February 2020

I have a confession to make. I really like the snow. I know, some people might find this shocking; maybe even a little disturbing, but I really like it.

Snow is one of the reasons I live in Michigan. For most of my life, I lived in climates where while we would get snow, it was nothing compared to Michigan winters. For example, it was not until I lived in Michigan that I had a white Christmas. I used to make paper snowflakes and hang them on the ceiling in hopes that it would encourage the snow to fly. While moving to Michigan was primarily driven by the desire to live near family, having a lot of snow was definitely on the pro side of the list. I think it’s pretty, fun to play in, and sometimes I just really enjoy watching it fall from inside a warm house. While my Toyota Prius is not necessarily what you would think of when envision someone driving through the snow, it handles fairly well, and our other vehicle is 4-wheel drive, so there are options if needed.

I have to admit, however, that as much as I love the snow, I also very much enjoy taking a quick hiatus from the winter sometime in February. It’s nice to get out of town just to see the sun, feel it warm my body and energize me to get through the next six weeks of winter. As I get older, I know that my desire to get away in the winter might intensify. I don’t think this will be because my love for snow will change but because as we age it is often more difficult to get out in bad weather, and I don’t want my whole winter to be watching from the inside of the house. I like to get out and move, and warm, sunny weather provides this opportunity.

We have many clients who also enjoy this reprieve. Some, as a quick break like me, since they are still working, and others who go south for weeks or months in the winter time. Before both of my parents were fully retired, they would spend about a week in Florida in February. As retirement came around that week spread into two weeks and two weeks into four weeks and four weeks into two months or more! I sometimes wonder if they will ever come back. Yes, they will, mostly because they miss me.

When Cliff and I work on your retirement plan, we will ask you about your plans to go south, or west, or beyond. We might even suggest that these plans could grow, evolve and change, as your retirement is under way, just like it did for my parents. We want you to enjoy your retirement years and planning for these excursions and expenses is part of what we do. Let us know what’s on your list, so we can figure out what is best for you.