A few months into my retirement, I took a trip to the French Riviera. After seeing some sights on my own for a few days, I decided to book a sightseeing trip with a tour company. The driver picked me up from my hotel early in the morning, then picked up the other passengers from their hotels as well. Altogether there were six of us; a young couple from South Africa, another couple from Colombia, a single gentleman in his early thirties from California, and myself.
The Day Was Full Of Many Sights To See
We had a full day ahead of us. The itinerary included stopping at several scenic viewpoints, a castle, and a few famous landmarks. We’d drive miles to get to each destination. Then hop out of the van and spend a short period at each location. Most of the places were easily accessible. Some involved a short walk, while others included longer hikes or climbing steep hills or steps. It was all worth it, though. The views were spectacular, and at the end of the day, I had great memories and amazing photos.
When we arrived at one of our destinations, we all veered off to take photos. Excited to see the views, I took pictures and then attempted to take a few selfies with the beautiful coastal scenery behind me. The single gentleman, who was standing nearby, offered to take my picture in exchange to take his. From that point on, it became our routine to take photos for each other.
As the day went on, we began to talk more. That’s when I learned he was married with children. His wife didn’t like to travel. Therefore, he went alone. We continued our routine of photo-taking while sharing stories of our previous travels and travel plans for the future. He began to open up more about his life. Coincidently, his career was very similar to mine, although he was just beginning (I hadn’t shared much of my information yet). I listened to him talk about his hopes to get his wife to travel and about someday bringing his children to some of the places he’d once visited.
Life From One Young Man’s Point Of View
I let him talk and talk while I continued snapping photos until something he said caught my attention. He looked forward to retiring, which would be in his early fifties. I nodded in silence, but before I could say anything, he continued. He turned to me and with sincerity, added that this was the best time for us to travel – while we’re young. Did he say we? I assumed he must have been thinking I was somewhere close to his age (Bless his heart!). I asked him what he meant by that statement. The gentleman then added that because, when we retire, we’ll be too old to do all this stuff.
Did he honestly see retirees as people unable to get around? Here I was, enjoying the French Riviera, walking along Boulevard de la Croisette, and having the time of my life. We’d been walking around all day, climbing steps, visiting castles, walking up hills, and I felt great! Should I not be feeling this way?
Retirement The Way I See It
Okay, maybe I’m a bit sensitive when it comes to this subject, and I suppose, when I was in my thirties, imagining myself in my fifties caused me to panic too. I guess the young man needed to know, hey kid, retiring in your fifties is not so bad.
I broke it to him gently; that I’m his biggest fear. I’m in my fifties and retired, and here I am, doing all the things he feared he couldn’t do at my age. His mouth dropped, and he got quiet. He didn’t think I looked my age. I graciously thanked him. He didn’t have much more to say. Maybe he felt he put his foot in his mouth? Regardless, I hope I somehow put him at ease. That perhaps he’ll envision a new meaning of what retirement life is. Of course, living right, eating well, and taking care of yourself, all play a significant role in the aging factor. However, I wanted him to understand that retirement is not necessarily the end of the road. I see it as a new beginning, and yes, young man, I can do all -this -stuff.
