Many people consider moving as a part of their retirement plan. Often it's a move to be near a parent or a child who needs some help. Caregiving for the old or grandchildren often falls to those who have the time and the willingness to do it. Others move for a better cost of living, to be in a place they loved when they vacationed, or to be near a venue where they can indulge an interest. Perhaps retiring to be near a place where they can hunt or fish, experience museums or concert venues that inspire, or a climate that is more conducive than the one they presently live in. It used to be only about 5 percent of people moved after they retired. The number is up to 20 percent and growing. A move to escape the boredom of a routine that you know and the sameness of the familiar is becoming a trend.
Sylvester Stallone, who we all know as Rocky or Rambo, has moved from California to Florida. Yes, the tax savings will be huge, but that's not the reason. To put it in his own words, "It’s really easy to become complacent. I thought I gotta do something drastic. Everything’s getting kind of mundane, repetitive, I can feel myself withering a little bit, drying up like an old fig falling off a tree." He continued, wondering, "Jesus, how long am I going to be around, for another 20 years? I don’t want to be complacent for 20 years.""So I said, ‘Well, you really want to get the adrenals going? Leave.’ And that’s why I’m gonna move east. Nothing I think inspires you than taking your house or your history, balling it up and going [gestures blowing ball away]."
We can attest to his emotion. After 48 years we moved from Manhattan, NY to Florida. We blew off the familiar and challenged ourselves. All the familiar was gone. We had to learn everything new. The roads, the destinations, where to shop, where to eat. We had to find new doctors, dentists, and make new friends. It was hard. The result has been excellent. We wouldn't have said that a year ago. It takes time to adjust to new surroundings. But our advice is that if you decide to do it, don't be a quick quitter. Give it time. Tolerate the frustrations. Risk getting lost. Eventually, you will see the horizon.
For those of you who want a more daring move, one of our single neighbors who moved to Florida quickly decided it wasn't enough. She recently moved. She is going on a three year around the world cruise. The exciting thing is that she has never been on a ship before. Now that's adventure.
