My Feet Hurt… and other retirement travel thoughts

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

After the past couple weeks, I have one recommendation for retirees. If travel is part of your retirement plan… do it now. This is not something we should wait on because there is a small window of time after we retire when we have the energy and health to explore the world. We were talking with some friends this week and they have a five-week trip planned to visit several countries. They are supposed to leave next week, but she had some cardiac issues recently and they may have to cancel it.

We just returned from a long-awaited trip to London and Paris, and it was more difficult to navigate than the last time we did an independent trip overseas. My feet hurt a lot more this time. Not a complaint, but a colossal awareness that travel will not get easier as we age.

When we first retired over seven years ago, travel was a major part of our plan. We were thrilled to have unlimited time to travel without having to arrange time off from work or use precious PTO. But after a couple big trips, life started to get in the way. Even after we retire, we tend to postpone travel for a multitude of reasons. For us, it boiled down to these three:

  • It is expensive. This is the obvious one. We planned and budgeted for travel in retirement, so it still surprises me how hard it is to spend money on it. We worked for years with our nose to the grindstone to save for “someday.” It becomes our normal… saving. I think that, for most baby boomers, saving is easier than spending. Even when we’ve earned the right to enjoy our savings, there’s a lingering guilt that tugs at us every time we book a trip or splurge on a hotel. Part of us wants to savor the freedom we’ve worked so hard for, but another part hesitates, questioning whether it’s responsible or fair. Travel for pleasure feels frivolous when there are people that struggle to put food on the table. It’s a push and pull between indulgence and duty. And between saving more for someday and enjoying pleasures now.
  • It is a lot of work to plan a big trip. Mr. U spent days planning our trip. The decision making can be overwhelming. I was talking with my adult son a few days before we left and he asked if I was excited. I told him, absolutely, but also a little stressed. He was curious why. It was a stark reminder that travel is more stressful as we age. It is stressful trying to figure out where to stay, transportation and all of the logistics. While the internet has made it much easier, we did not want to make a mistake and end up in a dangerous area without adequate transportation. This is especially concerning if it is a country that you do not speak the language. We could hire a travel agent, but… see first bullet.
  • We have obligations at home. This was a big one for me. Just when the kids were through college and living independent lives of their own, my parents started needing more assistance. Besides, I wanted to spend time with them while we still could. Then when my mom passed away four years ago, it became harder to leave my dad for long stretches. I did not want to be halfway across the world if there was an emergency. We decided to stick to smaller trips within the U.S. At that point in life, it became less about seeing the world and more about making memories that honored both my love of travel and my commitment to family.

Trip Highlights

I am so glad we pushed past the challenges and did not put this trip off any longer. We had never been to Paris or London before, so we wanted to see all of the iconic (aka: touristy) sites. Warning! Slight photobomb ahead. You may want to skip to the next heading.

And just for the record, I am not wearing the same clothes in every picture. I only took a couple pairs of jeans and everything else was either black or white (capsule wardrobe on steroids). I wanted to be able to fit all of my clothes into my two pieces of carryon luggage. It was much easier to pull around and haul up and down steps. Bonus that we did not have to wait for bags at the airport or worry about luggage getting lost.

No, this photo is not in black & white. It is really what my suitcase looked like. I would definitely go with just carryon baggage again, but not sure I would go with just black and white. It made for pretty boring clothes during the trip.

First stop was London. We loved how nice and polite the Brits were. The announcement on the subway (aka: the Tube) would consistently remind us to “mind the gap” when getting on and off, so we did not trip on the small gap between the train and the platform. The rest of the trip, Mr. U and I used the phrase, “mind the gap” whenever we wanted to remind each other to be careful.

Had to take the obligatory picture with the old telephone booths. Does anyone else remember using these in the states when it cost a dime to make a call? (Even the guards at Buckingham Palace had on more color than me.)
Borough Market was a gastronomical feast for the senses. We would definitely go back there again.
Of course you have to see Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, and Westminster Abbey.
One of our favorite things about England were all of the cozy pubs. This one in Picadilly Circus even brought us each a Guiness “on the house.” Probably because they saw us drinking these pale beers.

