When we were young, we saw the world as a very big place we could never totally conquer or see till we become old and gray. Furthermore, our young minds kept us glued to knowing and learning as much as we could. We also wanted to achieve and accomplish tasks as professionally possible.
Then one day we fall in love and everything recedes to the background. For young ladies, it was time to become mothers and nurture them as great parents. So comes the eldest, Irene or Cyril or Liza. Fathers like their eldest boys, but mothers like them girls. Having gotten married usually in our early or late twenties, some are gifted with four, five or six. They say it is good to have one girl then three boys (so mine are Irene, Ben, Chevy, Bon) or three boys then one girl. From experience I like the former than the latter. From the time you begin to have children all the parents’ energies are focused on educating the children. When all the children are done with at least one course, the parents feel they are the best parents and everything else is secondary. Notwithstanding the love between the husband and wife become stronger throughout the married life especially because of their unique mission to take care of the children who are the fruits of their love. Some however are left to take care of the children because one of the two passes away or the marriage gets dissolved or the husband and the wife decide to separate. All these years make or unmake you such that when retirement comes, then time slows down inevitably your health suffers.
Reinmatters suggests one “medicine” which she has tested herself as one sure way to revive you and make you healthy, young and fresh. This pill is called “travel bug”! Usually a bug connotes something negative and like a “disease” so this is not the kind reinmatters is referring to. It is travel bug or we can coin the term “travelbag” to mean what was earlier explained. Travelbag is strongly recommended for retirees who have received sums of money after working for a long time. Other retirees receive millions while others receive only a hundred plus pesos. Do not use the money to buy a house rather place some amount in the bank for safekeeping and substantial amount for travel. Your children should take it upon themselves to help out so the travel does not become expensive. The destinations should begin local so it does not entail very long trips. Make sure you, as retiree-traveler have your own tab, camera and cellphone for easy communication should something come up.
Questions like: what places have you visited around the Philippines? LuzVisMin (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao) is your map. Imagine we have reached 65 but we have not seen all of LuzVisMin. From LuzVisMin, we go Asian. At least visit Hongkong, Zhenshen, Macau for one package; then another package for Singapore and Malaysia. This will assure you a little that your plan to go USA is optimistic. Once you can make it to Hongkong, your New York route is easier so goes the advice of seasoned travelers. Fellow retirees, what do you think? Life we know know, is what we make of it but some areas of it are not made possible because of bodyaches and all the “bronchitis, athritis, diabetes, laryngitis, sinusitis” that plague us. Hopefully through “travelbag” we are relaxed, stay young, healthy and fresh because of the newness of it all. The “itis” is still there but new avenues of excitement fuels us to go ahead with new lease in life! Over and above our plans is to stay close with God, the Planner of us all and ask for blessings in all things that we intend to do.
Part 2 of this article will show you some of the preferred destinations and where I have been to!