for one big trip and some small adventures every year? A year later, I can share with you that our budget was pretty much spot on! Our annual budget will only need some minor adjustments as we move into our second year of retirement. We overspent on some categories and underspent on others. What was a surprise was how the seasons impacted our budget.
The first few months on a fixed income were fine. Our expenses, for the most part, aligned with our budget. But the winter was cold, and our fireplace burned up more propane than anticipated. We headed off island more frequently than planned as the weather improved, loading our ferry cards and filling the gas tank more often. Gas prices went up. Drinks on the deck at the end of a warm day became a regular occurrence. We made a note to set up a separate category for liquor rather than lumping it under groceries. The cost of living is also higher on the island, we felt it at the grocery and hardware stores. And we got a new puppy! A totally unexpected expense - adoption fee, vet bills, and food! We’ll have to see if we can redirect some additional money into the ‘unexpected expenses’ category!
What were we spending less money on? Car repairs, clothing, and surprisingly, entertainment. We had planned to make dinner at our favourite pub a weekly ritual but we rarely went out for dinner - winter or summer! We no longer purchase oat lattes two or three times a week, we’ve only attended two concerts this past year, and I no longer spend a fortune at local bookstores, now borrowing my books from the library.
We’ve broken even and are well underway to saving for our next big trip!
Planning for the seasons
I have only recently adopted a seasonal planning approach. My friend Katherine posted on Facebook recently that she was spending some time setting up her writing and submission schedule for the fall. I like the idea of planning three to four months at a time, more cognizant now of how the seasons impact how I like to spend my time.
Fall always feels like a new beginning - and it is the season that I am most productive. After a year of little planning or routine, this year I have registered myself for activities before they fill up. Tai chi starts next week, as does the writing group I have joined! I do enjoy flexible time and I have taken that into account in my planning. This fall, I will complete an online Therapeutic Journaling Diploma that I can focus on when I want. I have also made a volunteer commitment that feeds my passion and fits my schedule - I can even fulfill my responsibilities while travelling! And I am offering three workshops through Women Rowing North: Writing Our Life Stories. Knowing I will not be travelling for the next few months allows me to make commitments.
In the winter I cocoon. I will soon start putting books on hold at the library so I can read them by the fireplace on rainy days. I’ll order more Pilot Fineliners for writing projects I am planning. We will tackle our indoor ‘to-do’ list. And we will get together with friends, old and new, for conversation and good food.
We want to be ready to start preparing vegetable and flower beds at the first signs of spring! We’re also looking at some options for some short trips closer to home - maybe bird-watching in the Kootenays or storm watching in Tofino. I always love venturing out in the spring, brushing off the cobwebs and heading off to see what’s new in my backyard!
And we are already thinking about next summer. When you live on an island, friends and family like to come and visit - and we love entertaining them - but we also enjoy our alone time! This past summer, we limited the number of visitors so we wouldn’t have company every weekend. We want to ensure we can accommodate everyone again next year, while taking care of our own needs.
Fire restrictions also kick in on the island as soon as hot days arrive. This means limited or no use of any equipment. We will need to plan our outdoor projects accordingly.
And through all the seasons we plan to be more spontaneous! We forget that we are retired! We no longer have to invite friends for dinner on a weekend evening. We can head off on a trip if we come across a good travel deal. We can put aside a project we had planned to work on and head to the beach with a picnic. We will live in the moment - with some planning thrown in!
Have the four seasons played into your retirement planning? Please share your stories below! We’d love to read your experiences!