After London, we took the train to Oxford and rented a car. Yep, Mr. U drove on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the opposite side of the car. We thought that driving through the Cotswolds would be the best way to see the area. While that is probably true, driving a car in England was a harrowing experience that neither of us care to repeat. (Could this be an age thing or just common sense?)

Charming is the best way to describe the Cotswold area. A place set back in time. I wish we had more than two nights there.

I could have spent a week visiting the charming little towns, exploring the shops and walking the many paths.

After driving the car for two days, we gladly returned it to the rental car agency. Big sigh of relief that we did not cause any scratches or dents while trying to maneuver busy round-a-bouts going the wrong direction. Then it was through the Chunnel train to France. The title from the movie, “planes, trains and automobiles” kept running through my mind.

Last stop was Paris. Again, we went to all of the typical tourist attractions such as Notre Dame, the Louvre and of course the Eiffel Tower. But my favorite experience, aside from the buttery light croissants, was an evening dinner cruise down the Thames River.

There was almost a full moon the evening that we did the dinner cruise which added to the beauty and mystery of Paris.
The Eiffel Tower during the day was nice, but I understood what all of the hype was about once I saw it twinkling at night.

Independent travel or a group tour?

We came home after 6 hours sitting in airports, 2 hours in lines and 13 hours cramped in a plane, with wonderful memories tucked away. Memories that ignite my creative juices and fill me with wonder and awe. But we were totally, physically and mentally, exhausted. Every decision, from catching the right train to get from point A to point B, choosing a place to eat and what sites we wanted to see that day required mental energy and constant attention. And yet, despite the fatigue, there is a profound sense of accomplishment that comes from navigating unfamiliar cities, languages, and customs. Bonus that traveling Supports Brain Health in Later Life. However, there is no doubt about it, world travel takes a lot out of you, particularly as you get older.

This leads me to the conversation that Mr. U and I had at the end of our trip. When we travel outside of the U.S. again, should we go with a tour group? We have done both now. When I first retired, we came across a group tour to Thailand for a really great price, so we jumped on it. Honestly, I never thought we would do a group tour because that is for “old people,” but it was excellent.

We weighed that group travel experience against others where we booked everything ourselves. And while I have only done the one group tour, the pros were clear:

  • Everything was organized for you, and we didn’t have to figure out all of the logistics.
  • We met new people. You have instant comradery. It is comforting to be in another country and bump into people you know as you wander about.
  • We got to see several places we would not have seen otherwise. There were numerous choices for side tours and all of them were great.
  • Travel was comfortable and we did not have to figure out transportation. All we had to do was make sure we were back to the bus at the designated time. I can do that. Bonus that you could see the countryside as you traveled instead of trying to navigate a map.
  • You have a tour guide. We learned so much about Thailand from our tour guide as she provided a narrative on the bus rides. She was always willing to answer questions, explain the customs and translate as needed.
  • Safety. This is particularly important if you are traveling solo, but also as you age. Mr. U and I knew that we screamed “tourist” especially in cities known for pickpocketing. At one point we rested at a busy city square when four young men came up to us and started asking questions. It felt uncomfortable and we quickly checked our pockets and bag and said goodbye.

But, as with anything, there were downsides to the group tour:

  • Less flexibility and independence to explore on your own schedule. You went where the bus went. (However, the tour we went on allowed for quite a bit of free time to eat or explore where we pleased.)
  • And while we met some very nice people, there is always “that one” that talks too loudly, is obnoxious or the straggler that keeps everyone else waiting.
  • Less choice. All of the hotels and some of the restaurants are chosen for you. However, we were happy with the places they booked, and it did help prevent decision fatigue.
If we had not taken a group tour to Thailand, we may never have gone to the elephant sanctuary or the water market.

Conclusion

Travel is still an important part of our retirement plans. However, we decided that, if we travel outside of the U.S. again (other than a cruise) and particularly to a place where we do not speak the language, we will try another group tour. Does that mean that we are getting older? Well, we are. Hence my feet hurting after two weeks of walking over 15,000 steps a day. But we still hope to have a lot of travel in us, and we want to do it with as little stress (and blisters) as possible. How about you? Is travel part of your retirement plan and if so, do you prefer independent or group travel?

Cheers to the retirement years!

When Did Healthy Living Become So Complicated?

