The thought of moving to a Caribbean country and never seeing winter again seems like an easy decision to make and not an uncommon dream for many people. So why doesn’t everyone do it? Why not just work for forty years in Canada, get older and more tired, then pack up a few personal items and move. No cold, no more snow, and nothing to do but sit on a beach with a cold drink and ensure you aren’t getting a sunburn. It is one of those thoughts that is nice to spend time dreaming about and a great way to pass the time, especially when you are amid winter and growing tired of the cold, short, dark days. I admit that this was how I first thought of it. It was easy to use as a goal without ever giving much though to it from a practical perspective. As I grew older and started to believe that J and I could make it our reality, I had to do some serious soul searching. I had to think about what I truly wanted and what was right for our family and for me as an individual.

We are moving to Belize! T and I have mulled over where to move to, when to move there, and how to make it happen. We have spent countless hours pouring over YouTube, Facebook, personal blogs, and official government websites. We have sold our Jeep and purchased an appropriate vehicle to make the trip. We have purged our belongings and pressed through the renovations on our home in anticipation of selling it. We have bought paddle boards, new swimsuits and new sunglasses. We think, we talk, we dream, and we write about Belize. Its an enthralling recreation, and it is easy to get caught up in the hype of researching, planning, and preparing. We are less than two months from getting in the car and driving south, and now I am hearing a little voice in my head that is asking if this is a good idea.

We know that we have spent an unreasonable amount of time dreaming about our retirement; where we will live, when we will move there, how we will manage the logistics of the move, and just daydreaming about being hot! It would be very easy for us to think of our move to Belize as one long holiday; imagining that everyday will be the same as when we North Americans break out of our day-to-day grind and head to tropical locations to escape the cold, dark, seemingly never-ending winters. We go to these “exotic” places, sometimes in the form of an all-inclusive resort. We get sunburned, eat and drink too much, and generally spend our time lounging at the beach or pool, recharging our depleted batteries. We then wing back to our cold and dark homeland with a few good stories for our friends and family and a feeling of having had a good break. Although we ourselves have enjoyed a few resorts, we have mostly tried to travel in a way that allows us to experience the cultures of the countries we visit. However, it would still be unreasonable for us to think that this is what our day-to-day retirement will look like.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from PixabayJ and I have worked hard to make our lives something we are proud of. We have tried to maintain a certain set of values and be role models to the boy and the girl.  Like all parents looking back, I think we have succeeded, but of course could have always done better. I want to continue being a role model for my children and the people around me and one of the ways I can try to do this is by setting a good example. I have learned many lessons throughout my life but something that seems to be standing out more and more to me in the last few years is that we can always make more money, we can always get more stuff, but the one thing we will never get more of is time.  We all have a set amount of time and will not be able to make more of it, so what will I choose to do with mine?