You Gotta Get Away

Those of you currently working know the importance of stepping away from your job periodically to recharge and refresh. Ideally, you can do that a little each day with a clean cutting of the cord once the workday ends. With that being increasingly difficult for many, especially those who are self-employed (like my wife), taking time off now and then is essential for survival. It also makes you more productive when you return to the job. Kudos for our 19 year old nephew for understanding that already!

It may be counter-intuitive, but many retirees (myself included) need a break in the routine too. While not dealing with the stresses of a work-life balancing act, retirees spend a lot of time at home, especially if their partner is still working. In my case, I enjoy my bike rides, drives, and disc golf outings, but those are often done alone as I have not yet connected with a network of others who enjoy the same activities (if any of you readers know of such groups in the Central NJ area, please let me know) There is softball in the spring and summer, weekly trips to our local brewery, get-togethers with friends, and some volunteer work, but otherwise I am pretty much at home. And while that is nice after 35+ years of being on other people's schedules, a break from the routine is energizing. It also frequently provides a topic or 2 to write about – such as this one.

My wife has been crazy-busy with her home staging business - http://www.ready-set-stage.com/ - since we got back from our February Florida escape. A couple of weeks ago she said she finally had an upcoming Friday with no appointments and suggested we go to Cape May for a long weekend. Sounded good to me and we found a small hotel with affordable rates that was walking distance to most of the things in town we were interested in and had a bar and restaurant.

We had a light agenda as the point was to get away and relax. A stop at a brewery on the way down for samples and lunch then on to our hotel. Next day we started at a winery, visited another brewery close to our hotel and stopped at a distillery for a late lunch with our drinks. Being outside enjoying the nice weather for the most part, it was a great day away from computers, phones, and file folders.

On our final morning, we walked to the pedestrian mall and ran into friends whom we met the last 2 years at the property we stay at in the Keys and who live nearby in NJ. They took a weekend getaway to celebrate their anniversary (congratulations Rob & Sarah on 40 years!) and recognized me as they walked along. We all got a good laugh about running into them down there when we live so close together.

That chance encounter and getting to spend time watching & listening to the ocean capped our weekend. That and 2 full days with neither of us on our computers! As a bonus, traffic was light and the long drive home was an easy one. While it was just a little break in the routine, it helped us both to refresh and recharge.

It doesn’t even take such a break to do the trick. Friends who recently retired to Spain have been going through the perils of home renovations, learning a new language and culture, and being away from longtime friends. They have, however, been experiencing their new surroundings with bike rides, connecting with ex-pats from the US and other European countries, and the husband joined a local soccer club. While they are both enjoying retirement abroad, he is back to having fun in their new life. Yes, the move was a big getaway, but it’s the little things they are doing now that provide that spark.

Getting away from the daily routine takes many forms, not just literally getting away. Taking a class; joining a club, team or group; volunteering; reserving a date night each week; making time to be with others (even if just an evening at the local brewery) are all mini getaways that will help you to reenergize, refresh, and reconnect.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com 5-15-2023