Summer Musings

We spend a good part of our summer at the cottage, with short trips home as required or desired.  This partially explains why there haven't been any new posts for some time.  I suspect that our sojourn at the cottage is somewhat like the experience retirees have who decide to spend time away in the winter; we have several friends who are doing that.  We thoroughly enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, the time for visits with family and friends, the access to all that a lake has to offer during an Ontario summer.

However, for my husband perhaps more than me, being at the cottage has its downsides.  It keeps him from many of the activities he enjoys when we are at home, such as playing squash twice a week with a group of men that he has been playing with for many years, enjoying a golf game with his city friends, being able to go to a movie or watch a sports event on TV (we don't have electricity at the cottage so no TV).  Luckily for us we have a circle of friends on the lake and in the vicinity of the cottage but we still miss our close friends in the city over the summer months.

If you are planning to spend some of the time in retirement away from your home base, be aware that while it will bring many benefits, there will also be downsides.  If you have a partner, it is a good idea to discuss how being away for a few or many months at a time is going to affect your activities and your relationships.  It is also worth exploring how you can have your cake and eat it too, i.e. be away but maintain good contact with those you care about back at home.