Retirement Nesting -- Gone Solo

by Julie G Australia

Life goes on, staying here now, enjoying a happy day with bells on. I am feeling too blessed to be stressed, since I moved here to this lovely unit in a peaceful neighbourhood. I did locate affordable housing, so that was lucky.

I am reflecting on retirement nesting, gone solo! I can describe this as singles residing without co-residents. Some people are trending towards ‘silver nesting’. This means that grey singles share housing. Can work, have to set boundaries and practise tolerance.

I can say that I weathered silver nesting for over twenty years. I was a free carer for single geriatric, until his demise. No biggies, I can say now. While silver nesting, I was also co-resident with some of his relatives, and assorted pets. These days, as one of my sisters said, when her offspring left home, I feel no ‘empty nest’. Tolerance is good for our immune systems.

I am finding that my retirement nesting means days of calm and peace. Every morning I wake up in retirement is a bonus. My positive plan is to what I can, while I can, as long as I can, setting realistic goals. We can all do that, according to our age, mobility, and general health.

On the flip side, we retirees can still have a ‘growth mentality’, to seek new challenges. The millennials might think of us as fossils, but we can overcome setbacks. I can learn new skills, but do not wish to change some parts of my days. There is nothing wrong with the lightbulb anyway!

Single solo nesters, acquaintances, do like to travel. Some are more social animals, I am a recluse who believes in uniting introverts, mainly online. One aging male I know retired and goes fishing in a patch of heaven on a lake or river bank. He waits for the one that got away, enjoying going solo in nature. At the same time, his wife abides at home, solo, with the shower and indoor toilet, air conditioning and gas heating. I can imagine her wishing him good luck for his next solo trip.

There is a lot to be said for retirement solo nesting, for fossil fun. I have a daily positive plan, pleasant things to do, “no biggies, no complaints”. Gone solo, here I am!

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