It’s a really interesting thing about being over 50. The kids (hopefully) are grown and on their own. It’s a time that you can explore the things that got pushed aside with the hustle and bustle of family, work and obligations. It’s a time of reinvention and new experiences.
Terry and I did just that when in 2004 we sold our home in the suburbs of Chicago bought a 40 ft. self-contained motor home and started an adventure that we are still living today. We were 50 years old and couldn’t afford to retire so we began working as independent contractors in advertising sales for a company in Ft. Lauderdale called Southeast Publications. We sold advertising on campground maps and traveled to a new campground every 2 weeks. We traveled around the country for almost 3 years and had a ball. Unfortunately, we didn’t make enough money to continue and decided we needed to find real jobs again. It was November and we were in Georgetown, Texas just north of Austin. We had made plans to fly home to Chicago for Christmas from Austin, so we were stuck there for a month. It was excruciating that first week because we felt paralyzed. Our plans hadn’t worked out the way we had thought they would. And we weren’t sure what to do… But then the most interesting thing happened –we decided to have a “Do-over”. We thought – where would we really like to live if we had a choice and we did… So we got online and started applying for jobs in Florida. We had taken numerous vacations there and loved it and thought why not? Long story short, by the time we got to Chicago for Christmas I had landed a job selling advertising for a travel magazine in Fort Myers, FL, and I was to start January 9th. As luck would have it we had left Terry’s truck in Chicago while we traveled around the country. So after visiting our kids and our family, we packed up the truck and I drove it to Sarasota, FL where I stayed with very good friends while I started my new job. And the best part? My first assignment was to sell advertising in Key West for a company called The Key West Express! A high-speed ferry-boat that travels from Fort Myers to Key West every day! I got to stay in Key West for a month while I sold ads on their new map! Terry flew back to Austin to finish up one last campground map and then he drove the motor home to meet me in Fort Myers at the end of January. It was a pretty cool gig I have to say! I love Key West! It’s such an interesting place. Terry met me in Ft. Myers and even came with me to Key West for my last week there. We had a blast! He soon found a job in Ft. Myers too designing kitchens for a local cabinet company.
The point is that we just listened to our hearts instead of our heads and they have led to the most exciting experiences we could have imagined. We live in a vacation area and say that we are on vacation every weekend! There’s always a place to find live music and great restaurants! We hope to share some great places with you! And hope you will share stories about great places you have been.
Laid Back Latitude really is a state of mind!
12 comments
Lindsay says:
October 19, 2011 at 7:08 pm (UTC 0 )
Terry and Nancy! I was directed here from my blog. I love this idea! I will be checking back often. Thanks for making my cocktail nuts the recipe of the week! 🙂
Terry says:
October 21, 2011 at 9:39 pm (UTC 0 )
Thanks Lindsay. I love your site , too. We are still under construction so we have not officially launched the site. We are still working on more content for the site and will be sending out an announcement to friends and family soon.
If you have a way to kick back and relax Chicago style let us know. Living in the Laid Back Latitude is the goal where ever you live.
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October 23, 2016 at 11:57 pm (UTC 0 )
Jon; Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t noticed, and I don’t believe you would/could , this clearly describes “The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel.”
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October 25, 2016 at 8:42 pm (UTC 0 )
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http://www./ says:
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Hey, that’s a clever way of thinking about it.
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