I am starting to have my doubts whether I want to make my permanent home here in my present retirement community. That is what this post is all about.
First, I am paying a lot of money for things I currently have little use for. My retirement community costs over $40,000/year. That is about average for my area, but it is at least a couple of times more expensive than if I lived elsewhere. I rationalized that I might not need it now but will someday so why not just do it now? That was my conservative side speaking. My more liberal side say “don’t think about tomorrow might bring, do what suits you best for today”. These two sides are at battle with me right now.
I chose where I am now living to be on the safe side. It is close to where I have lived most of my life. But, maybe it is time to try a new environment, a new part of the country. Family wise I only have one niece in the area, so that is not really keeping me here. I have come to love her, but that is not enough to keep me here if I can find more happiness elsewhere. The second thing is that since ice and snow are so hazardous to my health, I am forced to live about five months a year just waiting for the temperature to go above freezing, so I can get outside.
The third thing is that retirement communities, or at least my retirement community, is dominated by mostly inactive people. Almost everyone here gets about around on scooter or walkers. I feel like the kid on the block, so to speak, who is around all these old people. Finally, I am a deaf Aspie, and I feel very much alone here in that regard. But, that problem is likely universal for me? But, maybe not. I need to find the answer to that question.
Part of my upcoming extended roadtrip will be to scope out what alternatives might be around the country. I just feel that I need a more physically active community for the near future years of my life. Why settle for less just because “something” might happen? Yes, sometime in the future I will need to be where I am now, but maybe someplace else would make me happier until that time comes.
I promised myself that I would stay here a year before deciding whether another environment would be more conducive to my happiness. I am ten months into that period, so I have some serious thinking to do in this regard.
RJ's Corner 
You are a free spirit with a few extra requirements struggling in a highly structured environment. Giving yourself a year or so to test the waters was wise.
Your road trip is coming at the perfect time to help you judge alternatives. There are other living arrangements and places you will discover.
It is time to “Travel with RJ.”
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I like Bob’s last sentence, It’s time to “Travel with RJ.” Being out on the road will definitely broaden your horizons as they say. New places, new faces, different climates. There’s a lot out there just waiting for you to discover. If not now, when?
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Thanks for the encouragements you two. That is exactly what I need right now. Before my wife’s sudden 78-day demise hit me I was “unofficially” thinking of moving to Santa Fe. It was the perfect small city for me. Of course that will be one stop on my agenda in a few weeks. I know the retirement people say NM taxes are not retirement-friendly, but that is not a deciding factor for me.
With all of the things I have been talking about lately, and your thoughts here, I think a possible future retirement community is now in the top five priorities for me now on this trip. Thanks for at least partially for making that happen.
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Doesn’t Santa Fe have a deaf school? Would that mean that some/more deaf people would tend to stay in Santa Fe? Your wife’s situation forced you to make a quick, but reasoned decision the last time. Now you are at leisure to figure out what’s best for you.
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Hi Linda. I’m not sure if it does or not? But, since I am rarely around other deaf people it would be a learning process. But, maybe worth it to get into a group that understands.
Yeah, it will be fun discovering some alternatives to senior living. From what I have read so far, the large senior communities in Florida and Arizona are quite different from where I am now. They are more targeted to life instead of end-of-life where I am now, if you know what I mean. I am looking forward to seeing them in person, and of course, I will let you know what I find.
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