Many retirees consider moving to a seaside cottage or a holiday home at the sea when they retire. Because they have fond memories of past holidays this is understandable. One has to remember that to live somewhere and to holiday somewhere are two different scenarios. If one moved to a holiday home to retire and discovers that it was a mistake, there might be many financial and other implications. I would like to suggest to retirees to first consider the following aspects before they decide to retire at their favourite seaside town.
- Connectivity or the state of being connected
Synonyms for connectivity are connectedness, relatedness, accordance, affinity, association, comparability, congruence, correspondence, integration, kinship, and network.
In 1624 John Donne wrote a poem called “No man is an island”. The phrase expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community in order to thrive. Donne was a Christian but this concept is shared by most other religions. So consider whether there are people you can have a long-term friendship or a relationship with when moving to another town or area. Will you be very far away from your children, grandchildren, family and friends? Will you be satisfied with such state of affairs? Will you have access to medical services, pharmacy and hospitals? Will that be a problem in case of sickness or emergency? How far is your supermarket, banks and day-to-day suppliers? If you’re a couple will the surviving spouse be able to stay on after the death of the first dying?
- Challenge
Growth and development is part of life. Once you start stagnating you cannot flourish. The best way to spark personal growth or development is to surround yourself with people and things that will challenge you to grow. Before moving to your favourite seaside destination consider whether there will be opportunities for you to grow and to flourish. Will you enjoy the weather and the climate there? Are there opportunities to participate in sport and recreation?
- Curiosity
Curiosity is heavily associated with all aspects of human development, in which derives the process of learning and the desire to acquire knowledge and skill. Will you be able to satisfy your personal need to learn and to know at your seaside destination? Will it be sustainable? Will you be satisfied with internet learning or will you be able to attend presentations, courses and have interaction with others?
- Creativity
The next aspect to consider before moving is whether the environment will inspire you to greater ingenuity and creativity. Will you enjoy living there for the years to come? Will you be able to participate in dancing, art classes, and more? Will you be able to watch an opera or your favourite show?
- Charity
It’s great to see that many retired people get involved with community causes. There are many great ways you can work with a charity, whether it’s offering your time, skills or fundraising support. Will you be able to contribute in this way if you move to your seaside destination?
- Cash
The last consideration is whether you can afford to make the move. Will there be enough cash for your living expenses, transportation, medical costs, stimulation, maintenance, visits to children and grandchildren, family and friends?
The above is just a few aspects to consider before you start packing. You might just save yourself a lot of unhappiness and unpleasant surprises.