There was talk on the radio this morning that we are all fortunate to be living in these times. Disposable income is at the highest level ever, the average life span has now grown to 79 years, we’re enjoying the highest literacy rate in history, and we spend less time on home chores, meaning more leisure activity than any other generation. These are certainly all things to be thankful for, as we assess the benefits of our more comfortable, modern day lives. The majority of us are rich in time, health, and education. 

I live among the fortunate, and struggle with the reality that there are those who have not been as blessed. Admittedly, I don’t do enough to help, selfishly enjoying my retired lifestyle. I have the legs to run, the money to travel, and the security of a pension plus social security. I treasure these personal assets, along with companionship, family, and shelter. My wife still seems satisfied with a successful career, but begrudgingly has to manage her available days for travel. Including her weekends, holidays, and vacation days, all of which are no longer applicable to me as a retiree, she has about 163 days off every year. This is certainly a generous percentage of time-off, but it puts limits where we can go and for how long. We can factor-in long weekends and even business travel, but the maximum we can stay away is 14 days before she’ll need to get back to the office. 

As I’ve stated many times, I’m more than satisfied with my 80/20 rule, since travel can be exhausting. (See Posts #320 and #323). By the end of the first quarter of this year, this percentage will be closer to 65/35, including an upcoming 14-day adventure that is definitely the longest of our marriage. The second quarter of the year looks like 79/21, so a more affordable schedule of travel. We still have some holes to fill in for the rest of the year. We’ll also be under our $1,000 day travel budget, because of Marriott Rewards Points and companion fares.  Once my wife retires, we’ll be able to take longer trips than two weeks, so airfare will not be as big of factor as it is when confined to shorter excursions.

By choice, we’re currently tethered to a house, my wife’s job, an elderly mother, and three pets. However, once my wife retires, we’ll gradually cut some of these cords and do a 6-month cruise and eventually rent accommodations in Hawaii and/or Europe to use as a travel hub for these unexplored areas. This means that even though we will constantly be on the road, it will also be “home,” so the 80/20 rule will continue to apply. I would like to say that I will look forward to joint retirement, I’ll certainly enjoy the company, but that’s wishing as many as four years from my life, as well as saying goodbye to the youthful sixties. At that point, statistically I’ll only have nine more years to see the world, with the love of my life.