By Frank Curran: Principal and resident at The Fairways at Savannah Quarters, west Savannah’s finest Active Adult community.
You’ve undoubtedly put lots of thought and planning into where and when you will retire. No matter how logical you have been about the planning process, when the time comes to commit to a move, the emotions kick in and you’re not sure that you want to move away from your family and friends.
You’re not alone; those feelings are commonplace. No matter how good a retirement location looks on paper, it’s tough to move away from children, grandchildren, close friends and extended family. In fact, “being close to family” is the number one reason that retirees choose to either retire where they are or move to a particular location.
Twenty years ago, it was more difficult to stay in touch with family than it is today. Twenty years ago, retirees had but three ways to keep in touch: write a letter, call on the phone (which usually resulted in several days of leaving messages and playing phone tag) or visit in person. These days, there are so many “instant” communication channels available that staying in touch is easy. Allow me to pass on the three most popular ways that retirees are able to keep in touch with friends and family. Hope these will work for you!
Let’s start with the most popular method of all: Facebook. You’ve undoubtedly heard of Facebook; as of April 2012 they had over 900 million users worldwide. In the USA,42% of the entire population are registered Facebook users. Chances are good that at least half of your family members use Facebook. If you’ve never used Facebook, here are the basics: you’ll need a computer and an internet account. If you’re mobile (travelling in an RV) then your Android or iPhone will work as well. Signing up for Facebook is free, and once signed up the site has tutorials on how to set up your account. Or, call one of your children or grandchildren; they would probably get a kick out of helping you get your account set up. Once set up, all you do is look up your friends and family, establish an online relationship (“friend” them) and all of their comments and posts will come directly to your personal page where you can respond as you desire. A word of warning, though: Facebook is addictive! Once you start exchanging posts with friends and family you will discover that you are involved in their lives more than you ever were before Facebook.
Skype is another popular method of keeping in touch with family. For us senior citizens, Skype is a science-fiction-come-true device. It’s essentially a video phone. You plug in a webcam (an inexpensive camera that mounts onto your computer), sign up for Skype (free or very inexpensive depending on where you are calling) and you can call anyone else who is signed up for the Skype service. The calls are processed over the internet, and when a call is connected you will see your friends face “live” on your computer screen and they will see yours. It’s the next best thing to actually being there. There are also videoconferencing applications available that enable you to speak to several people at once and see their faces on your screen as well. Have a Skype family meeting every week! Have a Skype family reunion and save the travel and hotel costs! Like Facebook, once you get used to video-phoning your friends and family, you won’t want to go back to your old fashioned land-line phone.
Families are so spread out these days that it’s often difficult for them to visit each other. If that’s the case with your family, you may want to consider an annual group vacation. Group vacations can be held in a resort area that is central to the group like a beach or in the mountains. Coincidentally, as I write this my family including our 6 grandkids is winding down a week at the beach, providing great times with each family preparing/sharing their favorite dinner, commiserating with our favorite beverage and just laughing and enjoying these special moments that provide lifetime memories.To memorialize these times my wife engaged a photographer to perform a photo shoot on a beautiful evening on the Atlantic Ocean.Perhaps the most inexpensive group vacation is an annual family cruise. Cruise prices include lodging, food, gratuities, and entertainment. Basic sightseeing in cruise ports is free, but port excursions (day trips or outdoor activities) are available for an extra charge. The larger cruise lines like Carnival, Princess, and Holland America offer activities and child care so Mom and Dad can get away with the grown-ups for a while.
Other “stay in touch” options include an e-mail newsletter, blogging (a personal blog can be set up for free on blogger.com) or you can visit and comment on a family member’s blog, or a free photo account at photobucket.com or similar site where family members can upload and share photos.
Don’t let the fear of moving away from family and friends keep you from the retirement you have always wanted. Today, there are so many different ways to stay in touch that it will feel as if you never left home.
