Hidey ho there, neighbors!
I was never a big fan of Tool Time Tim, but I did like the only-seen-from-the eyebrows-up neighbor ,Wilson. My step-father, Will, really liked that character, too. I also liked Phyllis Lindstrom’s “Hi, Hi!” greeting on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. You remember. Phyllis was played by Cloris Leachman. If you know of what I speak, I’d be ever so grateful if you said so in the comments.
It’s Labor Day Eve 2022 and I’m feeling nostalgic as well as excited. Excited to soon be leaving for PORTUGAL!
Here I am in 2022. These numbers with a 6 in front of them were never ages I considered ever being. Aren’t those old people?
I may be aging into these crazy numbers, but I refuse to completely look it! My hair will remain long and multi-colored, and that's that!
Way before 2022 arrived, I did often think about how, in the year 2000 (everybody always said “the year two thousand” rather than just 2000), I would turn 39. That seemed SOOOO OLD. Almost 40. Sheesh. I never calculated beyond. I mean, Y2K was a big thing, you know? I worked for IBM from 1996 – 2002. Really. It was a big thing. At first anyway. We all (us IBMers (gosh I loved that)) knew it was almost certain to be a non-event, due to all the mitigating. Sure enough. It was. Did I party like it was 1999? I DON’T REMEMBER. Wow. I honestly don’t remember 12/31/1999 - 1/1/2000.
None of this has any direct connection to me, Scott and Portugal, but I’ll get there.
Historical events I remember
· A total solar eclipse in 1968 or 1969 when my family lived in Waycross, GA. Scientists were very interested in how the wildlife of the Okefenokee swamp reacted.
· First HUMAN moon walk
· Shooting of JR
· Shooting of Ronald Reagan
· Challenger Disaster
· Hurricane Hugo (1989)
· September 11. 2001
· January 6th insurrection
But, strangely, I don’t remember the crossover to the new millennium. I really can’t focus on this and what it could mean. Nothing I can do about it now. I'll think about it tomorrow (maybe).
At any rate, after reaching 21, I really quit looking forward, eagerly, to future aging. Why would one? I’ll stop about that. Suffice it to say I do not subscribe to, “well, it’s better than the alternative”, because I was taught and fiercely hope that the “next life”, “after life”, whatever you call it is WAY BETTER than the one here. THAT means (hopefully) that what come next is WAY BETTER than getting older here on this planet.
OK, hopefully, this is my longest blog post, being as it’s the first one… you can stick with me and come along, no? Please?
Before I graduated from high school, I was very interested in visiting Switzerland. Dunno why. But finally, this past June (2022) I actually did so, thanks to my step-son, Austin. LOVED IT. (and, of course, love him, his brother, and their wives).
My first trip out of the US was to Jamaica in February 1986. It was with my friend and co-worker Carol Wagner. Carol and I traveled together both domestically and abroad for a number of years. The most recent was her letting me come see her on Grand Cayman, where she was sent for work in 2016. (It was over my birthday! I REALLY like to leave the country during my birthday!)
The travel bug has never died. I moved to Washington, DC in 1984. I hoped to obtain a job that involved international travel. Didn’t happen. But still, the bug has not died.
As is true of everyone I know, stuff has happened over time. Here we are in 2022. I retired. Scott wants to. I still have not lived abroad as I have wanted to for a LONG time. Both our ages start with a 6. WTF? It’s pretty much now or never for living in Europe.
Even after my friends Hope and Jim took their honeymoon trip on the Iberian Peninsula, I didn’t have a lot of interest in this area of the world. I adore Italy. But it doesn’t seem to be the most beneficial/easy place for older Americans to relocate. Via research, I kept finding Portugal turning up in all these lists of the best places for Americans to retire to. More importantly, there are beaches. I love beaches.
Photos and videos of Portugal reveal this to be an absolutely gorgeous and varied country. It's only about the size of Indiana, but there is a LOT in this small space. I can't wait to see it in purpose.
I’ll try to remember to share some of my research to date. In any event, Scott and I are taking a trip this month. We leave September 12, 2022 for Lisbon. We are participating in this tour/cruise for the first part of the journey https://alumni.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2022-Romance-of-the-Douro-Brochure.pdf
This is my 6th alumni trip and 2nd with Scott. They are FABULOUS! After it ends on 9/23, we will go on to the Algarve area of Portugal. South, coastal, sunny and warm(er than elsewhere) even in winter. This is where I am interested in moving.
We're going to stay in Tavira, in an AirBnB. This AirBnB --> https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16752737
If this journey interests you at all, I hope you will follow along with us, and, if we do move, come VISIT!!
In the meantime, I am very interested in what you think!
TTFN, Robbi