soon to be retired physician, aging athlete, passionate surfer, itinerant scholar
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I stopped working for wages (don't like the term "retirement") 3 months ago. I'm 64. I have not traveled as extensively as you, but certainly some. I find myself more selective. I still look forward to travel, but to specific places for specific reasons, where I can follow my curiosities and interests. For example, I am an amateur historian, a Dickens fan and a walker - and love cooler temps. London, with easy transpo to the rest of UK, could be my single travel destination and I'd be (I am!) happy. Others see it as a crowded over-touristed destination. All depends on perspective. I agree with your suggestion that foreign travel is often presumed to be a top aspirational goals. I also agree that my fulfillment with simpler pleasures - walking my dog, gardening, reading, helping my elderly in-laws- has gone way up. Very importantly to me, I like staying consistent with my fitness routine, which is much tougher away from home.
There is some nuance missing here. I come from 40 years working in healthcare.
1) the emergence of compounded versions was a given
2) the availability of similarly effective meds developed by competitors was a given
3) the high cost of these meds for such a widespread and heretofore unsolvable problem - obesity - suggested that something would have to give, and quickly. Big Pharma, rightly or wrongly, are considered a close second to large health insurers as bad actors within our very high cost healthcare system quagmire. The public and government would not/will not shore up protections for Novo in this situation. The arena of GLP-1s and weight loss treatment generally will continue to evolve in ways that cannot be foreseen.
Please elaborate on your comment that "The better you understand Bitcoin the less speculative it will seem." I understand it a bit. My impression is that bitcoin as a technological tool, or underpinning of potential future and evolving tools, is real - but that as an investment Bitcoin and other crypto is pure speculation; and that if people are honest the only reason people invest is stew of FOMO and the human fantasy of being able to get rich quick,
Spouse and I mid 60s, good health, me just left my full time gig. We'd leave the heat of central Texas in heartbeat but are choosing to stay put to help her parents. Also one of our kids is here. I will think long and hard about moving away from one of my kids. We are already 4 hour flight from the other one.
And circumstances will change. We'll see.
We lived in Portland for my residency, loved it, would strongly consider going back to the PNW.
I lived this question in the last 2 years. I am a physician who was 1000% committed to my mother's right to live and die where she wanted. She had lived in one house, that my father build, for 64 years. My 2 brothers and I - her only 3 kids - had all moved away, albeit within 4 -5 hour drive. She developed dementia, we made it work in her home for a while. Was very very difficult. Finally the "blast radius" of the dementia (me getting calls from neighbors in the middle of the night that she was calling them, other neighbors telling me she wasn't safe) got to big, and we moved her to an assisted living in Houston, where one of my brothers lived. Was really tough for all involved. Ultimately we moved her again, to the city where I live, and I became primary caretaker.
None of this was easy, most was emotionally draining. It affected the entirety of our lives. But for us, there was never a question that we would do everything we could to keep her comfortable and minimally unhappy. That it would be difficult was a given.
We all experience different models of parenting and family dynamics. I believe those earliest experiences are the main influence on how we think about our obligations.
This and the thread about family estrangement are dancing around the same truth, which is that we have no control. Not over other people, even our beloved kids and relatives; and not over the unfolding of life. Good estate planning (for estates) and good communication (for family matters) can influence the direction things will go, but are far from guarantees. With apologies for ratcheting up the altltude of discourse, one could argue that learning this truth is the the task of life. This reality fuels my gratitude for the many wonderful - and often evanescent - people and moments in my life.
Early in my career I dreamt of buying more precious (read: expensive) antiquarian medical and science books. Think Vesalius, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Have accepted that that would not make me happy.
More recently, a second home back in the Pac NW, where I did my residency. We loved the climate and geography, and don't love our central TX heat. Now we have the money for that, but are tethered to TX by choice because of aging in-laws (who we are happy to help).
I am retiring in October of this year, about 4 mos. Going to get the fancy home espresso machine I have always dreamed of. Have postponed because I anticipated that while working I would not have the time to play with it.
One thing I did splurge on years ago, and am so happy about: For any of you surfers, I had a board made by the then very-much-aging Dale Velzy. About 6 months later, after many handwritten notes from he or his wife, and a few phone calls, my stunning board arrived. Its a 9'6" triple stringer, shaped and finished by Dale. His signature on the board belies his age. It may be one of the last boards he build start to finish before he died. Best $1500 I ever spent.
PS - Curious if any other surfers on this board?
Comments
I stopped working for wages (don't like the term "retirement") 3 months ago. I'm 64. I have not traveled as extensively as you, but certainly some. I find myself more selective. I still look forward to travel, but to specific places for specific reasons, where I can follow my curiosities and interests. For example, I am an amateur historian, a Dickens fan and a walker - and love cooler temps. London, with easy transpo to the rest of UK, could be my single travel destination and I'd be (I am!) happy. Others see it as a crowded over-touristed destination. All depends on perspective. I agree with your suggestion that foreign travel is often presumed to be a top aspirational goals. I also agree that my fulfillment with simpler pleasures - walking my dog, gardening, reading, helping my elderly in-laws- has gone way up. Very importantly to me, I like staying consistent with my fitness routine, which is much tougher away from home.
