by Ken Trupp
GGG Faculty, retired
I'm here to report that retirement is all I had hoped it would be
and more. While I dearly loved my job at GCC, after 29 years I was ready for a
completely new adventure. I knew that if I stayed in the Los Angeles area I'd
end up teaching a class or two at the college and eventually find myself serving
on various committees. That didn't sound like the new adventure I was seeking.
So, creating some distance was my solution to that problem. And, if I was
starting all over again, so to speak, why not pick a location where I didn't
know a soul.
So, here I am
in Blaine, WA, a town of about 3,000 located on the border between the US and
British Columbia. The dog, cat, and I share a small home that overlooks
Semiahmoo Bay. Am I happy here? You betcha! I begin each day giving thanks for
where I am and for the monthly STRS checks that allow me to be here and to
remain unemployed. Is retirement boring? I haven't had a boring moment. There's just so much to do and so many
activities to choose from.
I've made
some good friends on both sides of the border and manage to keep more than busy
with volunteer work. In the three and a half years that I've been here, I've
served on the city's planning commission, worked on city council campaigns,
served as a board member for our performing arts association, volunteered at the
city's tourist information office, gotten involved in the city's code rewrite,
and, every couple of months I don hip boots and wade out into the bay as one of
the "farmers of the tideflats"—a
group involved in an oyster restoration project. Currently I'm tutoring a
Russian immigrant two evenings a week for the county's literacy program, singing
(well, more or less) in the church choir, and hiking—rain or shine—on
daily basis. I also get to the health club for a workout two or three times a
week. There's just no reason for retired folks ever to have too much time on their hands.
While the
afternoons and
evenings can seem too busy at times, one of the highlights of my retirement
is my sacrosanct mornings: I get out of bed at first light, walk the dog for
about an hour, and then sip coffee and read the newspaper until I'm ready to
start the day on my terms. Do I miss dealing with traffic, looking for a parking
place on campus, and rushing into class with a batch of essays or blue books to
return? Absolutely not!
I do have two
pieces of advice for those considering retirement: sock away as much as possible
in your TSA, and start thinking about long term care insurance—the
older you get, the more expensive those policies become.
If you'd like
a close up view of the good life and are planning to travel to these parts, give
me a call. I have room for guests, enjoy playing host, and am a darn good tour
guide.
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