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

The advent of easy access to social media often leaves a person in a perpetual state of inadequacy. A nagging sense that we are not doing it right, or that we are not enough. A well-intentioned self-improvement journey can easily turn into an insatiable monster. I enjoy the inspiration and knowledge that the Internet provides as much as anyone, but it can easily become a deep, dark hole. It has certainly made healthy living a lot more complicated.

If we follow all of the recommendations coming at us, then we should be eating more protein, creatine, collagen, fiber, Omega-3s, leafy greens, and on and on the list goes. Not to mention that the list changes every few years. Remember when eggs were on the “no no” list? Now they are recommended for their protein and nutrients.

Supplements are another big push. We should be taking magnesium for sleep, zinc for the immune system, probiotics for gut health, Vitamin D for our bones, we should not be taking estrogen after menopause because it can cause breast cancer, but we should take it after menopause for our bone health. Argh. I am a nurse and the glut of information even overwhelms me.

How did exercise become so complicated?

When I was growing up, there were not a lot of gyms around. Our parents stayed healthy by doing manual labor. My dad spent his time off from work gardening, cutting wood and doing yard work. While he enjoyed reading, he spent most of his leisure time outdoors. He did not need to go to a gym, nor did he have time for it. He spent his time reaping the benefits of nature’s gym. It was simpler back then. And he lived to be a healthy 99 years old.

Now the “experts” suggest we should be walking, weight training, doing yoga and/or Pilates. And now I can’t just walk, I need to do it with a weighted vest to make it a worthwhile exercise. Apparently, it doesn’t really count unless I track it to make sure I get my 10,000 steps in. And if you want to look decent while you are exercising, you need to wear $125 leggings with a Lululemon logo on them. Don’t forget to take a water bottle to stay hydrated. And it needs to be stainless steel and BPA free. Honestly, it is enough to make me want to stay inside and read a good book.

It has all become too complicated for me. And when it gets complicated, I don’t want to do it. Or I don’t follow through and then feel guilty and like a failure. Of course I want to be healthy. Who doesn’t? We each have to step back and determine what healthy choices we can live with – what is easiest for us to stay committed to for the long haul.

I am much more likely to exercise if I can do it in nature’s gym, preferably near water.

What does your retirement health journey look like?

I think all of us, particularly in retirement, want to make our health a priority. I know that I do. However, everyone is different in what inspires them to stay on their health journey. I equivalent my commitment to health as a part-time job. It needs to be non-negotiable. Like a job, we set aside the time for it and we do it even when we don’t feel like it.

But how do we wade through all of the information and determine what is right for us? I think that it is a very individual choice. The most important factor is that it is something you can live with for the long haul. Something you will stick to. It helped to ask myself a few questions:

  • What motivates me to stay healthy? Maybe it is being able to play with the grandchildren or being strong enough to put my own suitcase in the overhead bin on the airplane.
  • Would I prefer to work out alone with my EarPods listening to an interesting podcast, or would I prefer to work out with a group of people around me for inspiration?
  • Do all of the latest health gadgets available inspire me and keep me accountable, or do they overwhelm me and make me want to take a nap?
  • Am I more likely to exercise if I have the latest equipment and clothes or does finding them, making sure they are clean and ready when I need them just add another step to the process of procrastination?
  • Do I enjoy taking the time to prepare and cook elaborate meals, or do I want something that is quick and easy but still healthy?
  • Would I prefer to lift weights at home in front of the T.V. or at a gym with a trainer encouraging me?
  • How much time am I willing to devote each week to my health journey?

The best health tactic for me is KISS: keep it simple, stupid. I don’t want managing my health to be so cumbersome and overwhelming that I don’t do it. My best bet is keeping it simple for both diet and exercise.

The 80/20 rule for diet

Eating a wide variety of foods as close to their natural state as possible is delicious, healthy and easy.

Have you ever noticed that, if you think you cannot have a certain food item ever again, that food is all that you can think about? You want it more than anything else. Psychological Reactance is when people respond to a restrictive force by fighting back against it. Just ask any teenager. But this is also true with particular foods. Tell me that I can NEVER have pizza again and that is all I want to eat. That is why diets that restrict particular foods usually don’t work for long. (Of course, this does not pertain to people who have significant health issues related to certain foods.)

