u/Old-Appearance-2270

Past 3 years into retirement, I plan and do some foreign trips. That included the U.S. --New Mexico, Chicago and northern Minnesota in fall. Also threw in 2 wk. trip in Italy last yr.

This yr. my drive to travel overseas is muted. So just content to see more of Canada. I also bike several times/wk. which allows me to explore locally also. How about you?

I feel a bit guilty that I'm not spending money I carefully invested. After it is my go-go years where I'm very healthy and mobile @67.

I haven't known anyone except for a work colleague who won a 2nd prize for Lexus car as part of a hospital charity fundraiser. Instead he took the money in lieu of the car to pay off home mortgage. Around $75,000 a few yrs ago.

I was browsing online via Anthropologie database of clothing. Am always curious annually on dress trends. I don't buy since I haven't had a need in over a decade.

I came across a bunch of dresses, all short..lumped as "Homecoming" Dress. Sounds like an American term or ? What is this for? https://www.anthropologie.com/en-ca/homecoming-dresses-curation

Am Canadian.

For context of my past re hair salon and quality of service re (short) cut: I've had non-Asian hair stylists do a great job for past 40 yrs. across 3 major CAnadian cities. Have a lightly layered short cut to show my ears (with earrings) half way. Am a woman cyclist for last 35 yrs., so even more reason for less fuss.

I stick to same stylist once she does a good job lst few times. Yes, vibe with stylist's personality plus her stylist competency, is important to me.

Only in last 3 yrs., I've tried Asian-run salons and Asian hairstylist in my city. I had a very competent Croatian-Canadian hair stylist for over a decade who decided to leave hairstyling for banking job.

What does it mean when a hair salon promotes itself as Japanese hair styling, etc.? Just a promo way of saying that they know how to deal with Asian (often straighter natural) hair? Or what? THis salon plus previous salon I went in my Chinatown, don't use this terminology. (unsurprisingly).

Where I go, it's 2 salons run/managed/directed by 1 Japanese-Canadian guy and he's the only male on staff. Today there were 8 employees. At any given time I've been there, 3-4 customers in morning on workday.

Some of us didn't have lst kid until late 30's, or went back to school again. Or in my case, I didn't even travel solo overseas ..until last yr. @67 (to Italy for 2 wks.).

I didn't meet any guy who became part of my life, my late spouse until I was 31. I didn't tent-camp overnight until I was 32..with him.

Sounds like sheltered life, eh? Yet, I did graduate with 2 university degrees prior to late spouse, where I lived away from home in another city from parents. I've had separate bank accounts, my own home where I live and paid for completely.

Are you a late(r) bloomer in life for certain things?

How long have you been car-free? Meaning either not owning a car or driving any car?

Am 67 and car-free well over last 40 yrs. I did manage to get my driver's license when 20 yrs. But gave it up a yr. later when I realized I didn't feel safe for myself to drive on high speed highways.

When growing up in a big poor family of 6 kids, we didn't get a car until I was 14 yrs. old. I am the oldest. I've lived in Canada all my life.

We've heard here that meetups sometimes are dominated by women, etc.

As an informal thought which of course I haven't empiracally tested, for guys who love gardening, etc., local community gardens, seems to attract women gardeners.

Then certain local co-ed cycling groups might attract more men. Of course, it's great the trend here, may be more women joining the ranks over the past few decades in certain regions/countries.

Vote me down if these are just meaningless ideas.

Just physically walking the TranCanada trail for several years is a physical feat. My feet feel sore just thinking about walking beyond 50 kms. for 4 days straight.

Have you and partner gone on a longish journey together? How did it work out?

Wildfires in Europe

I live in Western Canada where summer wildfires has /are frequent /some hugely dangerous almost every summer for past decade.

Wildfires in part of France, Spain, Greece right now, are hugely horrific and damaging. Any of you have had to plan travel dates of your European or any other country travels differently due to known natural disasters, ie. wildfires, earthquake, flood, etc.?

When I was in Italy last Sept., along the Almafi coast, there was a fire in one of the steep coastal town areas. We could see the fire smoke plume from our private touring van. Our local tour guide who lives in the area, did say it's a challenge for firefighters to get there quickly. Sometimes plane water bombers are used.

