Having a sense of purpose can work wonders for your mental health and happiness. As you approach retirement, you may have mixed feelings: excitement for a new season and the end of your working days; as well as anxiety over the clean slate and how you will spend your time. While you are preparing for…
By 50 Shades, March 6, 2020
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
Retirement! It conjures up all sorts of images. Recliner chairs, grey nomads, endless cups of tea, lawn bowls, afternoon naps and $10 roast nights at the local club – just to name a few! Until I reached a certain age this is how I pictured retirement because this basically describes my parent’s or even my…
By 50 Shades, July 9, 2019
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
For the past six months or so I’ve been contemplating retiring from my part-time job as a hotel social media and communications assistant. Everyone said that I had the dream job. I worked from home with flexible hours, my work was interesting and varied and I worked with a great bunch of women. But something…
By 50 Shades, June 5, 2019
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
A work free retirement sounds blissful after decades of a working life, but while it might sound extremely enticing to spend your senior years having no plans and no tasks to get done, a lack of purpose can soon become frustrating as well as lonely. From lowering stress levels, to boosting self-confidence and a sense…
By 50 Shades, May 1, 2019
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
When you first retire, it can be quite a strange feeling. After going to work five days a week for forty years or more, it can be such a change to not have to do that. But, that’s all in the beauty of retirement. Although you may want to get up and get about, and…
By 50 Shades, January 28, 2019
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
A few years back, when we were both still in our mid-fifties we started to think about life in retirement and commenced planning for the eventuality. Like many people approaching retirement age we were concerned whether we had enough super and enough funds to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. We trotted along…
By 50 Shades, October 18, 2018
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
I often converse with women of my age, mostly those that have retired from full-time employment and have grandchildren. They all tend to lament that they barely have time to scratch themselves in their retirement and as a consequence they are tired and rundown. My initial thought is “how come they’re so busy? Isn’t being…
By 50 Shades, August 2, 2018
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
Sea changing, tree changing, downsizing, moving on? Making a sea change? All the above seem to be considered, in one combination or another, to be a natural progression for those planning retirement, or already retired. Of course the reality is different for some retirees who choose to ‘retire in place’. Whatever your choice, I don’t…
By 50 Shades, May 17, 2018
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
During one of my weekly visits to my octogenarian mum’s unit, my mum was telling me about the group of people she employs to help with chores around her place. She has a 70+ year old female gardener called Lou, an 80+ year old handyman that recently water-pressure cleaned her driveway, a 60+ year old…
By 50 Shades, August 10, 2017
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
It happens to all of us eventually. We achieve the great Australian dream of owning our own home, raise our kids and make many memories in that family home. Only to discover once the kids are gone the house is far too big. Like a lot of people our age we have been spending our…
By 50 Shades, July 13, 2017
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