At this point in my life, I want to enjoy every taste and experience fully. After all, I don’t know how many years I have left on this earth. I am a foodie and I feel like eating is one of the great pleasures in life. No one wants to restrict their diet so much that it is not enjoyable. I love a good salad, but eating it every single night would become tiresome and boring. Life is too short not to savor a huckleberry milkshake every once in a while. The key is moderation as I wrote about in a previous post, Two Words to Maintain Your Health.

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Michael Pollen

Counting calories is cumbersome and following restrictive diets usually does not work for the long term. The answer, for me, is the 80/20 principal. It you choose healthy options 80% of the time, you can enjoy those foods that you love, but might not be so healthy, 20% of the time. It is a general guideline that I can live with.

Decide what works and make it sticky

There are so many health issues that are beyond our control. Numerous diseases and cancers blindside all of us. And good genes will only take us so far. Then it is up to us. So, it is highly important to determine what works for you at this stage in life. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated. Persistence and perseverance are the keys to exercise. Eating things as close to nature as possible and in moderation are the keys to diet.

I have years of unhealthy choices under my belt, both figuratively and literally. But it is never too late to improve that. And now that I am retired, I have more time to dedicate to my health. No one is going to come in and save us from our own unhealthy choices. Only we can do that. And for me, that starts with making it less complicated so it is something I will stick to.

Cheers to healthy retirement years!

Retirement Metamorphosis

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

It is kind of a big word, metamorphosis, but it describes what often happens if we are doing retirement right – if we are growing and changing and becoming. There are too many stagnant retirees sitting around. You know the ones. All they want to talk about is their life before they retired. They find a way to mention what they did for a living, how big their company was or how many direct reports they had. I hate to break it to them, but no one cares anymore. We are career “has beens.” It is time for a metamorphosis.

What is retirement metamorphosis?

Metamorphosis is the biological change that happens as something grows. Once you go through metamorphosis you are no longer the same and there is no going back. Every retirement should experience a metamorphosis. We should not be the same person we were when we were working 40+ hours per week. We finally have time to do those things that are deep within us. Things that stir our soul. Things that don’t pay the bills, but make our hearts sing.

I know several retirees that are using this time to evolve. They are building an interesting retirement lifestyle. Let me give you a few real-life examples:

  • A retired physician has become an artist and sells his work at the Pacific Artists’ Co-op Art Gallery on the Oregon Coast.
  • A retired marketing rep. expanded her interest in gardening to become a master gardener and now runs a small nursery, and on-line store called The Coeur d’Alene Coop – Raising Chickens and Urban Gardening.
  • A retired nurse thrifts quality clothing and recreates it into beautiful, one-of-a-kind bags to sell on her Etsy shop.
  • A retired radiology technician took some pottery making classes and now teaches it at the local college.
  • A retired schoolteacher upcycles furniture and decorative items that he and his wife sell in their vendor booth at a local vintage market.

None of these retirees need the money they bring in from their hobbies. Each started out doing it because they wanted to create. They wanted to express themselves and grow and become. None of them wanted to spend their retirement years sitting around watching T.V. or doomscrolling. They used these bonus years to metamorphosize into a new version of themselves in retirement.

You can sit around and rust out in retirement. Or… you can take the time and effort to metamorphosize your retirement into something worth living for.

Am I really a writer?

When I retired, I decided I wanted to devote time to creative writing, so I started this blog. But I don’t consider myself a writer. I don’t get paid to do it. I haven’t written a book, and I don’t have any advertising or affiliate marketing on my blog. Matter of fact, it costs money to maintain this blog. (Hum… it would be nice if it would pay for itself.) I write because it is something that I love to do, and I enjoy the interaction with readers and other bloggers. However, I don’t consider myself “a writer.” Or I didn’t. But now I am having second thoughts.

I recently had the pleasure of being asked to provide a guest post on one of my favorite retirement blogs, The Retirement Manifesto. If you do not already read this blog, I would highly recommend it. It is a popular, well written retirement blog that I have read for years. I consider it the gold standard of retirement blogs, so I was honored when Fritz reached out to ask if I would provide a guest post.

Maybe I have metamorphosized into a writer in retirement after all.

“Working” from home on my blog in the early morning hours.

