See the World in Retirement
The most common dream that I hear people list for their retirement years is to travel. I fully agree with that sentiment, and I always encourage people to see the world in retirement. Don’t put off the planning any longer and don’t make excuses. The longer you delay the more likely you’ll fall into the group that “wished” they had traveled. The pandemic cost us two years basically of no journeys and staying isolated. We’re making up for lost time and so should you.
The reality of retirement is that we’re not getting any younger. You may never be healthier or in better condition than you are now. That may sound a bit harsh but it’s reality. One of our friends is in her mid-eighties and she still travels as much as possible, but you can see she’s slowing down. She was determined to see the world in retirement, and she did. We follow her advice which is to do it while you can. There is nothing, in my opinion, more rewarding and educational than traveling to different locations and seeing how the rest of the world lives. But there are some things that will make the trip easier and maximize your enjoyment.
See the World in Retirement by starting NOW!
Plan your trip carefully and make your money go as far as possible. Airfares are expensive so extend your trip as much as you can. For example, if you’re flying to Europe to start a cruise, go a few days ahead and plan to extend your stay after the cruise ends. You’ll see a lot more even if there’s a tour scheduled in each of those ports. We have found that arranging your own tour through a guide company is a very wise investment. You’ll probably only be in these cities once in your life so make the most of it. While we are determined to see the world in retirement, we don’t want to become one of those people who do things or see places just to check them off the list. No, we have enjoyed learning as much as we can about whatever location we’re in. It makes all the difference in our experience.
If you’re taking a land tour with a company, do the same thing. Get there early and extend your stay at the end. You won’t feel rushed, and you’ll have the time to see all the things you were determined to see. Again, take the time to find a reputable company to be your guide. They are experts and it absolutely amazing how you can customize your own tour. We felt like royalty during our private tour of the Vatican before the public was allowed in. We practically had the Sistine Chapel to ourselves, and our guide gave us excellent documentation (there’s no talking allowed) to guide us through what we were seeing and all of the symbolism and meaning behind the magnificent artwork. Yes, it does add to the cost of the trip but it is worth every penny and actually makes all the additional money you spent worth it as well. After all, between the airfare, food and accommodations, you’re spending a lot of money. It would be terrible to come home and not feel you had seen everything thoroughly or have your memory tainted by the crowds rather than the exhibits. If you’re going to see the world in retirement, make sure you actually see it!
The other thing you can do is try to make the journey to and from your destination as easy as possible. If you’re driving, break up the trip into manageable parts and consider staying in a place you’ve never seen before. Airports are always a challenge so getting as much clearance as you can makes sense. The TSA and Global Entry processes can be cumbersome, but they will save you time. Although spending additional money for an upgraded ticket may not be possible, there is a difference between coach and premium economy. If possible, consider breaking up the flights. Take advantage of something you never had when you traveled during your working years: time. Believe me, I was determined to see the world in retirement and that included some long flights. We were dreading the journey to Australia and New Zealand because of the time in the plane but we did one of the smartest things ever. We stopped in Palm Springs for a couple of days and then spent a week in Hawaii. That made the flight to Auckland about nine hours, and it made all the difference in the world. Our fellow travelers arrived exhausted and didn’t come out of their rooms for a couple of days. I am well aware of what it costs to do this but, if you can break up your journey just a bit, try it out and see what you think. I think you’ll be surprised at the difference that it makes.
The best advice of all is to just do it. Don’t put it off and don’t look at all the reasons for delaying the trip. There will always be a reason you shouldn’t go but we’ve found that every trip was memorable and we came back with experiences that we couldn’t get from reading a book or watching a show on television. If at all possible, you should see the world in retirement. There are so many wonderful places to visit and incredible things to see. Make the most of your retirement. It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!
Thanks for visiting. If you like what you see here, please tell your friends.
If you think it might be fun to start your own website (it is!) please look here.
If you’d like to learn about earning a steady online income, please check out this possibility.