Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
Hubby and I are having the time of our lives out here in the playground. We’ve been full-timers for about nine months now and it pretty much feels like a permanent party. We were both in PR until we retired a couple of years ago and are very, very sociable. Gerry is pretty much the life and soul of any Happy Hour gathering and I have to admit I love sharing a giggle with new friends we make as we go. I guess what I really want to know is ‘can you get too much of a good thing?’ I’ve noticed that our Happy Hours tend to start earlier and earlier these days and they certainly run over time! We both worked really hard all of our lives and I feel we deserve to let out hair down but it sometimes feels a bit too easy. We’re not quite 60 yet so we could be doing this for two more decades!
April
Interesting one, April. It seems like Gerry and you are having a great time but the fact that you are already thinking about how long you’ll be doing the same thing is ringing a few alarm bells for me. It sounds like you might be thinking that you are too young to stop being ‘useful’ in the world. Perhaps, you still feel like you have a contribution to make other than providing the entertainment at Happy Hour shindigs. Talk this through with, Gerry. Maybe you want to think about changing the way you travel. You can stop in one place for a few months or longer and maybe pick up some work, or volunteer, or do charity work. Hitting the open road gives you different opportunities to make a difference. Sitting in the campchair enjoying a few Happy Hour drinks is part of the trip, not all of it!
Jaclyn
In answer to your question, April. No, you can’t get too much of a good thing! As you say, you’ve worked hard and are spending your money travelling this great country and enjoying some fabulous company along the way. If you’re not harming anyone else, and you are enjoying life, then go for it! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with spending two decades – or longer – on the road. In fact, I think many doctors would recommend it to retired people. If you spend most of the day with a smile on your face, then you’re definitely doing something right. If, however, you are hinting that you are drinking too much alcohol, then that is something you need to watch. When you’ve got no deadlines and no one else to answer to, it’s easy for one or two drinks to become six or seven. Just be careful … and enjoy!
Heidi