Metamorphosizing and money

Still, the question lingers in the back of my mind, do you have to be paid to consider yourself an artist, writer, or gardener? Do you have to paid for your creations to consider it a metamorphosis? Perhaps that line of thinking is a holdover from our careers, or our society in general. We assign value to something if others are willing to use their hard-earned cash to get it. It is the universal stamp of approval.

But just ask any of the creative retirees that I mentioned above, and they will tell you they started their hobby long before they got money for it. It erupted from an inner desire to create. To grow and challenge themselves and to add something of beauty to the world.

One retiree’s metamorphosis led to building an entire little town behind his house. Not because he felt he should, or needed to for any particular reason, but because he was drawn to do it. His creativity was seeking a way to be released. It did not make him any money. Matter of fact, he and his lovely wife spent a lot of money building it and filling it with authentic details. And boy did he ever create an amazing little town. You can read about Bobville here.

In conclusion

In retirement, we don’t need to get paid or sponsored by a company. While the extra money is always nice, we don’t typically need it to buy groceries. We do not need to be paid to consider it a metamorphosis. Anyone can do it.

Your retirement metamorphosis can be starting a new health journey at 65, or committing to a hike out in nature every week, or perfecting the art of making sour dough bread. Maybe your metamorphosis is taking up journaling while you enjoy the quiet moments of reflection that you did not have time for when you were working. It doesn’t matter what it is, and you don’t need to get paid to do it. What matters is that you continue to grow and create and change… even in retirement. Maybe especially then.

I have been trying my hand at watercolor. I am definitely not an artist, but I am enjoying the relaxing process of it. There are plenty of tutorials available, as well as face-to-face classes to learn the technique. I like that there is minimal investment to get started and it is portable. I have made a few watercolor cards for family and friends, but I will never be great at it. The important thing is that I am enjoying it and that it stretches me to learn and grow.

What does your retirement metamorphosis look like? Are you still evolving into the lifestyle you want to be living in these bonus years? Is there something lingering in the back of your brain that you really want to do or try? Not because you should, or because you will get paid for it, but just because it intrigues you. The beauty of it is that we get to decide.

Cheers to the retirement years!

Retirement Drift

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

I was at a community picnic a few weeks ago and was chatting with an acquaintance. She has been retired for several years while her husband, a physician, still works a couple days a week. Initially, her retirement was full of travel and involvement in politics. She was still relatively healthy, so I asked her what she was up to now. She paused, and sadly responded, “well… I watch a lot of T.V. ” My heart dropped. This is a person who has clearly fallen into retirement drift.

What is retirement drift?

We spent years saving and planning for retirement. It is thrilling to walk out the door that last day of work with total freedom and rest waiting for you. After all, we worked our whole lives and deserve some time to relax during business hours, right? Absolutely. However, too many weeks, months and then years, of unstructured, unchallenged days that lack direction can lead to lethargy, a lack of purpose and depression. Like any bad habit, retirement drift happens insidiously… one too many T.V. shows at a time.

When you are in retirement drift, your days blur into each other. Your life loses purpose and meaning. You lack motivation and energy. And you start to think, retirement is not what I expected.

Retirement drift is not a failure; it is a signal. It is the siren that warns you that you are entering a danger zone and you need to recalibrate. You need to change your direction. Too much freedom without some structure and intention can easily fall into retirement drift. It is said that you don’t want to retire away from something, but rather, you want to retire to something. Most of us our a little burned out when we finally decide to retire, but you still need to have some active hobbies and interests that draw you towards retirement. Things you have been looking forward to spending more time doing.

Here is the problem with retirement drift. It happens very slowly. Kind of like the story of the frog that sits in the pot of warm water that is slowly turned up to a boil, and he never jumps out because it occurs so gradually. I don’t think most people plan to fall into retirement drift, it just happens over time if you are not on your guard and take action to prevent it.

The problem with retirement drift is that you can eventually end up stuck on shore, not experiencing life fully.

How to avoid retirement drift.

I don’t think anyone wants to fall into retirement drift. My acquaintance was clearly not happy with her life. So how do we avoid it? The best way to prevent retirement drift is to be an active participant in your own life. Don’t get too comfortable sitting on the bleachers watching everyone else playing the game. Yes, it takes effort to jump in, but the fun and joy outweigh the effort every time. Here a few ways to avoid sliding into retirement drift.

