Well, I guess I am truly an ElderChick as I have decided to sell my house and move into a retirement home. And you know, I am quite happy about the decision. I am alone now and it isn’t much fun. I retired and my husband died. I have a great house, not too big, but lonely so I decided to make the move. I selected a cottage at a retirement home with two bedrooms. There are dozens, literally, of things to do there, from the gym and ceramics to a poetry group. It’s a huge change, but I am ready, if one if ever really ready, to make such a big life change.
Time for a Change by Joan Specter
March 25, 2013 by ElderChicks
Good for you, I hope it will be a wonderful life change. Syd
Good luck. I would do the same thing. Have a wonderful, exciting time. Do you need someone to help you downsize. I can give you a recommendation.
Marlyn Kline
It’s admirable that you took the initiative and are making this big change! Sounds like an excellent decision! What’s the name of the retirement home? (I might need one at some later point so your recommendation would be helpful.
thanks,
Ruth
rrovner@aol.com
Good for you..to make the changes you want and need and not have them made for you! Enjoy your new active life
Boy, was this entry by Joan Specter a weird experience for me! My name is Joan Spector (with an o, not an e) and I opened my computer to read that “I had decided to move into a retirement home.” To the Joan who wrote this. . .I wish you well and hope you will be very happy. For this Joan. .that’s not for me, at least, not yet, although I am 83, divorced, living alone and liking it. Still very active and enjoying life to the fullest. Different strokes for different folks!
CONGRATULATIONS……..A VERY WISE DECISION,,,,,,,,,ENJOY….
Good luck to you, Joan. I’m not there yet, but wish you all the best. I am at the point now where I am just beginning to do the traveling I’ve always wanted to do. I’m leaving for an extended (two month) trip to Europe in May, Tahiti and the South Seas in October, and Aruba in January. There may be some trips in between, too. Next year, I hope to do a safari, and more cruises and possibly another trip to Europe depending on how I like it the first time.
I retired in june of last year and traveling is what I am doing. I did a safari last august and a cruise in October. this year i’ll do Italy in august and in October I will do the 3 national parks.
Joan,
One of my dearest friends, Millie Fellows, was in her 80’s when she told me that the secret to being happy as we age is to accept the changes. I have not had to deal with the loss of a spouse, but I have had to deal with downsizing, selling the majority of my household goods and moving 1200 miles. This was after making the decision to retire from a very difficult position. What I can tell you is that there is life after change. Good Luck and God Bless!!
Marilyn Arnold
This is so brave of you. How old are you? Sounds like you don’t have economic worries. To find a community where you can get the support and friendship you need and still maintain your independence sounds like heaven! I, too, battle loneliness but I am not quite ready to make the choice for assisted living just yet.
write and tell us how you adjust and what fun things you are doing