I've reread all of the posts for this year and I'm struck by how well the year has passed. Much of what I'd anticipated in my initial post of 2013 has come to pass. After one reaches a certain age, and I'm well past that, there aren't many years in which you don't suffer a major loss. A loved one passes, an illness or some other life changing event occurs that sets you on your heels and you have to regroup. It is with a lot of gratitude and humility that I say 2013 was not one of those years. I don't want to let that milestone pass without noting and celebrating that good fortune. I know it's not the case for many of those close to us and I wish for them such a respite in the coming year.
As we planned when we made the decision to start our retirement in Ireland, we continued to travel throughout the past year and plan a similar schedule in the coming year. We will start the new year with a trip to Lisbon, scheduled for mid-January, then a week in Aruba with our friends Irene and Craig in February. We're scheduled a few days in Stockholm for my birthday in April. In June we are planning a month in an Apartment in Amsterdam. In July I'm going to do the set dance workshop at Willie Clancy week in Clare. In September our friends from Virginia will return for another week in the West, this time in Ballyvaughn and there's a possibility that I will do another leg of the Camino de Santiago on the Portuguese Way earlier that month.
The one thing that has changed is work. I was thinking that I would do a large research study for my former employer beginning early in the New Year and lasting at least through June. This was going to involve at least three trips to the United States, including one in August to present the findings. But, that project will not go forward. I was surprised by that turn of events, but fortunately I didn't count on it and find that I'm not particularly disappointed. It means that I will have more of an opportunity to volunteer here in Ireland and toward that end, I've accepted a position on the board of the American Women's Club. I've also scheduled a meeting in January with a nonprofit organization that helps single parents, that would probably involve working on their fundraising database. Also, maybe I'll get back to that book, a project that is easily pushed to the back burner.
Although I expect that we will spend the entire coming year in Ireland, it feels like we are coming closer to making the plan for our departure. I really want to stay here, but Alan is concerned about not making and renewing the connections with family and friends in the USA that we will need when we are more frail. While we are both hoping that we have at least another 20 years of good health, we both have had experiences with our parents that make it clear that one needs a good network in the later years. If you don't work on that, you don't have it. Our situation is compounded since we don't have any children. There's no one obligated to take care of us and help us make decisions when the time comes. Coming off such a good year, you'd think we could just let that slide for a while, but I think we are both realists. So, something really radical would have to happen for us to plan to stay here another 5-10 years, an outcome that would suit me fine. From the beginning, I felt more settled here but Alan still feels the tug of home.
Still, we end 2013 with a lot of gratitude and anticipation, and I hope the same for everyone that reads this.Thank you for doing so.
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