saving for retirement?

[lightshot]

Interesting point. I remember in grade school I would say, "when summer vacation comes, I'm going to ____" and generally not do it. Unless that ___ was swim in the hot weather or lie around doing nothing.

At the moment I thought, I have all summer, I'll do it later.

Maybe that's just the way we are. If you put it off now, you'll put it off later. Or put another way, if it's not fun or important enough to make time for now, you won't make time for it later either.

Another possibility is that it IS fun and important but we're just bad at prioritizing. On a negative note, if we're bad at prioritizing now, we'll probably still be bad at it later! 😀

Beautifully put. 🙂

My philosophy since I was in my 20's has been "live with no regrets" and that applies to everything I do and all of the people I deal with. I also couldn't make much sense of folks (like my parents) who kept putting off things they wanted to do until "someday". I thought if I live for tomorrow or some nebulous future occurrences, then what am I doing with today?

Point is I do have the time to do what I want to do so I'm not procrastinating about doing the things that I enjoy. I think when I was working full time for someone else, that's when the procrastinating - the "I'll do it later" settled in. I was just too beat all the time to do a lot of the things I enjoy now.

I have a bucket list too but it's a short one. I want to see the United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) before I check out and would love to see the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam too. Unfortunatly I dont' fly so getting there will be tad bit problematic though.

My favorite all time quote, and the one I want on my tombstone is - "We give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant then it's night once more."

Samuel Beckett - Waiting for Godot

 

[bmattock]

I want to see the United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) before I check out and would love to see the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam too.

Ireland is not actually part of the UK. Just saying.

But I loved the Beckett!

 

[Al Patterson]

I like Zion National Park better than the Grand Canyon. But Lake Superior tops everything.

Trius and Fred,

In 2004 I did go to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Gerome, and Page in AZ. Didn't get to Bryce or Zion on that trip. We also saw Antelope Canyon.

Drove back to CA via Rt. 66, and saw both Oatman and Lake Havasu City.

That trip with my Mom and my Sister, and later in the year I spent another two weeks in CO and NM chasing trains. Went to Georgetown Loop, Durango & Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR. (Forgot to mention the Williams to Grand Canyon train trip earlier in the year).

2004 was probably the best year I've had to date. Made some decent money, traveled with family, had fun. Alas, it's been downhill since then, but such is life.

 

[jpa66]

Just to chime in on Bryce Canyon and Zion - two incredible places. I could have spent a week easy in Zion. Well worth going to. Also, if you're there in the summertime, definitely worth attending is the Utah Shakespeare festival - it's the best Shakespeare that I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Always very well done. In fact, the greatest production that I ever saw, bar any play, was of The Winter's Tale there in '96. It was magical. Totally transformative. Just thinking about it gives me chills....

 

[Rayt]

Well I'm busy with the typical young man's things. Ie, stressing about school, and trying to get women.

It was one big carnal smorgasbord that ended with married life. 😱

 

[bmattock]

It was one big carnal smorgasbord that ended with married life. 😱

Yeah. Lutefisk and smorebrod. [shudder]

Married life is much, much, better.

 

[Roger Hicks]

And speaking of envy...
Roger, I envy you living in France. . . . QUOTE]

The silly thing is though, you get used to (and blasé about) anywhere. Today, for example, is just another bright, beautiful, sunny morning, though cold (it got down to about 6C overnight) in a picture-perfect village with an 11th century castle on the hill and a 12th century church across the road...

The great thing is that in a day I can be in Spain or Switzerland or the UK: a long and tiring day, admittedly, in an elderly Land Rover. But I still yearn for Malta (where I lived as a boy and have visited many times since -- THERE'S history) and India (where I have never spent enough time) and the Greek islands (I was in northern Greece earlier this year, but it's not the same) and I doubt I'll ever get back to Bermuda, where I lived in my 'teens...

Everywhere has its advantages, even California where I lived for 5 years (Guadalupe on the Central Coast) and even though living in/visiting beautiful places is far, far better than living in gloomy dumps, it also brings its own small share of dissatisfaction. This is however a price I cheerfully pay for the life I have lead and continue to lead!

