The intentional roamer: What’s getting in the way?
This is the first episode of my travel journal, The Intentional Roamer. If you missed the intro video, I am on a drive-about visiting friends and family. I thought I’d share my experience. It is similar to my posts about the emotional impact of change and transition, but in audio form.
Speaking of what’s getting in the way, this trip sparked a couple of realizations about my need to feel productive and how I judge myself. Scarcity mindset got some airtime too.
Also, did I retire and am just not willing to admit it? On that note, can we retire the word “retire”? It sounds like we are taking a big nap for the rest of our days.
Honestly, can we come up with a new word or phrase, or maybe just acknowledge that we are moving onto something different? It’s so old school - it smacks of working 30 years at the same company, getting the gold watch, and retiring. I’m not sure anyone does that anymore.
I think “retirement” is more about doing things you never made time for but wish you had. It’s about exploring, getting to know yourself, creating, finding peace, and going down a different path. It’s not stopping to smell the roses (well, maybe) - It’s about possibility. Maybe you are going to start a new endeavor, explore the world, become a death doula, train for triathlons, teach a course, earn a degree, consult, or become a coach.
I’m not knocking the need to relax, read a good book, travel, and hang with friends. It's just so much more.
I looked up other phrases for retirement and found "taking a sabbatical”, “entering the golden years”, “hanging up the hat”, and “embracing a new chapter”.
I find it strange that we haven’t come up with something more accurate and current to what people experience now. After all, it’s like any life change. It’s the beginning of what’s next!
Take a listen to “What’s getting in the way?” Spoiler alert: It’s not about retirement.