Vacation vs Retirement

We just got back from a trip to Vancouver Island, done mainly to see some actual green,  and experience liquid water. Just before the trip I got an AMA (which is still in the question gathering phase, if you get it together and send me yours soon) of "How is retirement different than a vacation?" 

Vancouver Island is not a new place to us. We've been to Victoria several times for a mid winter break. Once we stayed in a friend's condo in Qualicum Beach and explored that part of the island, and got over to Tofino. On the way to New Zealand last time we took a bit of a detour to visit Susi and Mike who live sort of between Nanaimo and Comox. But we had never been to Sooke. Now we have.

Over the next little while I'll be blogging about the trip, and the AMA feature, and if the film turns out the way I hope, I'll probably put a post on the photo blog. Plus VERO is still getting daily updates.

So where to start? 

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb a little out of Sooke itself. It was perfect for us. Our typical days would be to get up when we got up, make breakfast, check the weather and tides, and decide where to go. We worked our way along the coast, hitting most of the beaches between Sooke and Port Renfrew. There are some nice hikes to the beaches, and in the parks near them. We did part of the Galloping Goose trail and Sooke Potholes. We'd go for a late lunch at Shirley Delicious cafe.  (If you're ever in that part of the world, you must, you simply MUST eat there. It's worth the drive out from Victoria. Trust me.)

We might go for another, gentler walk after lunch. There was a hot tub. A really good hot tub. That was a feature of every afternoon. We thought about going into Sooke for dinner, but in the end brought home goodies from a nice market. There was no TV at the house, but good internet. We'd think about where to go for the next day. Rinse, repeat.

Retirement life is generally get up when we get up, with some exceptions for earlier. Coffee, breakfast, and tidy up. On with the day, whatever is planned. Some days have things booked in the calendar and we do them, some have nothing on the calendar but are busy anyways what with one thing or another, some days are quiet. Well, quiet except for a talkative demanding cat. We keep telling her that one day we're going to bring home a box of orange kittens and really give her something to talk about.

The difference is that on vacation there is usually a plan to go to specific places, and do specific things that typically cannot be done at home. Walking the beach. Seeing cultural stuff. Being in a place you've never been. Visiting friends that live far away. Drinking lots of fruity boozy beverages with the little umbrellas.

As an aside, on our first trip to New Zealand we met Paul and Gloria in the Vancouver airport, sat with them on the plane, and visited them at their place near Queenstown. The had been going to New Zealand for 2 or 3 months every winter for 12 years at that point. They didn't consider it a vacation any more, it was just part of their daily life. They liked tennis and golf, hanging out with the friends they'd made along the way, enjoying the warmth.

There is a piece of retirement, typically when you first start, where you treat it like a vacation. You think, I don't have to get out of bed at the crack of stygian. I don't have to shave. I don't have to wear uncomfortable pants or a tie or anything like it. I can stay up late to read or binge movies or TV shows. I don't have to do anything if I don't want to.

Except, believe it or not, that gets old. Most people want to be doing something. Someone retiring in their early 60's can reasonably expect another 10 to 20 years of life, and if they've been in good health taking care of themselves, they're likely to be active years. If you don't have a reason to get out of bed, eventually you won't be able to. So in that sense, for most days, retirement and vacation are the same; you need a reason to get out of bed. 

Some studies put a person's most creative years as in their 60's. I can but hope.

So some beach vacation photos. Which is probably why some of your come here. Except there are no long stretches of golden sand decorated by bikini clad cuties. Lots of driftwood on shingle beaches. 

1. Linda posing beside a big chunk of driftwood on Muir Creek Beach. If I have to, I can go back into Lightroom and tell you which beach the photo was taken on, but I'm not likely to do it for every photo. Unless you really must know, and you can ask in the comments.

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6. I liked the tree with the branches all blown downwind.

7. This was a tricky shot to get the exposure right, to see some detail in the driftwood, and not blow out the sky.

8. For my newer readers, my driftwood photos are as found. I know someone piled up these rocks, but it wasn't me or Linda. At most I'll move some grass or seaweed to declutter the composition. 

9. Green! There will be photos of green forest.

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12. I got my feet wet trying to compose these waterfalls. A big wave came in and suddenly my feet were cold. Good thing I was wearing wool socks.

13. The deck at the Airbnb, looking almost straight up. I have two batches of exposures, but I don't know if I'll do anything more with them. That darn neighbour kept their outdoor lights on all night.

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

Driftwood (BC)

Peony

Tombstone

Film (new) I'm thinking there was a water drop in the middle of the lens to cause that spot. Taken while waiting at the lights, wondering how it would turn out.

Film (old) Sebastian.