Planning for Retirement

Since the death of my sweet doggie The Nutt a few years ago, I've been in (an initially unconscious [subconscious? unconscious? subconscious!]) financial contraction.

I discovered that funds previously allocated each month to the care of my special needs (furry) child could be diverted into my 401k with nary the blink of the eye or an empty feeling in my jeans pocket.

Then, I found myself Offended and Outraged (both with capital "O") at the amount I doled over for cable and mobile each month -- especially since you could hardly tap a key without a news article flashing onto your screen about the joys of streaming television or alternative mobile phone coverage. Barely two hours with my friend Google and a temp Excel file and I had cut those expenses by 50%. Out of the way of my Ginsu knife!

It became a game to me -- benefits enrollment time came around and I sliced my monthly costs by betting on my continued good health. Slice! I started shopping for food at the local farmers' market and cooking at home more often. Rip! A slow dawning mindfulness brought me the understanding that I was, in a way, 'nesting'... I was preparing for retirement!

I realized that I had been daydreaming about being awakened by the sun each day instead of a noisy jolt, and taking walks in fresh air instead of listening to hardly earth-shattering complaints. I imagined painting and cooking and writing every day. And even more vivid, my daydreams of retirement were always more about where than about what.... and I always saw myself in Italy.

So on a dark winter evening with freezing rain falling outside, wind howling across my balcony, and a forecast of 24F the next day, I Googled the temperature in San Lorenzo al Mare... and saw that everyday for the next seven days the temps were 45F - 55F.... And I knew I wanted to be there...