Peaks and Troughs
Retirement, like any change in lifestyle, takes some adjustment. Suddenly your time is no longer compartmentalized into work, weekend, housework, socializing, entertainment, me-time, partner time, family time. With an extra nine or ten hours a weekday to fill, you have to rearrange and re-prioritize those compartments to fill the work void, including possibly perusing some new hobbies or activities. And of course, you have to get used to living 24/7 with your partner. For Richard and me, since moving from the UK to the USA, learning to RV and visiting family has pretty much occupied our time since we finished work last December. It is only now, in our 8th month in the US that we are beginning to fall into a pattern that I think will pretty much shape our lives in the coming years. There are peaks of activity, ie sightseeing, the occasional movie or meal out, and the troughs of normal everyday chores – food shopping, truck and trailer maintenance, finding thin...