Retirement practice

PORTSMOUTH 2022 / #4/4

What’s gloriously possible…

Back in January, my friend Maria and I held our own visioning retreat to take time to think about what’s next for each of us – for our businesses and our lives. One exercise we planned prompted us to create three different “odysseys” about where to go from here. The scenario for my own life that appealed to me the most was being a writer at the beach. I keep coming back to that dream. And I’ve been thinking more about that on this trip.

My life lately has already been somewhat a practice run for retirement given that my business is not consistently paying all the bills. But I have not been giving it my best – too much putzing and not enough taking advantage of available time to do something interesting.

But this vacation has given me a chance to both think through and start testing out what retirement life might be like. I’m kinda liking the idea and figuring out more of what will be important to me!

For example, my set-up in Portsmouth had some nice features – especially that it was close to a downtown with lots of restaurants and artsy nightlife. I would have taken in a show, but the offerings this week were not quite my style. The center of town is all walkable, safe, and lively. I would have liked to see more on the waterfront – especially a walking path of some kind. The port was a working waterfront rather than a leisure one – but I found exactly what I was looking for across the bridge on the island of New Castle.

New England island life

My Saturday was dedicated to a New Castle excursion, and it did not disappoint. I started my day with a picturesque brunch at the posh Wentworth by the Sea hotel. Pictures of this hotel were what prompted the interest in Portsmouth in the first place, although it was more of a splurge than I was prepared to indulge. Worth the visit, though.

After brunch, I made my way to the New Castle commons, and planted myself there for three hours! I congratulated myself for leaving my beach chair in the car and I found a perfect spot in the shade for soaking in the ambiance. After walking about a bit, I set myself up to read. You couldn’t beat the view – along with the unseasonably warm weather and the breezes that set the fallen leaves dancing over and over again. I could live like this!

Culinary report

Interestingly, eight days’ vacation is a good reminder why home cooking is such a treat. I had some great meals, no doubt, but I do miss my kitchen. My favorite meals were the breakfast-for-lunch ones. A pancake at the funky Friendly Toast (you only needed one). The server couldn’t tell me the secret ingredient, and I don’t have a palate discerning enough to say what made it sooooo good). A tasty apple bread French toast at Esselon Cafe over by the Carle Museum (below).

Favorite dinner was a simple Cappellini Pomodoro with meatball at Tuscan Market – fresh made pasta makes ALL the difference. I ate way too much beef (all tender, tasty, and perfectly prepared) – primarily because I don’t make that much at home. Too bad I don’t care for seafood. I was all set to try a lobster roll for lunch in Ogunquit until I saw the market price these days. Oh well.

I’m ready to get back to home cooking with a few ideas about what to add to my main course mix. You can hold me to that. To those of you who like such things, I’m afraid I’m not enough of a foodie to be interested in Instagramming my plates.

Last excursion

Although I left Portsmouth this morning, the vacation had one more treat – I drove west rather than south in order to meet up with my friend Cathy, along with Cathy’s daughter, Ayla and Ayla’s new husband Dave. Our itinerary was a nice lunch and then a visit to the Eric Carle Museum. Cathy and I haven’t seen each other since 2016 and yet as always, we pick up exactly as if we were still roommates. Ayla is my webmaster and graphic artist, but she and Dave live in Ireland, so I’m lucky that they were here and available to join us. (They’re taking a months-long honeymoon/working vacation trip in the US to see the sites and friends and family in advance of moving to Australia for a few years – but that’s their story to tell!)

The Eric Carle Museum was a revelation. (You might recall Eric Carle is the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar among other kid’s books.) The space is dedicated to children’s book illustration, and they had a fabulous exhibit of illustrators who specialize in collage. The photographs don’t do it justice. Such attention to detail, tiny cutting work, inspired layering of elements, gorgeous color. While the pages look good when translated into the books they illustrate, the originals were very much works of art. I realized how little of Eric Carle’s work I know, and I enjoyed learning of the underlying purpose and messages in his cute books. Layers in the message, not just in the artwork.

That’s a wrap

“The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short. But that isn’t a reason for unremitting despair, or for living in an anxiety-fueled panic about making the most of your limited time. It’s a cause for relief. You get to give up on something that was always impossible – the quest to become the optimized, infinitely capable, emotionally invincible, fully independent person you’re officially supposed to be. Then you get to roll up your sleeves and start to work on what’s gloriously possible instead.”
~ Oliver Burkeman

I write this final post from a nondescript hotel room in Danbury, Connecticut – my pit stop on the way home. I kinda like the interrupted return trip – it gives me a moment to draw the line between vacation || and back to work and everyday life. I’ve spent days as I like, pondered truths, dreamed dreams, read advice, and taken notes in addition to breathing deep and enjoying new places to see. Thanks for tagging along.

This is the life…