She has an interesting work history with various Canadian high security organizations before NATO. She used 2 different names..Chinese vs. English. This to us here, is small potatoes and common practice.

Details of what she actually did are not revealed.

Unlike some folks, I haven't taken foreign travel trips annually. Seems I do take 1-2 flights annually in Canada so far. In my work-career decades, I did travel with late partner, and we did it often quite actively: bike touring with our packed panniers for several wks., on our own in North America and Europe. Trips ranging from 3 days to 4 wks. max.each because that's all the earned vacation I had from working annually. I'm so glad I did this type of vacation tripping which does build physical endurance and offers a different way of seeing the world.

In retirement for last 5 yrs., I do annually spend a bit more for eating out and half of the time, it's with a good friend. I spend time individually with each good friend for quality extended time together. Whereas in my work career years, I very rarely purchased food for lunch, etc. Maybe I would have had bought restaurant lunch with others approx. less than 10 times annually.

Either I ate in my cubicle or joined a group of colleagues in work lunchroom.

I'm a little disgusted in a reddit subforum on inheritances where often there are various young folks in 20's-40's, planning their life /expressing already expectations of $$ inheritance or major asset (house, car) from parent(s) or grandparent or aunt/uncle. And the elder has not even said anything about their will/estate to them.

How have you handled this for your own family? Do they know their division of your estate at this time?

N.B.: Not telling any family member on details for division of my estate. Later, when I'm alot less mobile, etc., they'll know generally they will get something. ie nieces, nephews and grand-nieces. My siblings whoever is alive still, will get something too, as 2nd priority group.

Did you have an adult mentor for several yrs. in your younger life? More about in-person relationship.

I did have a career related mentor. I didn’t ask her at all. She simply took an interest in me. She was over 25 yrs. older and was my lst manager for my lst job directly related to my degree after university. She did vouluntsrt visit me at some of my different employer workplaces also.

It morphed into a friendship for nearly 30 yrs. Before she suddenly died. Whenever I flew into city to see family, friends, we always met up for a meal/ walk.

Sometimes we just take our life experiences or lack of sufficient exposures for granted.

A reddit subforum on women travellers where I also hang out, I'm intrigued by some women who get anxious just eating solo in a restaurant. Maybe they are youngish and haven't lived solo yet. Or at least they feel very self-conscious at their own table at any food eating place.

Then there are women who enjoy clubbing solo in foreign countries. I just don't do that. It's never interested me. Partially because I'm not into clubbing and I don't drink much at all (being allergic to alcohol). At most, I go to a good known pub with a friend and we're after some food.

Though I've been with a late partner in past for a long time (29yrs.) and even now, with bf, I still go solo to art galleries, some concerts on my own.

Was a latecomer to better self-directed investing for my retirement. Just 15 yrs. before retirement @64, I seriously started to invest more intentionally. At the time, just bought a condo (after selling lst one 8 yrs. before) which was a parallel financial sponge. Managed to pay off in 6 yrs., despite temporary scare of head injury that put me on disability leave for 5 months from work.

RRSP was tiny..However by now, it has quintupled unexpectedly large. Alot paper value which am mitigating with some GICs and ETFs. If had known earlier, I would have stopped contributing to RRSP. Anyhooo...

How about you?

About 30 yrs. ago I spent 4 wks. In Greece and went with 2 Greek-Canadians. A terrible heat wave nearly 40 degrees c blanketed the country halfway during our trip.

On flight back, I sat beside a women who lost her relative during the heat wave.

Aside from paying off my first condo home mortgage, I didn’t even contribute much to RRSP. Hardly any money left. This was back in 1990’s.

Skipping over details of complicated life and relocations due to partner and my career, I didn’t read a lot on finance and was slack in self-directed investing until 2010 onward.

If I had planned alot earlier, it would have been more tax-savings. Through incredible luck and… patience I did double my RRSP in 15 yrs. And no, never got into crypto.

Did you you smarten up later in life, re investing and planning?