• 10,000 people a day are turning 65 in America. Of course, not everyone retires at 65, but I do think it is important to start planning for that chapter in your life well in advance.
• I did my first “retirement spreadsheet” when I was 50. Finances were a big part of it, but equally important was having a plan for how those days would play out in the absence of a work routine. (See #1 below)
• Retirement entered my life with a BANG with the 2009 Great Recession. I was 60 at the time and had planned to work for another decade. The economic downturn had other plans for me, however, and I was forced to reassess everything about my future. I closed the office, laid off the entire staff, and set up a home office.
• For the next 5-6 years, I was (luckily) able to generate income from projects I could handle solo, e.g., creating custom trend blogs, doing expert interviews, etc. With no office, no staff, and no overhead, I was in a weird kind of liminal space, still happily working but no longer in “growth mode.”
• That should have made the transition to retirement easier but it didn’t. I had created a business that I absolutely loved. It was completely aligned with my interests, and it was exciting, fun, and enormously satisfying. I loved the work and I loved the clients. There was nothing about retirement that seemed more fun or fulfilling than my business. But as you’ll see below, I got through it and am now in the happiest period of my life.
• Everyone’s situation is different, but if you are getting close to your retirement years, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you watch Dr. Riley Moynes’ video below on the various phases of retirement so you can be more prepared than I was (#2).

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RETIREMENT

1. prep starts at 50

I’m a MAJOR planner as anyone who knows me will attest.

1. By the time I was 50, I was doing Retirement Prep Spreadsheets! And it wasn’t just about finances.
2. The most important and challenging spreadsheets were those dealing with how I would fill my days productively and enjoyably once I was no longer in work mode.
3. Lounging around in a beach chair never appealed to me. I have also never considered retiring to Florida or any other community of that sort. I’ve always planned to stay in NYC because I’m a firm believer that I’ll benefit from the city’s intellectual and artistic offerings. I’ve also always loved to travel (just not to beach resorts). Neither travel nor living in NYC comes cheap. Thanks to my spreadsheets, I made some important real estate moves early, e.g., I realized I needed to sell my loft in LIC (years before its tax abatement ended) and I needed to move back to my completely affordable downtown loft which is in a self-managed, walk-up building, with zero amenities — hence extremely low overhead. That financial move, coming out of those spreadsheets, was probably the single most important decision I made about retirement. It’s 100% made the life I lead now possible.
4. I also had the insight — and the foresight — to realize that my “activity spreadsheet” for even a week of retirement was absolutely not going to cut it. Nothing but endless empty hours and days – YIKES, totally uninspiring. I worked on filling my calendar with interesting activities that expanded my horizons and knowledge of art/museums, restaurants, music, comedy, architecture. I also started this blog and that keeps me not only busy writing (2 days per week), it also has been a great way to stay connected with people near and far – and to meet new people!!
5. I worked on my retirement spreadsheet regularly. For 15 years. It helped enormously. And yet, despite all that planning, I still struggled in my early retirement years. WHY? Because I was not aware of Dr. Moynes’ study on the 4 phases of retirement (see #2 below).

2. Dr. Riley Moynes’ 4 Phases of Retirement

If you don’t have the 13 minutes to watch this video right now, here’s a quick recap.

1. Phase 1 is the vacation phase. And for those who have dreamt about getting out of the work grind, this is what the “ideal” retirement looks like with lots of vacations, and no set routines (the imagery on every single financial firm’s mailers and websites). For most people, Phase 1 starts to lose its luster after about one year. At that time, the new retirees are asking themselves “is that all there is?” [NOTE: I never went through Phase 1 and I’m fairly certain people who closely identify with their jobs also skip it.]
2. Phase 2 is about loss — and feeling lost. The 5 big losses are routine, identity, relationships, power, and sense of purpose. It’s a traumatic time and many also experience the 3Ds: divorce, depression, and decline. And that leads to bouts of fear, anxiety, and depression. [PHASE 2 is how I entered retirement!! I definitely felt LOST!]
3. Phase 3 starts with not wanting to spend any more time in Phase 2. There’s a lot of trial and error in figuring out how you can make life meaningful again. What are the things you love to do and do really well? It’s a time of trial and experimentation. What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning? I was stuck in Phase 3 for a few years. Fortunately, friends helped me process what was going on. But, at the end of the day, it’s entirely up to YOU to dig yourself out of this hole and figure out what the next chapter of your life is going to look like.
4. Which bring us to Phase 4 – and this is where people are happiest. They’ve recovered their losses. They’ve reinvented, rewired, and rediscovered their mission in life. And I’m happy to report this is the phase I have now entered. It’s absolutely exhilarating and magical.

THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

3. What are you grateful for AS WE head into Thanksgiving and 2023?

I came across an article asking readers what 20 things they were grateful for. 20 is kind of a lot but here are my Top 5 – and I give thanks for them EVERY day!

1. My health (at 73, it’s all relative, but arthritis aside, I am GOOD!)
2. I’m financially sound (not a one-percenter by any means, but I’m good!)
3. I have a great group of friends (and I know I am a “handful” so am especially grateful that they all put up with me).
4. I’m innately social and extroverted which makes it so easy (and so fun) to connect with people.
5. I’m also ultra-independent but I do have a great “fella” in my life who is equally independent. We’ve been together for almost 40 years and I am happy to report that things have actually gotten better over time.

FOR MY FRIENDS: What are your Top 5? Let’s discuss next time we get together!

4. I’m grateful for my astrologist: MADALYN ASLYN!

I’ve had 2 private readings with Madalyn and have subscribed to her monthly horoscopes ($42 annually) for over a decade. October was especially spot on and hopefully, November is accurate as well. [NOTE: I don’t lead my life according to the charts but I consider them directional, like guideposts.]

