Puslinch Today

It all began three years ago when I started reading an acquaintance’s blog of her being in Thailand and Vietnam. I thought maybe when I retired that would be something I would like to do.

As some of you reading this article will know I have struggled badly with boomer boredom (aka retirement). I love routine, constant talking and the random changing of the minute by minute activities of the regular school day. So leaving my job after 30 years was going to be a huge adjustment,

I knew this already so I had started planning a year in advance by:

• recording every penny that went in and out (plan a)
• joined two local groups(plan b), and a non profit (plan c)
• travel (plan d)

When my husband fell ill the travel plans were off. The groups I had joined did not work out for a variety of reasons. So I was back to square one, how was I going to fill my days or nights.

I knew for me that I needed to find a whole new group of friends and this was far more difficult then I thought. I found that people fit into a few different categories:

• had grandchildren and that was their life now
• hung out with family members and did not need anyone else
• hung out with their own friends and did not feel the need to add anymore
• friends from before were still working and were not available as much

Or they were in the sandwich generation of looking after elderly parents and grandchildren. So I was STUCK!

After reading several retirement books I gleaned a few things: I had to put myself out of my comfort zone more often, reconnect with old friends, make a new batch of new friends and make my own path to happiness. So I made a list of things that I liked to do:

• Still loved working with children – could I do supply teaching or tutoring
• Rejoin the Aberfoyle fall fair and therefore could reconnect with past friends
• Join a gym to stay in shape
• Find trails in the area and walk more
• Do more activities through the Puslinch library
• Perhaps join a coffee group somewhere to make new friends
• Find a physical activity in the community to join -such as fitness through duffs church
• Use my skills for writing for a local newspaper
• Small fixer up jobs around the house
• decide when and where to travel

So with paper in hand I set off to see what I could accomplish because for an extra extrovert staying around the house all the time was just not for me!

As a former colleague asked “is this the trip of a lifetime?” Honestly, I didn’t even think about that as I really don’t have a bucket list. It was plain and simply an opportunity that knocked and I opened the door as it fit all of the criteria. Meeting new people, going to a completely out of the norm place that I hadn’t even thought about visiting and it definitely was out of my comfort zone. Who hasn’t heard about Thailand being dirty and the people eating dog/cats. Oh I forgot the comment about how I should watch out for monkeys in the streets or get bite by one!

So in April of 2018 we booked all our bnb’s and on Jan. 31st boarded our plane for a 17 hour flight to manila, then a 3 hr flight to Bangkok.

So first stop Bangkok, Thailand. Boy oh boy do I have a lot to share with you the reader!!!!!!