In this week’s blog we look at our time on the road over the last couple of weeks, and see what we have learned. We take some time to think big about Neolithic society, plan for our immediate next few actions towards early retirement and consider the things that make up a simple life.
Retirement plans & thinking time.
Having some time to switch off during a second week in the van has given us ample time to review our actions to date and map out the next steps towards our early retirement in September.
What we have already completed since the start of the year:
Projected and mapped out a range of financial plans to cover all eventualities in the next 12 years.
Confirmed our pensionable worth when we reach the age of 55.
Resigned from our jobs with effect from September 2022.
Communicated our plans with our families, friends and loved ones.
What we need to do in the next 4-6 weeks:
Minimise the house after Lukes departure, living by the mantra of less is more and making sure that the house and our lives are clear of clutter and ready for the big move.
Put the house up for sale.
Decide our May half term travel plans to keep us sane. We were thinking of attending the Haye book festival with the kids, but they seem to be having a disaster booking accommodation at this late notice. Potentially we are looking at a mid Wales/Pembrokeshire coast tour.
Summer plans for travel. At the moment we are thinking of a tried and tested month away in the French Alps to simply decompress. We are so excited about our Christmas gift to each other of the Wild French Alps book- within there is a lifetime of exploring to keep us busy. The alps are not a million miles away from Mum for this first summer without Dad or Mark and it will be a good test trip for us all. One thing that is for certain- as newly retired teachers, we will not be in the country at the start of September. We fully intend to toast the new academic year in with a drink in the mountains, somewhere miles from the chalk face that we have worked at for the last 30 years.
Deal with the paperwork relating to my brothers estate as I am the executor. Not something that I am looking forward to, but something that has to be done. All it does is remind me on a daily basis of how much I miss Mark.
Start to keep a much closer eye on property availability in our area of choice in the Yorkshire Dales.
The effect of walking and activity on the Garmin body battery battle.
If you have read any of our earlier blogs, you will be aware that I have an unhealthy obsession with my Garmin body battery algorithm- a score out of 100 to show how rested you are. I am sure that Garmin created this feature to encourage people to balance exercise, rest and stress levels- all it does for me is increase my stress levels! I know that if I have an alcoholic drink, the Garmin somehow knows this and limits my body battery gains overnight, despite me feeling like I have had a really good nights sleep. However this week, I have stumbled upon a body battery hack (how sad is it that I think about this???). If I maintain a good activity level by walking for much of the day and maintaining my step count, the Garmin loves this and is seemingly prepared to ignore the odd alcoholic drink or two.
Hacks aside, it has illustrated to me a really important principle of maintaining a good balance of health and recovery…simply move more- not in an eyeballs out, maximal intensity way, just gently move more by walking more. An additional benefit I have discovered is the meditative benefits of walking- clearing the mind by being in nature and enjoying the natural silence and solitude that a good walk affords. We have been out in some pretty blustery conditions, yet I have grown to love the time with my own thoughts, and the ultimate clarity that time brings. I have a blog here looking specifically at the benefits of movement and walking for the over 50’s.
Ancient places and thoughts on being human.
Deep I know, but having had the opportunity to visit Neolithic burial chambers and the towering ceremonial monuments on Arran has had a really profound effect on me. I am happy to say that the sheer history of these places freaked me out and caused me to think some really serious thoughts about our role within the history timeline. The fact that individual human beings were at these places living their lives over 5000 years ago just blew my mind.
The time that we are on this planet is such a minuscule window in the grand scheme of overall time, yet often our 70+ years seem so vast to us living in the present moment. If we look at the big picture, we have such a tiny impact on the overall history of the world and yet we continually worry about the lives that we lead. One thing that is clear from these monuments is that the world will continue to keep turning for many years to come, with little regard for us. I guess what I am trying to say in a rather clumsy way is that we need to get the very most out of each and every day on this planet, as our days are so insignificant when looking at the grand scheme of overall time.
The simple life.
So far we have had 14 nights away from home in the van and have only spent 3 of those nights on a camp site. It is fair to say that we haven’t missed the trappings of bricks and mortar one bit, even though the weather at times has been rather challenging. We have done a couple of top-up food shops over the fortnight, trying to remain as healthy as possible in our eating habits- after all this is going to be our life in a few months times rather than being just being one long holiday. Given the chance, we have always tried to put our money into the local economy, whether it be through local coffee shops, pubs or retailers. We haven’t spent a lot, but what we have done has gone local.
We have loved meeting all the people on our travels. The Arran locals have been so friendly, offering advice on the best places to see and the best things to do. We have filled our time with exploring what is about us in nature, indulging in our love of photography and generally taking our time and slowing down. It has been so liberating to spend the majority of our time on such a small island, not feeling compelled to move on and rack up the miles, but to take our time and delight in the ability to get to know each location really well.
In reality, we have proved to ourselves that to be truly content, you need little more than a wild location, an open fire and good company (and probably a glass of wine as a cheeky bonus!).
Have a great week,
Richard & Jackie
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