New Beginning

Since it appears that the reason for starting this blog is no more, I've decided to delete what little it had and start over.  A new beginning along with my new plans.  This time, however, the plans will be all mine to do with as I wish.

There have always been two competing desires for living out my life.  One is that I wanted a little homestead.  Nothing big, just enough room for a garden, fruit trees, maybe some chickens for eggs.  Thought about the animals (goats?) but I know I wouldn't be able to kill and eat them.  I would be running a retirement home for old hens. 

However, I'm getting older (this year is the big 5-0).  Not that I planned on making my livelihood from farming, but it still requires physical effort.  Something that with my approaching age and health I may not be able to provide for a long period of time.  And I would hate to spend that time and effort (and money!) building up a place, only to have to get rid of it because I could no longer keep up with it.  I don't have any one to pass it on to.  I don't have any real reason to remain here.

Therefore, I've decided my retirement plans will be to spend several years full-timing......buying some type of RV and spending several years on the road.  I'll eventually have to settle down (where I don't know) but I can get a little place then.

However, it will be several years before I can set the plans in motion.  I'm eligible for my pension after 30 years (have 27 right now) but since I plan on paying cash for the rig, I'll need some time to save for it.  Also, I'll receive a bigger pension by working longer.  Right now, the number I'm shooting for is 40; that'll give me about 12 years to save money and be ready to go.

My current plans are the following:

• Saving money to pay cash for rig (to be determined) 
• Creating a small nest egg for emergency cash on the road; pension along with Social Security (if still there) will provide enough income for monthly needs with some extra to save for the future
• Downsizing and 'pretending' to live as if already full-timing, in order to keep my life simple
• Doing research into locations to visit, full-timing lifestyle, etc.

So, this will be where I'll dream, post plans, recipes, interesting places to visit and store information for the future.
Of course, all this is subject to change if I win the lottery!!