Are you a healthy retiree 55+? You can be married or unmarried and still find some wonderful retirement communities. The most well known are the Del Webb Sun Cities. These communities have areas with homes, condos as well as commercial areas with medical centers, retail shops, restaurants, recreation areas, golf courses and more.
One famous retirement community in Florida that is very well known is The Villages. It is located in central Florida and is almost a major city all on its own. The population of The Villages has swelled since its inception over 50 years ago. Today there are about 70,000 residents. Everyone seems to have a golf cart; the fancier the better.
When you are getting ready to retire there are several things to take into consideration.
One of the things that is important when considering retirement is what you plan to do with your time. Are you going to spend your “golden years” sitting on the sofa watching television? Do you want to play golf? Do you want to learn a craft like silversmith? Do you plan to work part time? Do you plan to travel? Do you want to move to another place? All of these things are important when you are planning your retirement. If your spouse has died or if you are divorced, you might want to live in an area with other singles your age and with your interests. Maybe you plan to go back to college and finish the degree you started years ago before the real world kicked in.
Do your research until you find the perfect place. It is recommended that you visit all places you think of before you actually move there. If you are considering leaving the country to live in one of the “retirement havens”, you need to visit those places several times before picking one. If you are going to take one of the advertised “retirement tours” be certain to have the people involved checked out prior to making a commitment or giving them any money. You will find that Belize, Costa Rica and Panama have large communities of Canadians and Americans that enjoy their retirement days in the sun in Latin American countries. You should remember, however, that these countries are not run like America is and that you do not have the same type of civil rights. You should study the rules and regulations of the country as well as learning their language so that you can communicate. Even though you will find many Americans, you will need to learn their language for trade and everyday living. All legal transactions will be done in their language not English. You will need to have someone with you that you can trust to translate the document correctly or learn the language yourself. Living abroad can be nice but there will be things that you cannot easily get in the new country that you will have to have shipped to you if it is something you cannot live without. Many of these countries have medical facilities that are linked to well known facilities in the U.S.
All in all, retirement living does not have to be a death sentence. Your life after retirement can be even more fulfilling that life prior to retirement. You can pursue things that you never had the time for and you can travel to foreign countries. You have more time to devote to your children and grandchildren. Take them places; be a part of their lives in a way you couldn’t when you were still employed. As long as you do things to keep your body and mind fully functioning and sharp, your quality of life will be good. It is the people that just sit down and stop living that have a horrible retirement.
Your golden years don’t have to be spent in a daze. They can be the best years of your life.
