Last year, I
turned 75 and joined the “elderly” demographic. I thought the next turning
point would be when I turned 80. But here I
am, just a few weeks after celebrating my 76th birthday. My life has more changes: a focus on health, no travel, being homebound,
family visits, and new writing directions.
More
Attention on Health
When I
turned 65, I celebrated being a “sexygenarian” (being sexy in the 60s), in
the middle of all our exciting travels. At 70, I began to feel older as digestive
problems flared up. We changed to slower travel.
But now,
health problems have become more challenging. Bill’s health issues have grown
from cardiovascular to neurological. My hypothyroidism has been cured, but GERD
still haunts me. Worse, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels have risen.
After the
Blue Zones captured the world’s imagination in Netflix’s “Live to 100”
documentary, I became a student of longevity. Because we are more plant-based, I have dropped 12 pounds, and Bill, six. We also try to move and walk a lot. Hopefully, we are on the road to better health.
Practically
No Travel
After we returned
from winter in Mexico, a San Diego celebration, a visit to Colorado in April,
and a trip to Honolulu for the wedding of Bill’s first grandson in May, we have
not traveled again. In August, we canceled our 16th-anniversary trip to Leavenworth,
Washington.
Bill did not
join me on a 10-day trip to Manila to receive an award and a two-day visit to my
first great-grandbaby in Santa Monica. Regrettably, our traveling days are over. We will no longer be the wanderers we
once were.
Being
Homebound
We sold our
car last December before we left for Cancun. We now travel around the valley on
Uber rides, primarily for doctor visits. Everything is delivered via Prime, by the
grocery, and the pharmacy.
Our resort
life has become busy. Every Thursday, I play Scrabble at a neighbor’s home, host a poker session at home on one Tuesday a month, and have Filipino friends come to the
house for mahjong one Sunday a month.
There are Photography Club and Painting Group meetings, line dancing classes, and Karaoke sessions. Finding new, healthy, and flavorful recipes is a constant delight. Now that my dwarf Meyer has given me 110 lemons this year, new plants will be added to my garden in
the spring.
Outreach projects have become easier to follow through on. Last month, our Fil-Am Gala
project successfully raised funds for deserving UP students after meeting via Zoom throughout the year.
A new cause has also engaged my attention. I have become a participant in an NIH-funded study managed by the Mayo Clinic and
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. It’s for the early diagnosis and prevention
of Alzheimer’s disease.
More
Family Visits
My
son-in-law visited in May to help with the house improvements we needed, and my
eldest daughter came down from San Francisco last month to help with my
birthday parties and Christmas decor.
My two
daughters’ families in North America will come to celebrate with us in a couple
of weeks, from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day. I am renting another house to
accommodate everyone.
Come and visit
us. It has become the norm. Even if hosting is a bit stressful, I love doing it! I will cherish every visit.
New
Writing Directions
With all
these changes, I hardly write about travel anymore. Recently, my posts have
been about leadership and management, inspired by the award I received last
August. Health and longevity, retirement and renewal, and occasional reminiscences of our travels are other favorite topics.
My travel
blog can no longer host these writings. My next post will discuss my plans for
a new platform. In the meantime, new book projects have emerged. My MediterrAsian Kitchen: Cooking for Both Taste and Health is in the works and the idea for a fourth book about caregiving
has taken shape.
Life can be in
the fast lane, even after 75, even without travel. There are so many unrealized
ideas. It feels like we are running out of time.