  • Commit to a loose schedule. Commit to a few things that get you out of the house and engaging with other people every week. I typically meet up with my sister once a week, a friend on Fridays and watch my grandson on Mondays. I know retirees that volunteer, play Mahjong, or pickleball every week. It doesn’t matter what it is, it just matters that you do it. It adds structure and purpose to your retirement and helps prevent retirement drift.
  • Be engaged and engaging. My acquaintance’s comment about watching T.V. all the time, was a real conversation stopper. How do you respond to that? And quite honestly, I thought… this is not someone I want to be or become good friends with. If you want to have an engaged retirement, you have to start by being engaging.
  • Commit to one activity that gives you energy. Start with just one. Maybe it is dusting off an old hobby that got left on a shelf during the busy years. Or maybe it is something you have always been curious about. Read up on it. Buy the supplies. Take a class and ask questions of others that are already doing it. Many retirees are joining Meetup groups of people that have similar interests.
  • Stay active. Move your body. Get out and walk, ride bike, kayak, garden, swim, or whatever moves you… literally. Aside from all of the health benefits of physical activity, it boosts our confidence and morale. We are literally taking action, not just drifting along. Bonus that it gives you something interesting to talk about.
  • Be interested and interesting. I am going to share a little pet peeve of mine. I enjoy meeting new retirees and learning how they are managing this new phase in life. But, more often than not, instead of a two-way conversation, it becomes a complete history of their lives and all I have contributed are a few questions and several “uh hum’s.” While I enjoy hearing about their lives, I would like it to be more than a one-sided conversation. If you want to have an interesting retirement, you have to be interested and interesting.

Quit drifting and make a few waves

Make a few waves in these bonus years to prevent retirement drift.

We are in the process of planning a trip to Europe. Due to family commitments, we have not traveled overseas for several years. We seem to have lost a little bit of confidence and energy in that gap. We find that we have less of a carefree attitude when trying to figure out the logistics. Planning and decision-making feel more stressful. We are jumping in anyway. If we don’t push past our comfort zones, we can easily become stagnant and start to drift.

Retirement drift happens by slowly disengaging with life, people and interests. Usually, it is the path of least resistance. But if you have your health, retirement should not be a slow decline of life. It is not an ending. It is a new phase, and it should be some of our most interesting and engaging years. Never before have we had the time, money and freedom to explore what we are curious about. Just because we don’t have a job to go to, doesn’t mean we quit living. Quite the opposite. It is the perfect time to become more ourselves than ever before.

Cheers to the retirement years!

Living an Analog Life

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

In this age of speed, instant answers and quick snippets of information, I long for slower. A pot of soup simmering on the stove all day instead of dinner that arrived in a paper bag at my doorstep. I want to hold a real book in my hands. Turn the pages with anticipation. Opening it up where the flowered bookmark (a gift from my mom) holds my place. Or even a haphazard receipt slipped in between the pages. I want to live more of an analog life. One where I experience life with my five senses instead of just observing it on a screen.

I don’t know about you, but I have spent the vast majority of my adult life in a hurry. I would rush through my morning coffee to get to work. Then I would rush home from work to, well, get home and relax. But there wasn’t much relaxing because there was dinner to start, a load of wash to run, dishes to wash, lunch to pack and clothes to set out for work the next day. The cycle just went up a hundred decibels once we had children. With four boys, I was always hustling someone back and forth to practice, school or play dates. That load or two of wash a week turned into ten. Life became a series of hurry to get to the next thing that needed to be done.

Then the digital world came along, and it just added fuel to the hurry fire. We could get information instantly. At first, it was just an innocuous big, clunky box with sketchy internet. That evolved to better, smaller systems to now having everything at our fingertips. We tend to experience life through a few quick taps on a screen instead of being present to a real, slower, tactile life.

Now, after so many years of rushing through life, it takes conscious effort to slow down. But that is exactly what I am trying to do in retirement. Not so much that I rust, just a more conscious approach to life. Being more aware and alive. Experience more analog moments that help me savor the small details and be fully present. Less digital living and more White Space on the pages of my life.

What happened to time expanse?

Turning off the productivity switch.

