We left our northern Home at age 55 as soon as we could take retirement. We got over 200” of snow there and our kids had moved away. We had travelled looking for a place to live and settled on a large retirement community in Florida. We have over 60,000 homes. I can get anywhere, even to MD, movies, numerous restaurants and activities by golf car and many places by walking. Our grocery stores will deliver or you can pre order or drive up. You can walk outside almost every single day. we moved here because DH has multiple medical problems. No step from the garage to the house. Wide doors with handles instead of knobs. Roman shower you can roll a wheelchair in with a seat already in the corner. One floor living. Large screened lanai with a ledge (hurricane and flood requirements) that could take a small ramp easily.
But the best thing is neighbors. Yesterday I had my gallbladder out. One neighbor stopped by last evening to see if I was ok. Two people called this morning too see if I needed anything. I got half a dozen texts and more emails from friends and neighbors.
For my sense of purpose, I quilt in a group of 50 women, some of whom I have become friendly with. We make charity quilts for foster kids, and for habitat for humanity type houses (on a smaller scale, they refurbish trailers) and each bed has a brand new quilt on it when they are done. Next week I am going to a meeting that helps veterans who were disabled not in the line of duty obtain housing. We hope to raise $200,000 this year towards this goal. I volunteer in the library in the used book store and we raise money which goes to local school programs. Many of my neighbors tutor kids or volunteer in hospice.
If if I moved near my kids they could move somewhere else They have their own lives and responsibilities. Their first responsibility is towards their spouses, kids and jobs like we raised them.
Just be be careful on this route. There are some crabby old people here. Some entitled. Some heavy drinkers. But by and large a very nice community. Also, be very careful picking out a community. I did not want to see “site of future clubhouse” as I assumed what was not built would never be. . Or a place that touted 200 clubs without seeing for my own eyes what those activities are. Having a quilting meeting and two people show up to talk was one such group I ran across. Good management is the key or the cheap old people will vote down any improvements.
I don’t want to be a burden on my kids. I want to live, love and enjoy life.