When I stopped working last summer, the word "retirement" was bandied about, albeit with a necklace of caveats that dressed it up a bit and made it feel more presentable. Before I could cross the border into the land of "OMG--What have I done?" I left the country on my sister's shirttails to enjoy and find a way to feel useful in Armenia for most of three months (see DiploMom71.blogspot.com). When I returned just before Thanksgiving it seemed a given that no serious matters were going to be addressed until after the new year.
But now, a full five months on, I can tell I am definitely approaching the borders of "OMG--What have I done?" -- and without even a tourist visa good for 90 days, no questions asked. Maybe it was just the long winter here in Vermont this year, but I am feeling something has got to change here.
After the garden prospects, and landscaping changes, there was fun travel to consider. Researching the Western and Southern Cape of South Africa kept me busy and intrigued, but while it offers many and varied experiences and tons of natural beauty, it did not seem to meet all the criteria for "worth spending my own money on at this time." This is a high bar for me. If you have seen my 12 year old Subaru you already know this.
So I Googled "places to live cheaply overseas." Up came Cuenca, Ecuador, among other locales that appear to be charming American Boomers trying to live on their Social Security. Aha! This might do AND I could get back to that elusive goal of feeling minimally competent to travel in Spanish. With the enthusiasm of a Gold Rusher, I found language schools, apartments, restarted my Spanish with the aim of conquering indirect objects, located places I could do yoga, tried to find the symphony schedule for the fall, even found places I could volunteer.
While I was still in the rush of imagining Ecuador in the fall, along came a brief flirtation with going to Uganda to teach social work for a semester. Talk about whiplash! As flirtations go, it was wild. I went from facing up to my inordinate and lifelong fear of snakes to pondering life with intermittent electricity (i.e., reading by kerosene lamp) to thinking I could actually add value where it is needed. Turns out it is not going to work out for this year (see issue about spending own money above) but I am working on next year.
The piece Uganda has that other options haven't so far is the chance to do meaningful work again. That's what has to change. If not Uganda, then where? If Ecuador, then what? In the meantime, surely there is something that needs doing in Vermont.
The great thing thing about being a generalist in any field is that you enjoy a broad scope and have a wide-ranging portfolio of skills and eventually knowledge. After 40 years, you just know stuff. And hopefully you know how to integrate and synthesize. There is a bit of gravitas. So I know I have a lot to offer if I find the right niche. I don't have to be nor do I want to be "the boss." What I need is to be useful to others in a way that means something to them and to me.
So I am resting open, but there is a little sign around my neck that says: Wanted--meaningful work.
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