After years of rushing, pushing and pulling through life, I lost my sense of time expanse. I forgot what it felt like to read a book during the day, have an extra cup of coffee and breathe in the view, or notice the cloud formations. I think that is why many retirees have a hard time relaxing into retirement. We feel like we should be using our time productively because we needed to for so many years. It is hard to turn off the productivity switch. But when you do…. oh it is wonderful. And you realize, THIS is what life is supposed to be like. And I want more of it. I want to live more of an analog life.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the convenience of the digital world. Many marriages have been saved by Google Maps. Mr. U and I had our fair share of arguments as I poured over a Rand McNally map trying to translate directions. And I definitely could not live without my Kindle. Now that we live closer to town, getting a pizza delivered to my door is a real treat. I am not purist, I just think the scale has tipped a little too far into the digital world and I want to counterbalance it. I want to live with more time expanse again.

Counterbalancing a digital world

As with most of life, there is a balance. Too much digital time leaves me feeling anxious and impatient. I feel rushed through life. I noticed that I have a much shorter attention span than I used to. It is still early to determine the long-term effects of too much screen time. However, studies are consistent in confirming that What Excessive Screen Time Does to the Adult Brain is not good for our health. So, I am trying to counterbalance the overconsumption of a digital world with a more raw, real, analog lifestyle. It happens in small decisions:

Choosing the slow route. For starters, I rode my bike to the library, renewed my library card and wandered through the stacks, pulling out several interesting books to glance through. It was hard to narrow it down to just two to take home. I chatted with the friendly librarian while I checked out my treasures. If you need a good book that draws you back into analog living, read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. It is heartwarming and reminds you of the good in people.

Putting pen to paper. Most blog posts start with a scratch of a pen on paper as I jot down thoughts in my journal, rather than tapping on a glowing screen. Writing is a peaceful endeavor. For me, thinking is clarified through the process of writing it down. I was one of those students that had to physically take notes in class in order to help imbed the material in my brain. Even back then, I instinctively knew I retained it better when I wrote it down. Now research is supporting that – Why Writing Things Down Makes You Smarter (The Science Explained).

I always pack my journal with me.

Stop the default. What do most of us do when we are standing in line at the grocery store, waiting at the doctor’s office, or, worse yet, sitting at a stop light? We grab our phones to entertain us mindlessly as we “kill time.” The average person checks their phone 205 times a day. I am trying to quit using my phone as an automatic default the minute I have some stagnate time. Instead, I observe life going on around me. Maybe strike up a conversation with the person behind me in line or offer a sincere compliment to the person sitting next to me. Does anyone else find it absurd that we can rub shoulders with a complete stranger on a plane for several hours and never even say “hello?”

Cooking from scratch. I am cooking from scratch more, using fresh ingredients. Cooking engages all of the senses. The aromas that fill the kitchen as ingredients sizzle are comforting. The chopping and stirring are a meditative form of self-care. The mixing, rising, punching and pushing of bread dough keeps my hands busy while my mind daydreams. You can get inspired from a cooking show, but you can’t smell the aroma, stir the onions simmering or savor that first taste.

Leave the phone home. I must be in nature to counteract the numbness of the digital world. Nature brings color, depth, dimension and surprise. It brings refreshment, heals fractures in my brain often created from living in the digital world, and brings me back to what is real and matters. I take my phone when I am outdoors, but only to capture photos.

Being in nature restores our souls.

Living more intentionally

The digital world is an amazing convenience that makes life quicker and easier in so many ways. But sometimes I get too dependent on it, and I forget how it feels to hold a book in my hands, to physically walk through a store and rub the fabric between my fingers, the anticipation of opening a colorful envelope with my name handwritten on the front or smell the aroma of a fresh batch of cookies being pulled out of the oven. There is something grounding about hands-on experiences that digital life often bypasses.

It is not a “throw the baby out with the bathwater” kind of decision for me. It is not removing everything digital in my life. I use my computer, Kindle and phone every day. It is a matter of being more intentional about how and when I use it. And definitely not using it as a default when I have open time.

I am choosing just a little more of an analog life. This allows me to be more present in each moment, reduce digital fatigue, restore my soul and foster deeper connections with people and nature. It also encourages mindfulness, creativity, and a sense of calm that often gets lost in our fast-paced, screen-filled lives. If this is for you, then join me in living a more analog life in a digital age.

A sunset in real life beats a virtual one. Every. Single. Time.