Countdown to Retirement

Thursday, November 27th, 2008 | local info

It is that time in my life that I am thinking about retirement and where to relocate.

I am toggling back and forth with staying in the same area I live in now to be close to family and friends or move to a place with milder winters. A few weeks ago I visited a retirement community in my area and loved the layout and all the amenities. I was pretty sure I would mail in my application and deposit to get on their priority list.

Those thoughts only lasted a few days. Within a few days the weather changed to cold and damp and that triggered my memory about the reasons I should relocate to a warmer climate. My aching swollen knees. I have arthritis and the flare up is caused by dampness and cold. The summers here in the east are warm but humid and the swelling and pain flares up because of the humidity but I can escape the humidity into air conditioning. No matter what I ca not seem to escape the dampness in the fall and winter.

I found out recently massages and exercise seems to help but only for a short time. So once again New Mexico sounds really good. 350 days of sunshine in a dry climate sounds fantastic but I really will miss everyone here.

It is really disturbing to endure the effects of aging. I recall when I was younger how it bothered me to see someone close to me change dramatically with old age. I have very nice skin but even I can see an enormous change in my neck from aging. I observe those same looks of concern in my kids faces that I had as a young person watching a loved one age. I hope the concern is enough that they will come visit in New Mexico when I move.

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