Warning Signs
July 15, 2018
Warning Signs
Although I don’t think our decision to move to Washington was a mistake that we could have predicted, I might have missed some early warning signs that it wasn’t working out.
For one thing, we never opened a bank account here. We loved the personal service at our Cambridge bank, and we do our transactions online anyhow. So we stayed with it.
We never subscribed to The Washington Post and my computer’s home page remained The Boston Globe. (We do watch the local news sometimes, but like local news everywhere, it’s mostly weather, sports and murders.)
Our apartment’s balcony overlooks a lovely courtyard, but we didn’t buy any outdoor furniture for it in spite of Washington’s beautiful spring.
Although we developed a roster of Washington physicians, we still kept in touch with our Boston doctors, and we stayed in our Boston healthcare system.
I think part of me knew that I wouldn’t be happy here from the day we arrived. I just refused to see it.
I am grateful that we had the opportunity to be near our kids. And I am grateful that we were welcomed so warmly to our retirement community. But, most of all, I am grateful to be able to go home.
There's surely no place like home. I'm glad you were able to go back, many people aren't.
Posted by: Iris | July 16, 2018 at 07:14 AM
I've been following your blog for some years now, and do understand your decision to move "home." We seem to be living parallel lives to an extent--very eerie. We, too, moved from our long time home to be closer to children and grandchildren. Our move, however, was not as distant (was within the same state) and not to a "senior" community but to a small condo complex. And, we moved from a very small city to a slightly larger one where we'd already spent a lot of time. Do you think part of the reason for not bonding with your new living situation was the fact that it was a senior place? No matter how welcoming the people have been, it's still not the same as being surrounded by a greater diversity of ages. Hope you find some place nice to live, and that the move goes smoothly
Posted by: Ann | July 16, 2018 at 07:53 AM
Hi Judy, I'm a long time Belmont follower of your Blog and am especially interested in hearing about your decision to return to MA. Will you be moving back to Cambridge "proper"? What will your housing choice be? An apartment? A condo? A retirement community in this area? At least you will have already done the downsizing! I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing more.
Posted by: Abby | July 16, 2018 at 10:02 AM
Lucky you, to be able to have a 'redo' on your place of residence! I can see that you have considered all of the pros and cons, and made the right decision. Now you are set to really enjoy your retirement!
Posted by: Still the Lucky Few | July 16, 2018 at 12:38 PM
It's so interesting what hindsight will reveal. I sometimes find I'm watching myself, as my actions (or non actions) can be quite revealing. What I do tells me more than what I think.
Posted by: Juliet | July 16, 2018 at 06:08 PM