The trip to Venice was an experiment.
Venice (Photo credit: Monosnaps)
I keep talking about ‘outrageous retirement’ but my retirement lifestyle has been pretty routine so far. I say that I want to do unexpected things and cling to the ordinary. Part of the reason for this is inertia but there is also fear. What if I don’t have what it takes to live outrageously? What if I fail? Finally I pushed outside the ordinary and planned the trip to Venice. It wasn’t the ultimate adventure- but it was a start, a test to see if my wife and I have what it takes.
At age 70, I was in denial about the aging process. I believed that sheer will and determination was enough to overcome the inevitable breakdown of my body. I believed that I could do the same things, in the same way as a youngster of say 45 or 50- at least that’s what my conscious mind way telling me. My subconscious was more suspicious. It knew that even though the mind was willing, the body might not be able to deliver.
It’s been a goal of mine to travel more in retirement. I have been talking the idea up for years, always with the excuse that tomorrow would be better than today. Tomorrow I would have more money. Tomorrow my wife’s business commitments would be less constraining. Tomorrow, I would finally get all the ducks lined up and do the trip right. The excuses sounded rational but they were really masking the fear that it just might be too late.
We took action!
About one year ago my wife and I had a serious discussion and decided that we might not be able to do everything but we needed to do something before the aging process made it impossible. I wanted to go for a month but we didn’t have the money. We used frequent flier miles and booked a ten day trip to Venice. We wanted to know if we could be happy spending an extended time in one city and we wanted to find out how we would like living in an apartment away from the tourist bustle in a foreign country.
If we were still wanting more after ten days in Venice, then surely a month would be even better. We would also be learning what we needed in our rented apartment and what we didn’t and learning the tricks about traveling. We would also be finding out whether we were physically capable of making an extensive trip and more importantly, whether we would enjoy it or discover that we were just too old- either mentally or physically to enjoy travel.
So what’ the verdict?
Well, today, the experiment is officially over. We are back at home and getting into the routine of normal life. It is time for reflection, analysis and honest discussion about the trip. What went as we expected. What surprised us- both in positive and negative ways. What did we learn and can we use our lessons to make the next trip better?
The quick answer is that we are very excited at how well the trip went. We enjoyed every minute even though we found that our bodies weren’t so resilient as they used to be and we took more down time due to aching muscles and bones. That in itself is an important lesson and an even better justification for staying longer. An hour or so napping or reading is wonderfully refreshing. We found the Italian lifestyle with it’s long mid day break quite in sync with our not so strong muscles.
Our time in Venice was too short. We only scratched the surface of a fascinating city and we had no time for the reading and sketching that I had hoped to do. A longer trip would provide a more relaxed visit with a day off from time to time for R and R. We could easily have stayed on longer.
It was outrageous!
So to conclude today/s report, the experiment was a success. The subjects survived and the lessons learned will help us plan the next trip. I will have more about specific aspects of the trip but the general conclusion is that for aging individuals with no serious health problems and an adventurous mental state, travel is wonderful. At least a long term stay in an interesting environment with adequate amenities like our stay in Venice. We came back refreshed, stimulated and ready to see our regular lifestyle in new ways. More importantly, we came back excited to plan our next trip. Time’s a wasting.
There are really a lot of things that we can never do when we are already old so as we are still young, we have to make the most out of it…
Jesslie’s last Blog Post ..GoPro HD HERO Camera
Excellent point Jessie but you also have to test yourself so that you don’t miss out on doing things you are still able to do because you are afraid you can’t.
HI, Ralph… It’s neat that you and your wife got “outside the box” and traveled to Venice. I think that travel is good for the mind, body and spirit. Back in 1999, Wendy and I traveled in Italy and spent too little time in Venice. It’s a wonderfully interesting city. I especially enjoyed getting lost (over and over again) in and amongst the city’s 150 islands and 400 bridges. And stopping off at one bar after another for a finger-food snack and a tiny little glass of red wine. Delightful! Bill
Bill Birnbaum’s last Blog Post ..Grandchildren Change Retirees’ Lives
Bill,
You are exactly right about the delights of getting lost in Venice. First, it is so small that you can’t really get lost for long and second you can stop and get some coffee, an ombra, or a snack. I could have stayed a month happily.
Now that is more like it, Ralph..testing yourself where you are too far from home to pack it in at the first sign of a bump in the road!
I’m not surprised you loved Venice. My wife and I were there 4 years ago and enjoyed it tremendously. We stayed in a hotel on the mainland and took the train over every morning. Like you (and Bill) we got lost in all the little streets and canals. We bought food at the fabulous farmer’s market and watched the sunset over the Grand Canal. We ate way too much rich food and were not ready to take the train back to Rome when it was time to head home.
Where to next?
Bob Lowry/Satisfying Retirement’s last Blog Post ..Retirees: How Did We Grow Up So Deprived?
Bob,
Interesting that we did not do too much eating- rich food or not. Food just wasn’t a priority. Having an apartment to retire to when we needed to rest made all the difference. Those long lunch hours were great pick me ups.
Ralph, it sounds like you have caught the bug then?
Bill Murney @ Walks In Tameside’s last Blog Post ..Tryfan
Bill,
I had the bug but kept it under control. Now, it’s serious.
Sounds like you had a good time and now have the bug to travel more. Do it. I did a few years back and it was great. Give New Zealand a thought. Or maybe Macchu Picchu in Peru.
Hansi’s last Blog Post ..March Madness
Hey, Ralph… If you follow Hansi’s advice and visit Machu Picchu, make sure you spend some time in Cusco. Wendy and lived some four hours (by bus) west of Cusco and spent much time on many visits to the city. We very much enjoyed the city on each of our visits. Bill
Bill Birnbaum’s last Blog Post ..Grandchildren Change Retirees’ Lives
Hansi, I’d love to see Macchu Picchu but I don’t know if I am still up to the altitude.
Bill,
I’d definitely spend some time in Cusco if I go to Macchu Picchu. I’m afraid it might just be too late in life for high altitude siteseeing.
Ralph… Yes, Cusco is high altitude and visiting there necessitates taking it slow when walking up hill. But well worth it. Also, the nights are cool during the winter (June through August). Pack a jacket. Bill
Bill Birnbaum’s last Blog Post ..Grandchildren Change Retirees’ Lives
Bill,
that’s good news. I forgot that Peru is in the Southern hemisphere. We’d be going in Summer.
Ralph… Yep, Winter here, summer there. Bill