Star, 69 and 6 months
I recently stumbled upon your blog while surfing the Internet and am glad I found 70 candles, as I will be turning 70 in six months. I have been thinking how I want to celebrate this milestone and decided to plan a gift to myself. Even though I am married with 2 stepchildren and one grandson, I did not want to depend on them to do something. So last year I booked a walking trip of Tuscany to coincide with my special day. I will be celebrating in Italy with a younger girl friend who shares a birthday around the same time.
Turning 70 is not like turning 60. It sounds old to me even though I have heard that 70 is the new 50. Most of my friends are younger than me and luckily, I am blessed with good health so I can keep up with them physically and mentally. I am glad to serve as a role model for them as they age.
I recently retired from a 40+ career as a physical therapist. As I move into a new decade, I am looking for a new passion to sustain me into my seventies…
Thanks, I will check out the travel company. I have also volunteered with Health Volunteers Overseas. I taught PTA’s for 12 yrs and have thought about going to Guatemala to do some teaching but keep making excuses why I don’t go. It’s now or never. Can’t let life pass me by!
Your birthday plan sounds like fun. I will be 63 in April and am still working PRN as a PT. I have also been wondering what I will do when I retire from my “retirement job.” What is the name of the company through which you booked your walking tour?
Happy birthday and enjoy the trip!
P.S. My best birthdays ever were my 10th, 50th and 60th!
I eased into retirement similar to you – working PRN as a PT until I was 68. There are times when I miss the profession since it was so much of my identity. However I can truly say I have moved on and am seeking activities that are not health care related.
My travel company to Tuscany is Go Ahead Tours. I did a walking tour of the Amalfi Coast with them last year and was very pleased with the trip. The cost is also very reasonable. Highly recommend! As PTs we know we need to enjoy walking as long as we can… Go for it!
We’re older now, and we ain’t going back. So instead of bemoaning this truth, I’m trying hard to learn what there is to celebrate, and this blog is one of those things. I just ordered Ellen’s book, Retiring but Not Shy, and I am finishing The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain by Barbara Strauch, which gives me a lot of hope! I don’t want to wake up dead one day and regret that I spent the second half of my life in fear of aging. Best wishes, Star.