Column: My first retirement lesson? Taking the plunge

What I have discovered in my first month living the F Word Freedom?

Retiring is like dying … in a good way. Your crossover to the other side is eulogized in many formats: cards, hugs, gifts, messages. Facebook has truly changed the landscape and made it all so easy to tell someone you are thinking of them.

How on earth did I ever warrant getting more than 200 messages from Toronto alone. Yes, retiring is like dying, in a good way.

I promised to share with you all of the best and worst decisions I make during the first year of this F-adventure called retirement. High-five that most of them have been good so far. We immediately got out of Dodge to somewhere warm.

Because we did not know the impact of the change in the American economy on snowbirds, we made a foolish assumption, that it would not be that hard to get a desirable and reasonable accommodation for a month or so in Florida. Wrong.

Thank you to our friends and their Irish luck for finding us a great house in a country club for six weeks. I am not sure who they had to terminate to accomplish this feat. Advice: If you're thinking of becoming a snowbird in 2016 or 17, start now. The challenges of getting what you want at the price you are willing to pay are astounding. Start the search soon.

I suffer from two (or more) undesirable afflictions: prejudice and attitude. I was pretty sure I knew what snowbird life was like in Florida, and it mostly involved relaxation, happy hour, super-sized meals and weight gain.

Sure that's part of it. What I didn't realize is how active the lifestyle is. People are simply out doing things. My days have been filled with fitness classes, weights and machines, swimming, golf, walking, bocce, shuffleboard — you name it.

My reading time is far less per day than I could have predicted. There are plays, symphonies, operas and ballets, all less than 45 minutes away. Good heavens, we even took in Blue Jays spring training. What have I learned? Just say yes.

Whenever anyone suggests we do anything new or familiar, we just say yes. I have promised to do more of this in my new life back home.

Let me tell you about the new love of my life. Flashy? Yes. Edgy? Yes. Sleek and trim? You bet. I have purchased a brand-spanking-new Ipad Air 2. I am learning to tap, flick, pinch, grab and drag with the best of them. I'm editing photos, taking videos, having regular face time with the grandkids, downloading novels and movies, listening to my favourite radio from back home — the whole nine yards.

The learning curve has been steep after my high-tech relationship with my flip phone and egg timer. I truly had no skills, but will soon be ready for senior iPad Olympics. It's never too late.

What do I think will eventually get to me? After several weeks, or months, not doing anything meaningful to make a difference to others, I will be acutely aware something is missing.

When I return to the Great White North and dig into a more philanthropic community life, there may be days I long for the 100-per-cent self-indulgent snowbird life I am currently loving.

Who knows? But for now, an 85-degree pool awaits.

I'm taking the plunge.

Judi Straughan is the former education co-ordinator at Sudbury Theatre Centre. In this series, she explores the challenge of being newly retired.