extrovert/introvert
Once we retire (2yrs) we plan to take the 5er and travel to every nation park and many historic points around the country. This morning she expressed concern about leaving all her friends for such a l...
Forum Discussion
I wasn't disagreeing with you, just pointing out that if you can't guarantee you'll be able to travel tomorrow, then you can't guarantee that your friends will be there when you get back. Stating that their friends will be there is no more honest than saying to wait and travel later - no one can say for sure which is the better choice. The OP and his wife will need to make their own decisions based on their own needs.
I can say that my parents had lived in one place for 40 years. When they moved 2 hours away, my mom felt very isolated and pretty much stopped driving. She had been very independent before and had a lifetime of favorite places and things to do and she was very comfortable doing all that. Moving to a new town made a lot of old insecurities come out to the surface and she found it very difficult to build a new life at 65. So, I get the OP wife's hesitancy to go off and travel for an unknown amount of time. What is easy to do when you're in a very familiar safe home with a long-time support system can be very difficult to do when you're suddenly in an unfamiliar place without your support system. I know my mom would have lived a longer and fuller life if my dad hadn't insisted on moving - the move made him very happy, but it made my mom feel lost and alone.
So, I don't think the answer is as simple as "just go". It really depends on the people. Breaking the trip up into parts might be a good compromise.
I can say that my parents had lived in one place for 40 years. When they moved 2 hours away, my mom felt very isolated and pretty much stopped driving. She had been very independent before and had a lifetime of favorite places and things to do and she was very comfortable doing all that. Moving to a new town made a lot of old insecurities come out to the surface and she found it very difficult to build a new life at 65. So, I get the OP wife's hesitancy to go off and travel for an unknown amount of time. What is easy to do when you're in a very familiar safe home with a long-time support system can be very difficult to do when you're suddenly in an unfamiliar place without your support system. I know my mom would have lived a longer and fuller life if my dad hadn't insisted on moving - the move made him very happy, but it made my mom feel lost and alone.
So, I don't think the answer is as simple as "just go". It really depends on the people. Breaking the trip up into parts might be a good compromise.