Retirement Field Trips: Exploring Our Next Chapter
Finding the right places to visit, spend the winter, and maybe even call home someday.
For 35 years, my life has revolved around the school calendar. Bells, schedules, meetings, and the occasional countdown to summer vacation. But with retirement getting closer, I’ve started thinking about a different kind of calendar. One that involves a little more freedom, a lot less rushing, and hopefully some warmer weather during those Illinois winters.
And that’s where Retirement Field Trips comes in.
As an educator, I’ve been on my fair share of field trips over the years. Some were great. Others made me wonder why we ever left the building in the first place!
But these field trips are going to be a little different.
This time, I’m the one choosing the destination.
So, What Exactly Is a Retirement Field Trip?
It’s pretty simple. My wife and I want to explore places we might enjoy spending time during retirement, whether that’s a weeklong getaway, a few months escaping the Midwest winter, or potentially somewhere we’d consider living down the road.
We’re interested in retirement communities, affordable vacation destinations, snowbird locations, and those hidden gems that don’t always show up on everyone’s radar.
Florida? Absolutely.
The Carolinas? Definitely.
A quiet beach town, a 55+ community, or a place where we can enjoy the outdoors without spending a fortune? Count us in.
The goal isn’t necessarily to find one perfect place. It’s to experience different locations and figure out what actually fits our lifestyle and budget.
We’re Not Looking for a Million-Dollar Retirement
Let’s get one thing straight. This isn’t going to be a blog about luxury resorts, expensive second homes, or retirement lifestyles that most people can’t realistically afford.
We’re regular people trying to make smart decisions about the next chapter of our lives.
I want to know what things actually cost. What does it take to spend a month somewhere warm? Is renting better than buying? Could a camper, small vacation home, or seasonal rental make sense? And what about those 55+ communities that seem to offer everything under the sun?
More importantly, are they worth the money?
Those are the kinds of questions I hope to answer along the way.
What I’ll Be Sharing
As we begin exploring different destinations, I plan to share:
- Retirement communities: What they’re like, what they offer, and what they really cost.
- Snowbird destinations: Affordable ways to escape the cold without breaking the bank.
- Travel experiences: Places worth visiting, along with a few that might not live up to the hype.
- Budget breakdowns: Lodging, food, transportation, and the expenses that can sneak up on you.
- The good, the bad, and the unexpected: What we loved, what we’d do differently, and whether we’d go back.
And whenever possible, I’ll include pictures, firsthand impressions, and practical information that might help someone else planning a similar adventure.
The Best Part? We Don’t Have It All Figured Out.
That’s probably what excites me most.
We have ideas. We have places we’d like to visit. And we have a general picture of what we’d like retirement to look like.
But plans change.
Maybe we’ll fall in love with a place we never considered. Maybe we’ll discover that a popular retirement destination isn’t for us. Or maybe we’ll realize that spending a couple of months somewhere warm is all we really need.
I’m looking forward to finding out.
After spending most of my adult life following a school schedule, the idea of having the freedom to explore without worrying about getting back before Monday morning sounds pretty appealing.
Come Along for the Ride
Whether you’re already retired, getting close, or just starting to think about what life after work might look like, I hope you’ll follow along.
I’ll share what we discover, what things cost, and whether a destination deserves a return visit.
There will probably be a few wrong turns along the way. Hopefully, some great discoveries too.
And unlike the field trips I helped supervise during my teaching career, I won’t have to count heads before getting back on the bus.
Welcome to Retirement Field Trips.
The bell is almost behind us. The adventure is just getting started.
