Latest news with #personal growth
Globe and Mail
10-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Globe and Mail
This former social worker loves the ‘intoxicating' freedom of retirement
In Tales from the Golden Age, retirees talk about their spending, savings and whether life after work is what they expected. For more articles in this series, click here. Sheila Baslaw, 92, Ottawa I retired in 1997 at the age of 65 after a career in social work. My (now late) husband and I had three sons and, between working and raising a family, there wasn't time to explore what else I might be interested in. I saw retirement as an opportunity to try new things. Retirement is exhilarating. I've taken courses in a wide range of subjects, including jazz and folk music, as well as writing and painting. I'm Jewish, but learning Hebrew and Jewish history wasn't a huge part of my upbringing, so I decided to learn more about Jewish history and culture, including how to read Hebrew. I also had my bat mitzvah at 67. It's something most women do when they turn 12, but I never got around to it back then. I also read a lot. The book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and the article '4 Tips for Setting Powerful Goals' by Jim Rohn helped me discover my strengths and interests. I joined a writing group called 'The Scribbling Sisters' and had my first book published last fall. It's a children's book called The Light Keeper, co-authored with Karen Levine, based on an incident in my family history. There have been challenges in retirement. My husband passed away in 2016 at 91. He had serious health issues in the last decade or so of his life and needed help getting up in the morning and going to bed. The wonderful thing about my husband was that every few months, he would say, 'I think you need time away,' and he would go into respite care, freeing me up to do some of the things I enjoyed, such as going to writing workshops. I have been fortunate in retirement to continue living in my own home and remain active. I can't drive at night anymore, and I had a new aortic valve put in last August. But overall, life is good. I don't worry about money. I put away money into an RRSP while I was working [which is now in a RRIF] and have a small pension from my career. I took my CPP and OAS benefits as soon as I retired. I live off the pensions and try not to touch the savings unless I really need them. My husband was an artist, so money was always tight, and we learned to live frugally. Sure, I have friends who've done wonderful things that I couldn't because of the cost, but it never really bothered me. There's nothing that I want or need that I don't already have. What I love about retirement is having the freedom to do what I want, when I want. It's intoxicating. Still, I keep very busy and sometimes find it challenging to own my time. People are surprised to find I have a full schedule. My advice to others heading toward retirement is to discover what truly interests you and make time to pursue it. It's too easy to fill your days rather than fulfill your days. Also, be open to different experiences. I recommend having friends of varying ages and backgrounds with different interests. At 92, I'm usually the oldest in the group, which I don't mind at all. As told to Brenda Bouw. This interview has been edited and condensed. Are you a Canadian retiree interested in discussing what life is like now that you've stopped working? The Globe is looking for people to participate in its Tales from the Golden Age feature, which examines the personal and financial realities of retirement. If you're interested in being interviewed for this feature and agree to use your full name and have a photo taken, please e-mail us at: goldenageglobe@ Please include a few details about how you saved and invested for retirement and what your life is like now.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
We've been married for years, but we both love traveling alone. Solo trips have made our marriage stronger.
My husband and I have been together for 13 years, but we never stopped taking solo trips. I travel alone at least two or three times a year, and it makes our relationship even stronger. Solo travel lets us explore our own interests, and also helps me appreciate my husband even more. Earlier this year, I took a train to Oceanside, one of my favorite places in Southern California — but I did so without my husband. This was one of the many solo trips I've taken since we got married six years ago. These days, I typically travel alone at least two or three times a year. Don't get me wrong: I love being around my husband, and I always prefer to take trips with him whenever possible. However, solo travel has become an integral part of staying connected to myself. For us, taking solo trips while married isn't about escaping each other. It's about investing in our individual growth — and, by extension, our relationship. Here are a few ways it's made us stronger as a couple. Both my husband and I have worked from home for the majority of our marriage, meaning we're almost constantly together. We also live in a two-bedroom apartment, so there's limited space to retreat. Going on regular solo trips allows us to break out of the familiarity (and occasional annoyances) of constant proximity. As someone who has struggled with codependency in the past, creating space in our togetherness reinforces my sense of autonomy — which, ironically, makes me feel more present in our relationship, not less. Although my husband and I have been married for over six years, we've been together for 13 years, or a third of our lives. We know practically everything about each other, and our conversations can often start to feel mundane as a result. It's not that I don't enjoy those everyday chats about how cute our cat is (very cute), what to have for dinner (often chili), or what we want to watch on Netflix — but solo travel gives us new stories, perspectives, and sometimes even new interests to discuss. My husband and I have a lot of shared interests, but we have individual passions, too. While I took up "grandma" hobbies like cross-stitching and gardening during the pandemic, he became obsessed with baseball. A couple of years ago, my husband planned a solo trip where he went to a baseball game every day. Although we've gone to plenty of games together, going to that many would have been too much for me. By taking his own trip, he didn't need to worry about whether I was getting antsy or not having a good time — he could fully immerse himself in the experience. These types of trips let us both lean into what excites us individually, which makes talking about it later even more fun. As introverts, my husband and I both need alone time to feel refreshed. Although we find ways to snag bits of quiet peace at home — a nap here, a meditation there — oftentimes, a change of scenery can give us both that much-needed sense of feeling recharged. Traveling alone, especially when nature is involved, lets me take a breather and move at my own pace. I always find that I come back more present, patient, and open — all the things that help me show up as a better partner. Maybe it's my love of Jane Austen novels talking, but there is something to that classic idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder. By the end of a solo trip, I always miss my husband intensely and can't wait to be back in his arms. On a recent trip I took to Florida, we made sure to talk every day, sharing funny stories or just how we were feeling. Sometimes those conversations even veered off into flirty or sexy territory, which definitely helped build anticipation for when we were reunited. Even more meaningful, though, is that the distance often helps me appreciate him in a deeper way. When I get back, all the little things I love — the way he makes me laugh, the comfort of his presence, even how he loads the dishwasher — are highlighted in a new way. Ultimately, although it seems counterintuitive, traveling alone reminds me how lucky I am to have someone I can't wait to come home to. Read the original article on Business Insider
