“Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” — Common retirement proverb
I thought retirement anxiety was just my issue. Then I stumbled on a YouTube video, “A Day in my 70 year old life” and I couldn’t look away. It started simply, the couple getting out of bed, washing their faces, having breakfast, and then the story moves through their day. Their day was rather mundane, no big surprises, just the same old routine, built around small achievable goals, but with more freedom. It comforted me, because I am always asking myself “What do other retired people do to feel fulfilled in their day?
Russ is always busy. He has taken up watercolor painting and the hydroponics at the farm keeps him occupied. But I see myself just fluttering around, a little of this, a little of that, and feeling aimless compared to how structured my life used to be. Russ keeps telling me I’m busy, but I don’t feel useful, and that’s a big difference.
Russ and I live in two very different places. Old San Juan and on a small farm in Caguas. Old San Juan is all stone, noise, lots of tourists, coffee, jewelry, souvenir shops and tattoo parlors. Whereas, the farm is green, slow, quite, with the miracle of nature.
At the farm, my boss is our Bernedoodle, Quinn. She wakes me at seven-ish. No snooze button needed. Quinn and I do our morning rounds. We say good morning to all our employees. Then I prepare Quinn’s breakfast and make myself coffee. I wait for Russ to get up and make ME breakfast.
After breakfast, I wash the dishes and look around the house with absolutely no desire to clean it. I stare into space for awhile and then start my days very demanding schedule, first I work on my blog. Then I scroll through Amazon to see if there is anything I can’t live without. My Spanish lesson is on the Duolingo app. I am going on three years and still can’t understand nor speak Spanish. I’ll read the news on my phone and wonder why I read it because now I am nervous and upset. I’ll venture out to check on the farm when it’s not too hot. May, Ivy and Pearl our chickens, who give us three eggs a day will squawk at me and ask , “Where’s the lettuce?” Then I’ll look for Tony. Tony is always there and he will help me with whatever crazy idea I have come up with to build or move something. Basically, my pointer finger gets very busy on these outings. I used to do everything by myself but now I’m afraid my back won’t hold out. After I’ve cleaned a few raised beds of weeds, I’ll go in and shower, change into something loose fitting and super comfortable and sit down by my puzzle table and listen to Audible stories.
My big excitement at the farm is going to Costco, the Bank and Home Depot. Sometimes we will go to all three in one day if we’re feeling wild!
At five, Russ starts dinner and after we’ve eaten, I’ll wash the dishes. I feel I have become a professional dish washer. My hands are very clean. At seven, I get ready for bed because I’m tired from doing nothing. I brush Quinn’s teeth, wash her feet and brush her hair. She expects this. After I organize Quinn for bed I work on myself. I sit at my vanity and put on an army of facial creams as I watch YouTubes to see what’s going on in the world and to form ideas for conversation with Russ. Because when you spend 24/7 with someone you do run out of thought provoking things to say.
On the weekends, we always have guests come to the farm. This is always fun and something I really look forward to. Russ prepares lunch, he likes to BBQ. Our guests enjoy seeing the changes we have made and shopping our produce. They walk around and go “Wow!” And we act like farmers. I like to play games and gratefully our guests do too.
On Mondays we move our Groundhog Day to Old San Juan.
Tuesdays are my Beauty Day. Every other week I get a facial at Ohana Esthetic, where Vanessa treats me with love and tells me I don’t look tired. On alternate weeks I get a mani-pedi from Marisol at Adam’s Spa. She does not speak English so it’s a solitary experience. I enjoy walking around Old San Juan window shopping for jewelry I will not buy. It’s too hot to do anything else, so I return home to Quinn and we sit in the air conditioning and I’ll read then fall asleep.
Tuesday night is date night. We usually go to La Cucina de Ivo. We are such regulars there that they already know what we are going to order. So predictable.
Then because we are of “that age” there is the multitude of doctors visits. I feel we have covered the ologists. Russ’s ologists doctors are dermatologist and Mohs Surgeon, Odontologists or dentist, Urologist, Endocrinologist, Ophthalmologist, Oncologist and we both have appointments every year with a Cardiologist. We are keeping all the ologists in business.
I am super grateful that we are in some what good health. We can both walk and have energy to do things, but not a lot in one day. So different from my youth when I was an Energizer bunny and couldn’t sit still for a moment. Now I am more reflective. My friends are all traveling and experiencing different cultures, yet Russ and I don’t like to travel. I do feel I am missing out but when I think about packing, waiting at airports and the confusion of other places I am happier at home.
I really feel my life has become like the movie Groundhog Day. Very subtle things change but it basically the days stays the same. Would I change anything? I don’t think so. I know I could if I wanted to, but I am truly comfortable. So I took you on a voyeuristic voyage of my life: Were you bored? Let me know how you spend your day.