Palm Springs Retirement

Not long ago I had a chance to spend some time in Palm Springs with my brother.  We played golf with a group of his friends from the golf course he belongs to in Canada.  Some are retired and spend their winters in the sun, while others travel to the south several times over the winter to get away from the cold and their work.

"I could really handle this lifestyle", said my brother Gary.  "I could golf every day, soak up the sun and go for dinners with all of the other people I know who are also retired down here."

On the surface, I had to agree with him.  For a golfer or sun worshipper, what a place to retire!  

After all, if you have the money living in Palm Springs would be part of many people's dream retirement.

However, I also had a chance to speak with and observe many of the people in my brother's social group who were "living the dream".  Did the fact that they had money, lived under palm trees and could golf every day automatically ensure that they would have a happy retirement?

I discussed this with John and Anne, a couple from Calgary who spent their winters in Palm Springs and their summers at the cottage back in Canada.

"There are so many of our friends down here who are as bored in Palm Springs as they are in Canada", says Anne.  "Just because they are retired here rather than in Calgary doesn't automatically mean that they are going to be happy."

It reminded me that the variables that make for a happy retirement are usually more internally driven than externally.  It doesn't matter where you live, how many rounds of golf you play or even how much money you have if you aren't doing the right things internally to be happy in retirement.

"The key for us", John told me, "is that we try to keep as much structure in our life and to balance our activities so that we aren't always doing the same things.  You have to keep busy, but that means staying mentally alert as well as physically active."

Friends and an active social life are extremely important to John and Anne, just as they are back in Canada.  "That part doesn't change", says Anne.  "While we enjoy each other's company, we still know that we need to get out and meet people to really round out our lifestyle here".

The couple both belong to separate golf leagues though they do try to golf together at least twice a week.  "Our social life here really mirrors our life back in Canada", says John.  "We have our own friends and then socialize together with couples and singles that we have come to know here."

As we talked, it occurred to me that Palm Springs provided a great venue to retire in, but that alone was not going to mean that a successful retirement was a given.  "We know lots of people who figured that they would have it all if they could afford to retire down here", laughs Anne. 

 "Once they get here, they soon recognize that they things that made their lives happy back home are the same things that they have to look after in Palm Springs.