What Things Do You Look Forward To Doing?

Discussion in 'Retirement & Leisure' started by Thomas Windom, Nov 17, 2023.

  1. Thomas Windom

    Thomas Windom Very Well-Known Member
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    I have been thinking the past few days that there are, unfortunately, very few things I look forward to doing any more. I’m not talking about spontaneously rubbing a kitty or something like that. I’m talking about something that you know is coming, maybe make plans for it, and feel a sense of anticipation for the date to arrive.

    I realized, I feel like that about pretty much nothing. I look forward to dinner, or maybe dining out. I look forward to going to sleep, if I can. I look forward to watching a TV series if we happen to find a good one (kind of rare). That is really about it for me. Objectively, it seems like a kind of empty, uneventful life but it seems to be what I prefer. I really cannot think of one single other thing I look forward to doing. Anyone else?
     
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  2. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    We have stopped doing most fun things, too, @Thomas Windom . Bobby worries about me driving anywhere alone, and he hates shopping, so mostly I order online and have delivery with Walmart+.
    Today, we actually went to the grocery store , and I was singing as we drove along ……. “A-shopping, we will go, a-shopping we will go, Hi-yo, the dairy-o, a shopping we will go”.
    Pretty sad, huh.

    One thing that we do still do, and both look forward to it is to go to the fitness center, usually every other day, weather permitting. Bobby exercises by working out, and I swim and enjoy the hot tub and do my water exercises.
    I am going to try and walk two miles every day. Walking outside does not work for me, because I have bad balance and trip over almost anything; but my Apple Watch reminds me to walk every hour for 12 hours, so if I actually DO that every hour, then I can at least get pretty close to the 2 miles in.

    I really miss traveling ! There is no way that we can do that; but it is still something that I would LOVE to do if we could. When my daughter was living here, she would take me on trips, and we had SO much fun together, but now she is in the Netherlands , so I hardly ever see her at all.
     
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  3. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Going out to dinner with my wife. Thanksgiving Dinner next week. Getting ready to meet the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) contestants next month in Vegas. Going to Cowboy Christmas to do some Christmas shopping (part of the NFR). Taking a weekend and going to Lake Havasu, Nevada. Taking a week and driving to both Carson City and Reno (Nevada) next year and moving to one or the other.
     
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  4. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I think that is so awesome , how many things that you and your wife do together, @Cody Fousnaugh , and that you can travel and see new places , or move when you want to do that .
    You are greatly blessed !
     
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  5. Ed Wilson

    Ed Wilson Veteran Member
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    I'm getting the same way. I used to look forward to weekends, but retirement changed that. I'll be looking forward to warmer weather now, but to the yard work accompanying it, no.
     
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  6. Hedi Mitchell

    Hedi Mitchell Supreme Member
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    @Thomas Windom -and others. I thought maybe it was just me,not interested in much. I thought maybe I was depressed,but I have dealt with that all my life,without drugs.
    Of course having moved 400 miles away from what is left of family and friends does not help.
    Best described as - Indifferent :(
     
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  7. Teresa Levitt

    Teresa Levitt Veteran Member
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    i try to enjoy small things..daily chores...trying to care of peaches here..our last little dog ..i gotta see her thru..
    no one to spend the days with now..
    i just have to manage..somehow.
    oh..still caring for the feral cats..i heated their shelter with 3 infrared bulbs...
     
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  8. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I'm pretty much like the rest of you... not much to look forward to. I am content for the most part, and still have hobbies that interest me. As far as traveling, holidays, parties, etc... no, thanks. Seems like most things are too much work for little return.
     
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  9. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    I look forward to reading on SoC. :D
     
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  10. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I enjoy going to our timeshare or to other timeshares that we go to in lieu of our own. However, at the same time, I feel bad about leaving the cats home alone. It's not that we don't have someone coming by every day to feed them, take care of the litter box, and hopefully spend some time with them. We ask them, but we never know for sure that they spend time with them. Even so, it's not the same as having us here with them nearly all day, every day.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 17, 2023
  11. Thomas Windom

    Thomas Windom Very Well-Known Member
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    Ditto that. I just want to be comfortable.
     
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  12. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    One of the highlights of my day too, @Shirley Martin !
     
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  13. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    I was hoping to travel in retirement, at least during the winter. I fell and broke my back while preparing for a "retirement trip" 7 days after retirement and things haven't gotten much better. I love travelling by train, but that has kinda ended too, as I am not flexible enough to negotiate the small sleepers any more. I could do day-by-day trips in general seating but I always enjoyed sleeping on the train in our little room. Maybe someday.... We have to fly almost everywhere from here. We considered driving the Alcan again, but our plans were foiled by Covid. Summers are wonderful and there is almost too much to do here, but winters...not so much.
     
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  14. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I love trains also ! When Robin was stationed in Virginia, she sent me tickets to travel from Idaho to Richmond and back home again, and it was a wonderful trip that I enjoyed SO much.
    I have thought about taking a train trip out to visit my son who lives in Eastern Washington, but the logistics are not feasible because i would have to travel a long ways just to be able to take a train.
    Amazingly, even going by bus does not work from here in Huntsville. Apparently they have shut down the local bus station for travel from here for some reason.

    I am still hoping at some point, to be able to go to the Netherlands and visit my daughter over there, and do some traveling around Europe by train. So far, we have not been able to schedule that, although we are still talking about the possibility of my flying over to visit her next spring.
    There are still a lot of things that I would really like to do, and keep me dreaming about the possibility, even though the likelihood is not great.
     
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  15. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    There are stations in Anniston, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham @Yvonne Smith. Can't you find a way to get to one of those? It is pricey, but here is a sample link.
     
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