Learned a valuable lesson 60 years ago as a child. My grandparents sold their business in a small Iowa town and retired to an urban area in Wisconsin to be closer to their daughter (my mother) and the grandkids. Two years later my father took a job in Tennessee and we moved. My grandparents were understandably upset and decided to remedy the situation by relocating to Phoenix to live near their son. They hated the heat and lack of greenery but thought it was worth tolerating because they were once again near family. Shortly thereafter my uncle accepted a job transfer to Hawaii. My grandparents were in a quandary. They couldn't envision a third move in three years so they reluctantly stayed in Phoenix. A year later my grandfather had a massive stroke and was in a nursing home until he died a few years later. My grandmother lived another 15 years - over 1,000 miles from the nearest relative. She never failed to let us know how much she regretted the moves they had made. I'm retired now and always vowed I'd never make the mistake my grandparents did. My wife and I have deep roots here with good friends and dear neighbors. We live within 30 minutes of all of our children/grandchildren. Good for them if career moves necessitate moving to a distant part of the country - we live near a major airport and our passports are up to date.
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Learned a valuable lesson 60 years ago as a child. My grandparents sold their business in a small Iowa town and retired to an urban area in Wisconsin to be closer to their daughter (my mother) and the grandkids. Two years later my father took a job in Tennessee and we moved. My grandparents were understandably upset and decided to remedy the situation by relocating to Phoenix to live near their son. They hated the heat and lack of greenery but thought it was worth tolerating because they were once again near family. Shortly thereafter my uncle accepted a job transfer to Hawaii. My grandparents were in a quandary. They couldn't envision a third move in three years so they reluctantly stayed in Phoenix. A year later my grandfather had a massive stroke and was in a nursing home until he died a few years later. My grandmother lived another 15 years - over 1,000 miles from the nearest relative. She never failed to let us know how much she regretted the moves they had made. I'm retired now and always vowed I'd never make the mistake my grandparents did. My wife and I have deep roots here with good friends and dear neighbors. We live within 30 minutes of all of our children/grandchildren. Good for them if career moves necessitate moving to a distant part of the country - we live near a major airport and our passports are up to date.
Post: Let’s revisit the pros and cons of relocating upon retirement
Link to comment from July 29, 2025