Wednesday, May 27, 2009

thinking of the future

Those who know me know I always have a plan. I may change it every year or so, but I always have one. And lately my thoughts have been turning to the future. What do I want, down the road?

I know I would like to retire from here. That keeps me at Hopkins until I am 57, if I want to retire with everything the University offers to retirees. After that, I am thinking I would like to snag a government job for 10 years, and then retire from there. That would give me whatever the government offers to its retirees.

What I really want is a place at the beach, and a place in the mountains. I'd like to keep our house forever, as it is now firmly fixed in my mind as HOME. But I would like a place of my own at the beach, somewhere I could go to whenever the need hit me for sand and sun and water. And a place in the mountains when I need trees and quiet and nature.

I wonder if it's doable, or if it's more or less a pipe dream. My husband would love the mountain retreat, and grudgingly go along with the beach, I think. I know we both see ourselves in the house in Baltimore forever. Everyone has to have a home, that place that pops in your head when you say the word. The thing that tugs at you when you are away, and gives ease to your bones. So I think that part is a given. But I do know that we both want to travel, to see as much of the world as we can. So somehow that will have to fit into the vision as well.

It's nice to think about. I guess we won't know how much of it we'll do, until we get there.

1 comment:

Kitten Herder said...

I feel your plans/dreams. While I like our current house, it is not the house that I see myself in when commuting convenience is no longer a priority. I liked our last house much better but it would have been impractical for us as we continued to age and decline. Thank you for the wonderful blogging idea. I took would like to ruminate on the dilemma.

The travel thing is also of interest to me, but physically travel is difficult. So, realism may trump fantasy.

BTW, I really do like YOUR house in Baltimore. I would like it better if it were further north. Heck, I would like Baltimore as a town if it were further north. (grin)