A colleague who has confided that SHE wants to retire early too, called for an update and asked me if I thought I was going to be bored. I told her I wouldn’t be bored till I had done all of the things on my “Retirement Bucket List,” and texted her a picture.
I’m sure I started the “Retirement Bucket List” years ago after a fight with my husband, who kept asking me what I was going to DO when I retired, like I wouldn’t be able to think of a single fun thing to do without my boss’s help. I’ve added to it over the years, when I’ve had an idea of something I wanted to do that I simply didn’t have time to pursue. It doesn’t look neat anymore as I’ve run out of room and scribbled stuff in the margins and other corners of the paper. It also has water ripples and holes from being tacked to the bulletin board on my desk. I’m now adding things on the back because I’m out of space. I’m probably never going to finish it, because I’m interested in everything, and its growing faster than I will be able to cross things off.
Am I making ANY progress? Sort of. I checked on the Master Gardener Class (number 1). The next one is cancelled, of course, but I have a note on my phone to check back closer to the next sign up date.
#5 is a trip to learn Spanish. About 10 years ago, my husband and I ended up in a situation in Mexico where we were hungry, in the middle of nowhere, in a restaurant where no one spoke any English. I ordered a Coke by pointing at the Coke sign on the umbrella and went to the kitchen and pointed at a plate and held up two fingers. It was fabulous, whatever it was. I vowed never be caught in that situation again.
I bought a Spanish language course on CD and listened to it in my car. I’m pretty good at languages and picked up enough to help us out on our next few trips. (I also used the same system to learn a bit of Italian and brush up on my French before other trips). I really like Central and South America, and plan on spending more time there in retirement, plus I just like learning stuff.
I asked all of my native Spanish-speaking friends about good places to learn- hilariously they all told me (quite seriously) that their own country had the best Spanish accent and was the best place to learn. I bought a book on Peru and was thinking about that as a Spanish learning trip when my friend from Chile came over for dinner. She actually offered to help me design a trip where I stayed with her various family members in different places in Chile to learn Spanish. This is BETTER than what I wrote down. I would love spending time with a family and getting to know the culture better! Now I just have to convince my husband…
I can’t find a pottery class (# 2) going on right now, but a friend and former client offered to let me come over and make a few pottery items at his house. He retired and took up making pottery and went into business just to get rid of all the items cluttering up his house. He said to call him when I’m ready to make something. His pottery shop is outside, and its a little chilly for having wet muddy fingers right now, but winter is short around here, so it won’t be long.
So far I’ve been doing mostly things that don’t sound great when people ask you what you’ve been doing. I stayed up till 3 am last night because the novel I’m reading is good, and I wasn’t ready to put it down. A friend is coming over for coffee in a few minutes, and my parents are coming to stay for the weekend.
Today I have to plan a menu and go to the store, but I have plenty of time for that, and also a nap, cause I’m going to need one after last night! I’m going to finish my book, and my husband is going fishing so I invited two girlfriends over for wine around the fire on the patio tonight. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but I have been bouncing out of bed every morning looking forward to my day. Nope, I’m not bored.
I love the idea of keeping a running list. I’ll going to adopt that strategy. I often have brilliant ideas 😉 and then quickly forget them. By the way staying awake until 3 am sounds like a great way to spend the evening. What was the book?
I hadn’t looked at the list for a while and there were some things on there that I had forgotten, so I’m glad I wrote it down. The book is
American Princess
– its about Alice Roosevelt. The beginning of the book was interesting, but I’m kind of getting bored with it. Its a novel, and if the author is writing Alice’s character accurately, I don’t think I’d like her very much.
That’s a long bucket list, and we don’t even get to see the other side! There’s not much chance that you’re going to be bored.
You’ve also made me feel good, as I’ve done quite a few things from your bucket list already🤣
It is very long, but I’m mot dead set on doing every one of them. I just have so many interests, I don’t want to forget the next time I’m wondering what to do with myself. I used to have a list taped to the fridge during the summertime for when my boys told me they were bored. It was a list of all the things they could go do to entertain themselves. On the other hand, I probably have 30 good travelling/active years left. Maybe I will do them all! I’ll have to go and look up what is on YOUR list!