(NON FINANCIAL) Retirement plans/ dreams/ discussion.

Triumph13

I'm another of the dodgy knees brigade. I always carried a folding stick and a 3 mile level walk was my absolute limit to have any chance of not ending in agony. Since retiring in October, I've been much less sedentary, I've had time to exercise to strengthen my knees more and we've had more holidays than usual giving me time to really learn how to use trekking poles.
Being retired has meant we took the kids away for 2 weeks this Easter, not just one, so we have had time to start slowly and build up the miles. This morning I am walking normally, without pain, despite having walked up Snowdon yesterday (Rhyd Ddu path). Result!

cfw1994

Good job on the knees, Triumph13! Nice to hear they can improve with training.
I’ve done Snowdon a fair few times but never that path....maybe next time I will!

Approaching mid-50s here & acutely aware that I’d like the next 10-15+ years to include activities that need reasonable health.
I had a great 50mile bike ride with good friends yesterday (first time on my bike for quite some time..).
Still do quite a bit of walking (help run DofE gold expeditions for scouts in our area....gives 2 good weekends away each year.
We are happy camping, but I really want a nice comfy small campervan....maybe need to get a decent van and convert ourselves (or pay someone to do it to our spec). The only problem there is when I think about what I’d like: I suspect it is 3 different vans...& then I think how many b&b/hotels the van cost could pay for & wonder if it is worth it :rotfl:

We started skiing in our 40s (as a family thing), & we all love being on the mountains....I’d like to spend 6+ weeks at a resort sometime.....but perhaps need to retire to get that time! Mind you, reading the above, I sometimes wonder how I have time to work now

Knees a bit knackered but still battling on....

k6chris

cfw1994 wrote: »

We started skiing in our 40s (as a family thing), & we all love being on the mountains....I’d like to spend 6+ weeks at a resort sometime.....but perhaps need to retire to get that time! Mind you, reading the above, I sometimes wonder how I have time to work now

Knees a bit knackered but still battling on....

Snow shoe - all the amazingness of the mountains, away from the busy pistes, a LOT less expensive and friendlier on the knees! Plus very easy to learn if anyone does not want to learn to ski.

bluenose1

k6chris wrote: »

Snow shoe - all the amazingness of the mountains, away from the busy pistes, a LOT less expensive and friendlier on the knees! Plus very easy to learn if anyone does not want to learn to ski.

Snow shoes- another type of holiday to add to my bucket list. Don't think I would have confidence to learn to ski in my 50s but imagine this would be an enjoyable pastime. Where do you go to do this?

My thoughts today (ever changing depending on what I have read) re moving house when I retire in 2 years at 55 are that we should spend at least a year before deciding where to go and holiday in different areas to decide what suits us.
I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at house prices in North Wales, that we could get a lovely semi rural house below our price range. Suppose it is because most people want to live by certain schools and may have to work near a major City.
We currently live far too close to a busy A road which the trucks use from the Docks to the Motorway. Shame as we have a nice house and our 16 year old is really settled in school. I could see us still staying in the North West. Decisions, decisions.
Though my main thoughts at moment are lots of long let winter holidays to sunnier climes- Cyprus, Canaries, Portugal etc. The weather at moment makes me think how lovely it would be to have the sun over Winter.

cfw1994

bluenose1 wrote: »

Snow shoes- another type of holiday to add to my bucket list. Don't think I would have confidence to learn to ski in my 50s but imagine this would be an enjoyable pastime. Where do you go to do this?

My thoughts today (ever changing depending on what I have read) re moving house when I retire in 2 years at 55 are that we should spend at least a year before deciding where to go and holiday in different areas to decide what suits us.
I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at house prices in North Wales, that we could get a lovely semi rural house below our price range. Suppose it is because most people want to live by certain schools and may have to work near a major City.
We currently live far too close to a busy A road which the trucks use from the Docks to the Motorway. Shame as we have a nice house and our 16 year old is really settled in school. I could see us still staying in the North West. Decisions, decisions.
Though my main thoughts at moment are lots of long let winter holidays to sunnier climes- Cyprus, Canaries, Portugal etc. The weather at moment makes me think how lovely it would be to have the sun over Winter.

It makes sense to me not to rush into changes. For us, I doubt we will look to move: our social network is all close by...the hospital facilities are decent....
I do wonder about house swaps as having potential...but we need to spend a year tidying first!

Techno

You can buy my house in North Wales bluenose1 if you like so we can move into the retirement bungalow :D

JoeEngland

bluenose1 wrote: »

Snow shoes- another type of holiday to add to my bucket list. Don't think I would have confidence to learn to ski in my 50s but imagine this would be an enjoyable pastime. Where do you go to do this?

My thoughts today (ever changing depending on what I have read) re moving house when I retire in 2 years at 55 are that we should spend at least a year before deciding where to go and holiday in different areas to decide what suits us.
I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at house prices in North Wales, that we could get a lovely semi rural house below our price range. Suppose it is because most people want to live by certain schools and may have to work near a major City.
We currently live far too close to a busy A road which the trucks use from the Docks to the Motorway. Shame as we have a nice house and our 16 year old is really settled in school. I could see us still staying in the North West. Decisions, decisions.
Though my main thoughts at moment are lots of long let winter holidays to sunnier climes- Cyprus, Canaries, Portugal etc. The weather at moment makes me think how lovely it would be to have the sun over Winter.

A holiday in places you might consider moving to is a good idea. Last year we did a long weekend on Anglesey and this year we're doing the same in Lincolnshire. Both places offer some of what we want from location and house prices. My first choice of where to move to is Anglesey but it depends on DW.

bluenose1

Techno wrote: »

You can buy my house in North Wales bluenose1 if you like so we can move into the retirement bungalow :D

Ha, many a true word spoken in jest. Though you will have to put your plans on hold to move for about 3 years:D.
Seriously I was half thinking a bungalow myself though not sure. Have spent my idle time looking on Rightmove at areas around Ruthin, Clywd etc, interspersed with looking at long holiday lets in Cyprus etc on Airbnb. Though have only ever lived and worked in Liverpool so not sure if only having few shops nearby would be a shock to the system.

bluenose1

JoeEngland wrote: »

A holiday in places you might consider moving to is a good idea. Last year we did a long weekend on Anglesey and this year we're doing the same in Lincolnshire. Both places offer some of what we want from location and house prices. My first choice of where to move to is Anglesey but it depends on DW.

There are so many places that are worth considering, will be interesting to see where you prefer. My husband would not want to move too far from Liverpool, so I am thinking of places no more than an hour away. Unless we holiday somewhere like Cyprus and just think blow it and uproot totally, though doubt it. Exciting times no matter what!!!

Techno

We currently live in Llandudno and the bungalow is already purchased so house going on the market on Wednesday. JoeEngland, Anglesey is beautiful, however, quite a lot of the local villages are Welsh first language so there is a job for you before you retire, learn to siarad Cymraeg