Travel is the inspiration for today’s Musical Monday selection, I’ve Been Everywhere. The version of this classic song Americans are most familiar with is by Johnny Cash. However, the history of I’ve Been Everywhere, started in Australia and spans the globe...
Read moreMusical Monday -- Who Are You?
Today’s Musical Monday selection, Who Are You?, has been all over television for the past few weeks as the soundtrack for Wal-Mart Halloween costume ads. Someone has a scary sense of humor...
Read moreMusical Monday -- Life Changes
Changes, one of David Bowie’s first songs released in the U.S., was a sign of things to come. Bowie was 25 in 1972 at the time the single was released and is perhaps best remembered for personal reinvention throughout his life....
I still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
And every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test
Changes, David Bowie
It’s fitting that Changes was the last song Bowie performed on stage in 2006. At the time no one knew that this performance with Alicia Keyes, at her annual Black Ball charity event, would be his retirement from live performance at age 59.
I’d like to think that Bowie went into retirement still believing in change. The concept of reinventing retirement is prevalent today. With so many retiring early and searching for a more meaningful lifestyle, the only thing certain is change!
What changes will you face when you leave your career? How will you change direction in life? What does reinventing retirement mean to you?
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Traveling Through Time
This week my friendship worlds collide. East meets West -- youthful enthusiasm meets soulful reflection, all with a backdrop of stunning mountains, rivers, wildlife and cowboys. There are not many things I value more than travel and friendship. I am indeed on my scenic route to happiness.
I traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to see friends visiting from Singapore. Well we met in Singapore, but they are from Australia and Taiwan originally. This adorable couple in their late 20’s shares my passion for travel. The last time we met on the scenic road was taking in the natural beauty of Myanmar. This visit included a Wild West Rodeo and a sunrise eco-wildlife tour. Seeing the American West through the eyes of my friends from Asia made The Grand Tetons seem even more majestic.
By the greatest of coincidences, one of my dearest childhood friends was also passing through Jackson with her husband on their RV Trip of a Lifetime. What are the odds? I hit the jackpot on spending quality time with inspirational friends in a glorious natural setting. Taking in magnificent scenery with a friend you’ve shared 45 years of experiences with is like coming home.
This brief trip was all about perspective, and great meals. While we experience things differently through stages in life, the beauty of nature transcends time. For me a trip to Jackson Hole is an easy five-hour drive. For my friends from Singapore it is the chance to rough it in the wilderness (limited internet) during their US tour. For my childhood friend, it is a special stop on the retirement adventure with her beloved husband. For all of us, Jackson Hole is awe-inspiring.