October/LEO:

1. Hard work has brought you to a place where you earn and receive grace, comfort, and freedom – whether that be personal, emotional, or financial. You realize you are free to create a secure, enduring, and satisfying lifestyle for yourself. [This really resonated while I was in Venice]
2. October 9’s full blood harvest Moon galvanizes your travel and foreign lives. [I posted a photo of that amazing harvest moon from the plane on the flight to Venice from JFK!]
3. As you go forward to the richest life you have felt personally and individually since 2010, you will want your loving community around you. Make amends, and don’t let pride stand in your way. [Spot on – I need to do a bit of amending!]

November/LEO

1. A new you is born into the world, ready to carpe diem. Let your heart rule, forget your brain for a month, and see your desired lifestyle changes become reality.
2. Not only is your personal life about to transform, but also some form of document is involved (GREEN CARD??)
3. You find yourself in one of the most creative periods in your life. The more you follow your own bliss and passion, the more outer reward you get for it as well.
4. Leo Jupiter Soren Kierkegaard wrote: Life is a hard teacher; she gives the test first, the lesson after. [True dat!!]

TRAVEL TRENDS

5. Wealthy People’s Travel Splurges

Here’s what the most spendy globetrotters are planning (Source: Business Insider)

1. An anniversary surprise: booking a private palazzo in Venice for a performance by opera legend Andrea Bocelli at the cost of $300,000 for a half hour, and then jetting to the Dolomite mountains for a romantic picnic.
2. An uptick in Rwanda safaris. A stay at Singita’s Serengeti House tops out at $22,500 a night for five to eight guests. The price doesn’t include the $1,500-per-person, per-day permit to trek into Volcanoes National Park to actually view the gorillas.
3. Nature-spotting has been a big travel motivator lately. An increase in requests for trips to Brazil’s Pantanal region, famous for its jaguars; and to Greenland to see polar bears.
4. Remoteness is the ultimate luxury, e.g., visits to the Kitchen on the Edge of the World, a foodie pilgrimage to the Arctic Circle with a rotating cast of the world’s top chefs. Only 20 people can attend each chef’s limited run, with tickets costing $5,400 and up per person for the four-day experience, not including flights to Holmen Lofoten in northern Norway.

“High-net-worth people are typically high achievers. You go to these amazing places and you achieve something you never imagined was possible.”

Karen Loftus, Women’s Adventure Travels

6. Has airbnb tapped out?

“HINT: It[‘s] because a decent hotel is now cheaper than most Airbnbs in every major city in the world, and a hotel has staff who clean up after you every day and concierge/room service if you want it, so why exactly does anybody want to stay in your shitty condo?”

@mightygodking (Twitter)

1. Disgruntled travelers chimed in that rising prices, steep cleaning fees and other onerous guest requirements had simply made traditional hotels more attractive. (Source: NZ Herald)
2. Many also complained that Airbnb was less appealing when it became a business for people and thousands of homes meant for inhabitants of that city were taken off the rental market.
3. Short-term rental data firm AirDNA told Business Insider 58,000 new rentals were added to the US market in January 2022, bringing the total to a record 1.5 million nationwide.
4. In Australia, likewise, some are questioning the role of platforms like Airbnb for leaving more than one million homes vacant in 2021, and rents rising 20%.

7. Nat Geo Travel, Now Under Disney’s umbrella, no longer cutting it for me (sadly)

Nat Geo trips always provided unique, informed “insider” perspectives on the world. Each excursion I’ve been on was vastly enriched by world-renowned experts who accompanied us and provided on-the-go learning about the culture and history of each region visited. Sadly those exalted days of learning are over based on Nat Geo’s latest newsletter:

Go birdwatching in the avian paradise that is Colombia, the enchanted land of Disney’s Encanto. 

Spend a long weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a vibrant Great Lakes city that celebrates its cultural community as much as its breweries.

UGH!!!!! TOTALLY LAME. FORTUNATELY, I’VE ALREADY BEEN ON ALL THE MOST INTERESTING TRIPS SO THIS IS REALLY NOT AFFECTING ME BUT WOW TALK ABOUT DESTROYING A ONCE VENERATED BRAND.

RETAIL/ FASHION

8. Snow Peak in Williamsburg

1. Snow Peak (HQ in Japan but with US head office in Oregon) just opened a new store in Brooklyn featuring its Japanese-designed, lifetime-guaranteed outdoor products. It is AMAZING!! And happy to report, jam-packed with actual shoppers not just lookers. People were buying up a storm!
2. They previously had a store in Soho focused mainly on apparel. This much larger Williamsburg location skews more to outdoor gear including tents and cooking equipment.
3. They’re also doing a collaboration with Rivian (not sure how smart that is since Rivian just had a 100% recall of its EV lineup).

9. Alpha Industries Pop-Up in Soho (thru Jan)

1. Alpha Industries is another utilitarian, very cool retail brand. It melds military wear with streetwear, taking it to another level. VERY IMPRESSIVE.
2. Background of the founders is a little shady (making it all the more interesting!). Here’s the wikipedia link if anyone is interested in the background scandals.

10. New lipstick ALERT: Nars “Inappropriate Red” MATTE

1. If anybody is looking for a great red lipstick, I can highly recommend NARS Inappropriate Red Matte.
2. Chanel had been my favorite but they have discontinued their Velvet Extreme line.
3. What’s even better about NARS is the price: $26 vs. Chanel’s $42.

And that’s a wrap for this week my friends.

Can’t believe next week will already be November. I know it sounds like a cliche but “where DID this year go?”