Post: What If You Don’t Want to See the World?
Link to comment from August 30, 2025
Words matter so much. This is a wonderful story and a testament to your generosity of spirit, foresight and flexibility.
Post: I never expected this…..
Link to comment from August 16, 2025
There is some nuance missing here. I come from 40 years working in healthcare. 1) the emergence of compounded versions was a given 2) the availability of similarly effective meds developed by competitors was a given 3) the high cost of these meds for such a widespread and heretofore unsolvable problem - obesity - suggested that something would have to give, and quickly. Big Pharma, rightly or wrongly, are considered a close second to large health insurers as bad actors within our very high cost healthcare system quagmire. The public and government would not/will not shore up protections for Novo in this situation. The arena of GLP-1s and weight loss treatment generally will continue to evolve in ways that cannot be foreseen.
Post: Harder Than It Looks
Link to comment from August 16, 2025
Health and the state of the world (in reaction to the state of our USA) are exactly what I would have guessed, and for good reason.
Post: What Worries You?
Link to comment from August 10, 2025
Please elaborate on your comment that "The better you understand Bitcoin the less speculative it will seem." I understand it a bit. My impression is that bitcoin as a technological tool, or underpinning of potential future and evolving tools, is real - but that as an investment Bitcoin and other crypto is pure speculation; and that if people are honest the only reason people invest is stew of FOMO and the human fantasy of being able to get rich quick,
Post: Supercharging Your Retirement with Crypto: A Wise Move, or a Risky Bet?
Link to comment from August 9, 2025
Spouse and I mid 60s, good health, me just left my full time gig. We'd leave the heat of central Texas in heartbeat but are choosing to stay put to help her parents. Also one of our kids is here. I will think long and hard about moving away from one of my kids. We are already 4 hour flight from the other one. And circumstances will change. We'll see. We lived in Portland for my residency, loved it, would strongly consider going back to the PNW.
Post: Let’s revisit the pros and cons of relocating upon retirement
Link to comment from July 30, 2025
I lived this question in the last 2 years. I am a physician who was 1000% committed to my mother's right to live and die where she wanted. She had lived in one house, that my father build, for 64 years. My 2 brothers and I - her only 3 kids - had all moved away, albeit within 4 -5 hour drive. She developed dementia, we made it work in her home for a while. Was very very difficult. Finally the "blast radius" of the dementia (me getting calls from neighbors in the middle of the night that she was calling them, other neighbors telling me she wasn't safe) got to big, and we moved her to an assisted living in Houston, where one of my brothers lived. Was really tough for all involved. Ultimately we moved her again, to the city where I live, and I became primary caretaker. None of this was easy, most was emotionally draining. It affected the entirety of our lives. But for us, there was never a question that we would do everything we could to keep her comfortable and minimally unhappy. That it would be difficult was a given. We all experience different models of parenting and family dynamics. I believe those earliest experiences are the main influence on how we think about our obligations.
Post: Family Dynamics, Part 3: What Do Adult Children Owe Their Aging Parents?
Link to comment from July 30, 2025
This and the thread about family estrangement are dancing around the same truth, which is that we have no control. Not over other people, even our beloved kids and relatives; and not over the unfolding of life. Good estate planning (for estates) and good communication (for family matters) can influence the direction things will go, but are far from guarantees. With apologies for ratcheting up the altltude of discourse, one could argue that learning this truth is the the task of life. This reality fuels my gratitude for the many wonderful - and often evanescent - people and moments in my life.
Post: Letting Go
Link to comment from July 29, 2025
I use them. My first holding will mature end of this year.
Post: Has anyone used iBonds to build a bond ladder?
Link to comment from July 24, 2025
Early in my career I dreamt of buying more precious (read: expensive) antiquarian medical and science books. Think Vesalius, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Have accepted that that would not make me happy. More recently, a second home back in the Pac NW, where I did my residency. We loved the climate and geography, and don't love our central TX heat. Now we have the money for that, but are tethered to TX by choice because of aging in-laws (who we are happy to help). I am retiring in October of this year, about 4 mos. Going to get the fancy home espresso machine I have always dreamed of. Have postponed because I anticipated that while working I would not have the time to play with it. One thing I did splurge on years ago, and am so happy about: For any of you surfers, I had a board made by the then very-much-aging Dale Velzy. About 6 months later, after many handwritten notes from he or his wife, and a few phone calls, my stunning board arrived. Its a 9'6" triple stringer, shaped and finished by Dale. His signature on the board belies his age. It may be one of the last boards he build start to finish before he died. Best $1500 I ever spent. PS - Curious if any other surfers on this board?
Post: Dreams I Had
Link to comment from June 3, 2025