Series on Aging: Part One, Looking for a Place to Retire

Looking for traces of Mayberry as a location for retirement? Well, there are numerous lists, found frequently on the Internet, which espouse the qualities of various communities and cities around the country.

It all depends on what the individual or couple is searching for. Those are the preliminary considerations that must be settled first. Knowing you will not find everything you want in one place will be an important starting point. Recognizing that, if you choose to relocate from where you have spent a considerable amount of time, you will need to take into account all the required adjustments that will come with it.

So here we go on the road to where you might want to spend at least the first or middle or some part of your retirement years.

+Get a map of the USA or World.

+Depending upon your preferences and financial ability, pinpoint about 6 or 8 options.

+Ask serious questions: Is that too far from the kids? What do you know about medical services? How far will your funds stretch? Should you buy or lease? How about a motor home?
What about needing stability? If your parents are still alive, how about their welfare?

+What services, entertainment, cultural, on going educational and recreational opportunities will be available?

+How near is an airport?

+How near shopping do you wish to be? How about traffic and noise, is it important to be in a more serene environment or do you prefer the energy of the city?

+Will you need a new vehicle, how will that fit into your budget?

+Is it important that one of you, or both, has the chance for either full time or part time employment?

+Have you considered living arrangements in more than one place, commuting between the two?

+What role do issues of safety, cleanliness, environmental considerations, scenery, etc mean to you?

+Will you move lock, stock and barrel or start minimizing?

These are for starters. We will revisit this issue in a few weeks to see what else you may suggest or we have come up with which may be helpful.

See you somewhere on the way.