Cheers,

R.

 

[jpa66]

Everywhere has its advantages, even California where I lived for 5 years (Guadalupe on the Central Coast) and even though living in/visiting beautiful places is far, far better than living in gloomy dumps, it also brings its own small share of dissatisfaction. This is however a price I cheerfully pay for the life I have lead and continue to lead!


Roger,

I can understand exactly what you mean. Living in different places does indeed have its own advantages and disadvantages. For me, it comes down to satisfaction in your everyday life. If you're not satisfied now, I don't believe that planning to do something/s when you are retired will bring you the epiphany that you think it will. However, planning to improve to everyday does have its rewards, and can eventually pay off.

That said, I'm still envious, as I would love the opportunity to see what life is truly like living in that part of Europe. And Malta - it's one of the places that are on my list. Maybe I can swing it when I visit the South of France next May...

JP

 

[Trius]

I had the DNA thing done. I'm Welsh

Well that explains a lot!!! 😀

 

[Trius]

I have spent about a week in Zion, but felt it wasn't really enough. I've always wanted to go to Arches, Bryce, etc., but could never drag myself out of Zion. I have Kodachromes somewhere.

 

[Roger Hicks]

[
Roger,

I can understand exactly what you mean. Living in different places does indeed have its own advantages and disadvantages. For me, it comes down to satisfaction in your everyday life. If you're not satisfied now, I don't believe that planning to do something/s when you are retired will bring you the epiphany that you think it will. However, planning to improve to everyday does have its rewards, and can eventually pay off.

That said, I'm still envious, as I would love the opportunity to see what life is truly like living in that part of Europe. And Malta - it's one of the places that are on my list. Maybe I can swing it when I visit the South of France next May...

JP

Exactly. And (let's not forget) you may be more willing to carry 20 lb+ of LF camera and dark-slides when you're 40, and not realize just how unappetizing that will look at 60.

Malta really is stunning. Take a look at http://www.semiadventuroustraveler.com/pst malta.html (about visiting the island) and at the old galleries on the site at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/gallery/g malta 0.html. The gallery is not very good -- it's from when I first set up the site, so the quality is ropey -- but there are more pics of Malta there.

Where are you going to be in the South of France? Malta is easiest and cheapest to get to from England (by air) or Italy (by sea).

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sparrow]

I can’t remember who said “live every day as if it were your last, study as if you will live forever” … or something like that, I probably don’t but I like the idea

As it turns out, I'm Welsh, by patrilineal descent.

I shall now read your stuff in Rob Brydon’s accent ... look-you

 

[jpa66]

Where are you going to be in the South of France? Malta is easiest and cheapest to get to from England (by air) or Italy (by sea).

Cheers,

R.

Roger,

My wife and I plan on spending a week somewhere in Provence, but haven't decided where exactly yet ( someplace relatively small, but not in the middle of nowhere ). The plan from there is either to go over to Italy and spend some time there, or spend more time in France ( probably the Loire Valley ). The trip's still in the planning stages, but everything will most likely be set by the end of January, so we still have some time to figure out ( or agonise over ) where to go. Too many places I want to see, and too little time/money...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Roger,

My wife and I plan on spending a week somewhere in Provence, but haven't decided where exactly yet ( someplace relatively small, but not in the middle of nowhere ). The plan from there is either to go over to Italy and spend some time there, or spend more time in France ( probably the Loire Valley ). The trip's still in the planning stages, but everything will most likely be set by the end of January, so we still have some time to figure out ( or agonise over ) where to go. Too many places I want to see, and too little time/money...

Go straight to Malta from Italy: much quicker and easier. Provence is... well... delightful but more of the same (but with better drivers and better food as compared with Italy). Malta is however unique. In Provence, consider Arles or Avignon.

If you do make it to the Loire valley, that's where we are, about 30 miles north of Poitiers/60 miles south of Tours, so if you're passing...

Cheers,

R.