RETIREMENT, RELATIVES, AND RAIN (February 2-9, 2018)

As I sit on our spacious, screened in deck, and listen to the rain on the roof, I am reminded of one of the hardest things I've had to learn about our nomadic lifestyle.  It is the fact that when we are traveling, we are not on vacation.  We are, instead, simply living our retirement lives.  It makes a huge difference in how you react to rainy, snowy, inclement weather.

When you are on "vacation", every day is supposed to be filled with fun things to do, every day is supposed to have new things to see.  Therefore, every day is supposed to be sunny and clear!  However, if you are just living your retirement life, it really doesn't matter all that much if the weather falls short of expectations or not.  It's life.

This past week we have been staying in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and there were two days of all day rain.  On vacation....disaster!  Living life....a time to recharge!  I have come to the conclusion that wherever I am, is home.  Last month home was Hawaii.  This month, home will be North and South Carolina.  March and April, home will be Edisto Island, South Carolina.  Thus, I can sit on my deck, listen to the rain replenish the earth, drink a cup of coffee and relax.  Thanks to Wyndham Vacation Resorts, I have a retirement lifestyle that includes "homes" all around the world.  I am blessed.

This past week and next, we are traveling with my wife's brother and sister in law.  They have just retired and this is their first retired travel adventure.  They are also Wyndham owners and this week we are their guests and next week they will be ours.  It will stretch both of our abilities to spend time in the wonderful world all around us.

REFLECTIONS

Sometimes, in life, we get so wrapped up in everything going just right that we fail to enjoy our living when things aren't quite perfect.  We grumble and complain about how awful it is when, in reality, it's not awful, it's just not what we expected.  We become hard to live with as we continually search for perfection.  Here's a news flash.....life is not a vacation!  It is the living out of highs and lows, of good and not so good, of sunshine and rain.  It is the everyday journey of life.

Ultimately, it is what we choose to make it.  So, as the gray skies hide the mountains today, they do not remove them.  The mountain vistas are still there.  We'll see them tomorrow.  The waterfalls will be full and rushing toward the valley.  There will be a freshness all around, and I will sit on my deck in the morning, with my coffee cup in hand, and marvel at God's creation.

And then, on Friday, it's off to my home on Hilton Head for three weeks.