On the subject of aging

I've been on one of my periodic quests for a warmer, cheaper place to retire. A place without tornadoes and without snow. Granted, this has been a warmer winter (so far) than the past two, but the snow has been replaced with tornadoes, and that's not a very good tradeoff. I can't kid myself that the snow is gone forever, either, or that even if it is, tornadoes are preferable.

So Wednesday I was searching around online at various wonderful places around the world with warm weather and low costs of living and then reality entered the picture when a little voice reminded me that I would be 70 years old my next birthday, and wouldn't be able to move before then. And c'mon, people, 70 is just a little too old to go following my nose halfway around the world. Or even to the Caribbean, for that matter. Costa Rica is really appealing.

It's not just a case of wanderlust -- it's mostly weather related. I also have to face the fact that I won't be able to afford to maintain the house (new roof, paint, whatever else might come along). So, after February 8, 2013 I'll need to move on. And since I have to move....well, why not search for fine weather once again?  Unlike several years ago when I opted not to move to Mexico because I didn't think I'd find enough to do, right now I think I'd be completely happy to have nothing better to do than walk on a beach every day.

I'm also not following old patterns of running away from things, because I know full well that the things we try to run from will simply follow us wherever we go. The only things I want to run away from are tornadoes and snow. Period. And if I'm careful about my selections, those won't follow me and I won't replace them with hurricanes.