Friday, June 16, 2017

Moving after retirement

When I was in my forties I read a study that claimed most people lived within 100 miles of where they were born or went to school. I started thinking about that and realised that it appears to be true for many of my circle.  I live, as the crow flies, within a hundred miles of where I went to school, not where I was born. Many of my friends still live within a 25-mile radius of where they were born and went to school. 


Many people move away from their roots when they start to work; work takes precedent and we need to move to where the job takes us. However, when we retire we are no longer restricted to one location. So wanderlust may overtake us. We fondly recall our youth and may decide to move back home. We move after we retire is to be close to our children, or siblings or other family members. Or we may move because we are tired of living in a "big city" or a "small town" and we want a change.  

Is it a good idea to move when you retire? I am one who believes this is not as great idea as it may seem at first. This is because I have friends who have done this and it has been a mistake from which it took them years to recover. Moving means starting new, finding new friends, new support groups, new activities. For many, these tasks are not easy. We have become locked in routine, with a support group and we know our neighbourhoods and we feel safe.

For some, this sense of security and belonging is very important and to move challenges us to a point where we will resist as hard as we can, for others this sense of security and belonging is a stifling and we will do whatever we can to lift the veil and move towards uncertainty with the knowledge it will be better than what we have now.

My daughter asked me if I would move to Australia to be with her and her family. I said no because my support group and friends are here. However, someday that may change and if it does I will look forward to that adventure with enthusiasm.

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