When it begins to cool in the evenings and the geese fly in formation, my mind turns to Arizona. Yearning for the desert air and vibrant blue sky is compel me to fly away. I do it every year and will as long as I am allowed.
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| Townhome near Tucson's Pantano Wash and bike trail. |
We started this way of life when we retired. First with a fifth-wheel trailer, later with a motor home, and finally in something permanent that evolved over the years. First, it was a park model in an RV Resort, then a townhouse close to walking trails, and finally into a home on a small golf course.
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| Congress Hotel from window of near by hotel. |
Each time we moved, we upscaled and increased our monetary wealth. That is the way our mind works. It is as though we couldn't just have fun without working a lot. We painted and planted flowers and haunted thrift stores to find just the right furniture. We were always having fun and planning for the next step. We talked about it over coffee in the morning and wine before dinner at night.
In between our work, we played golf. When we were in the RV resort, we participated in fun and games. Being a snowbird was like being free. We were away from our responsibilities at home. I could never find a way to describe it to our friends...being or feeling young again is much more fun than it was the first time around.
We landed in Tucson by choice (and a little by change.) We were a small-town people. Tucson suited our lifestyle perfectly. Named "The Old Pueblo," Tucson fits the name perfectly. While it is a vibrant city, it still remains a "small town" in many ways. The downtown has been reinvented, but it has not lost its identity. "The Congress Hotel" was restored to those days when cowboys and gangsters came to town. A jazz bar was added featuring live performances by local groups. The Tucson Fox Theater was restored and brags an interior like no other.
My husband passed in December of 2021. He would have been 84 on his next birthday. It was, of course, hard for me. A fog settled in that made me wonder if I could keep the snow-bird lifestyle I had been enjoying for so many years. Time passes. I kept my way of life the same but very different as a single widow. I was smart enough to adhere to a routine. That kept me from laying in bed all day and giving in to pain and grief. It actually worked.
Snowbirds are a Tucson staple.
They provide income to the city and encourage events that appeal to a retired person's tastes. I found a group that was attached to the University of Arizona called Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (fondly called OLLI by its members). It is attached to the college and charges tuition (last year approximately $400 for the year) so retired people like me can attend classes and social events, theater performances and travel on field trips with a group. I joined this group in the winter of 2023. Those classes, social events, and trips have been a game changer for me.
I have taken a writing class for personal growth, a literature class, a music class, and a class from a professor on how our brain functions. I joined a group of walkers and the lady who organized it took us to several Native American gardens and the historic presidio near the center of Tucson. I regularly participate in social events. The plan is to continue doing that this year.
I am evolving as a snowbird. I am not the same person I was all those years ago. Yet, I remain as enthusiastic about my opportunity to enjoy the warmer weather in the winter. I live in Portland Oregon in the summer. Rain is at this very moment coming...maybe tomorrow. Who knows.
My life might look like yours but then again maybe not. But living in a new place, inventing a different life and, most of all, getting to know new people is the key. Social interaction is what keeps our mind sharp.
Good luck!
b+
P.S. I am home in Oregon for the holidays...I really had forgotten how wet it is. Not being able to stay physically active EVERYDAY is not a good thing.
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