My own version of ‘Amazing Race’
People keep asking me, “What are you going to do when you retire? How will you stay busy?” Have they met me? The first day of retirement, I was up at 3 a.m. to catch a 6:15 a.m. light to Nashville for the weekend and the season finale IndyCar race there.
OK, it is understandable that you want a fun weekend to celebrate. Now, let’s relax, right? Well, maybe.
We were torn on how to handle our beloved WVU Mountaineer football season with being back and forth to Florida and my husband still working for a few months. Tickets to the Backyard Brawl game with Pitt were eventually deemed only available in a season ticket package, so we wound up getting season tickets after all. That means the weekend after the Nashville race, we were back on a plane coming to Pittsburgh.
OK, but now you’re going to relax, right?
Well, you see, our friends invited us on a short Caribbean cruise for a 60th birthday celebration the next week. So, 18 of us are setting sail out of Miami for some fun in the sun! I’ve only been on two previous cruises and my husband on one. We are cruise novices compared to this bunch, so I’m planning to just follow along in whatever they do with my flip flops, floppy sun hat and fruity drink in hand! It will be truly relaxing to have no plans for anything but to follow them to the pool, beach and buffet.
I do have some downtime planned for a few weeks this fall, but there are three other WVU games that we are hoping to attend in Morgantown, plus the WVU-Central Florida game in Orlando. Did I mention my in-laws are coming down for Thanksgiving? Yes, we will entertain all of them and house some of them, but I don’t have to cook for the actual holiday (thankfully!).
Lastly, I am trying to plan an early season ski trip out West. While it sounds outrageous to have snow skis in Florida, I did keep my skis since it’s cheaper to take them than to rent equipment on trips. I hope to get out to Utah, Colorado or somewhere for at least a week this winter to keep my ski skills sharp. Just cross your fingers that the snow comes early out there so the slopes are open and ready.
One of my favorite television shows to watch every season is “The Amazing Race.” I am thoroughly convinced that if I had applied and gotten on that show 10 or so years ago that I could have been a contender. Then again, I may have been so mesmerized looking around at all of the beautiful scenery and locales where they filmed that I would have come in last place. Maybe we should call this first chapter of my retirement, “The Amazing Race: Retirement Version!”
Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.