Rock Your Retirement Show

Henry interviews me and we talk about how money isn’t everything. I actually was hesitant to release this episode since it seems a little self-serving, but my “deal” with Henry was to release his episodes one at a time so that they would live on in the Rock Your Retirement feed. So here goes…. We started off the interview talking about my treadmill desk. You may have heard me talk about my treadmill desk on other episodes. I love my treadmill desk! If you haven’t seen it, join my private Facebook group so you can see a picture of it. It’s a great tool for staying healthy. Henry and I also discussed my previous career as a Financial Advisor and how and why I walked away from most of my business. We also talked about why I began selling Medicare Supplement Insurance. However, the main focus of the interview, and why Henry invited me on his show was to talk about the Rock Your Retirement show and how money isn’t everything. This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I started this show with a set of certain topics I would be discussing with people. Those were: * Social and Family * Adventure and Travel * Volunteer and Philanthropy * Spiritual/Soul * Sex * Helping your parents/sandwich generation issues Over time, that list of topics has grown and I have learned a lot! We also talked about all of the mechanics of starting and maintaining a podcast such as * Technical * Equipment * hosting * questions for guests * editing I had no experience in podcasting when I began, and it has been a wonderful learning experience. I am also so grateful for my “tech guru”, my husband, Les. Henry and I also talked about a retirement community Les and I were considering in Buckeye, AZ but we decided the extremely hot temps were not for us! So it’s still sunny (and cooler) San Diego for us right now. Sites we mentioned in this interview: * Dave Jackson’s, School of Podcasting * Libsyn I had a great time talking with Henry Shapiro and I hope you enjoy listening! Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com  

Melissa Davey, who is in her 60’s, retired at the end of 2015, to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker. She is currently making a Documentary about women over sixty. Her film is The Beyond Sixty Project. Melissa used to sit in restaurants and watch everyone. She has this infinite need to understand people. Melissa had no experience in the film industry. She always had an interest in film and the process of making a film. In 2014 she got to spend the day on set with M. Night Shyamalan who is a famous film director. He asked her what she did, and after explaining her high-powered job as a Vice President she said: “But that’s not what I really want to do.” She told him that she wanted his job. After this day, Melissa knew she was going to make a film, and she knew it would be a documentary about women over sixty. She went into work the next day, talked to her CEO about retiring, and the process of her new career began! I feel like I am still growing and learning, and that’s an awesome thing to be feeling when you’re this age. Melissa went online and googled women doing interesting things.  She began building the list of women who are now in the documentary about women over sixty. Melissa wasn’t looking for famous women.  She wanted “everyday” women who are resilient, relevant and have an amazing story to tell. Even before she quit working, Melissa began learning the process, scheduling meetings, and networking with people who could help her. We also talked about the process of selecting the women who are going to be in the film (which is a very tough decision to make sometimes). Melissa says that “mostly it is just a gut feeling”. She also tells us the story of Paula who is in her 60’s and is a veterinarian in Vermont. This is a very low-key, unassuming lady who just last year, swam the English Channel! She is the oldest woman from the United States to complete the English Channel swim. You can watch the “teaser” on Paula and the other women on Melissa’s website at http://www.beyondsixtyproject.com/ or if you would like to contact Melissa you can email her at melissajdavey@verizon.net Her documentary documentary about women over sixty is still a work in progress. And at the time of the interview, Melissa said they were probably about half way finished. I personally cannot wait to see the finished product and, perhaps, be Melissa’s date to the Oscar’s someday! What a great way to Rock Your Retirement! Some of the websites mentioned in the interview * Sundance Film Festival * United Healthcare This was great fun!  If you’d like to join in the conversation with Melissa and me, leave a comment below!. The freebie for this episode is Secrets about retirement your broker won’t tell you. You can get this by going to http://RockYourRetirement.com/Secrets Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook. This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appear...

Tim Stansmore went from cats to classic cars in his retirement. Tim built a successful “Cattery” during his working career. What is a “Cattery”? Good question because I didn’t know either until I listened to this interview. A Cattery is a boarding establishment for cats. Tim didn’t just build any cat boarding facility, this was the Taj Maj Hal for cats. Ironically, Tim is allergic to cats. Tim and Henry talk about some of the hilarious stories of the owners of the cats. Tim says in the interview, if he was to write a book, it would be on the cat’s owners and not the cats themselves. So how does Tim go from cats to classic cars? After 10 years, Tim sold his business and bought a property on the east side of Melbourne Australia. The property came with a garage, a huge shed, and an aircraft hangar. This would end up being perfect for him to store his many classic cars and motorcycles. This guy knows his stuff when it comes to cars and motorcycles! Tim and Henry talk about they many cars and bikes he has collected including a 1926 Model T Ford, 1930 Model A Ford, 1971 Lancia Fulvia and many more. Tim likes to buy cars, restore them and then trade or sell them for a small profit. Unless he gets attached to a car and cannot bear to part with it once it is finished. However, for Tim, it’s not really about the money. It’s about saving the cars. Old cars and motorcycles are Tim’s passion. It is a lot of work but as Tim says “if you enjoy what you are doing, it’s not really a job”. Tim tells a story of a car he bought and sold the same day. He owned the car for a total of 15 minutes and made a decent profit from it. So what’s next for Tim? He is going to sell off his fleet and buy more of course! His real passion is old English Motorcycles and that is what he plans on focusing on in the future. Do you have a story about cars or bikes? Do you have a story about cats? Leave me a comment in the Reply box below. Special Thanks for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

I spoke with Mary Fran Bontempo about bad words. Mary Fran has a great sense of humor and you can tell by the name of her blog, “Not Ready for Granny Panties.” She is also the author of 3 books. Today we talked about her latest book, “The Woman’s Book of Dirty Words”. These bad words aren’t what you might think they are. Before we talked about Mary Fran’s book, I just had to go over an article on her website about “Shhssing your brain” Do you ever feel like you just can’t shut your brain off? This is called ‘brain chatter’, Mary Fran explains where she discovered this and what you can do to help yourself. We also touched on Mary Fran’s son and how she and her husband dealt with his heroin addiction. Her advice is to not think you’re going to fix it. Get professional help! Onto the dirty! The ‘bad words’ that Mary Fran goes over with us in this podcast: * Fine * Adventure * Nice * No (We even did a little role-playing on how to say no) * Balance The constraints that we put on ourselves to become spectacular…we treat ‘fine’ like it’s a dirty word like there’s something wrong with being okay and good enough Mary Fran and I even did a little role-playing on the bad word “NO” and how to say it. Not sure if we will win any Grammy’s for our performance but needless to say, it was a lot of fun! I also asked Mary Fran to give us one of the eleven commandments to staying out of granny panties. Thou Shalt Stop ‘Shoulding’ Thyself Mary Fran says we are always filling our days up with things we should and shouldn’t do. The word “should” very often equals obligation and the word “shouldn’t” often equals denial. We need to change that language to change these to must and want. Sounds like good advice to me! If you would like to check out Mary Fran’s blog go to http://www.notreadyforgrannypanties.com/ and Mary Fran’s website is http://maryfranbontempo.com/. Also, as I promised in the interview, here is a link to Mary’s Blog post on Brain Chatter Books The Woman’s Book of Dirty Words, Not Ready for Granny Panties—The 11 Commandments for Avoiding Granny Panties Everyday Adventures: Or, As My Husband Says, “Lies, Lies and More Lies” Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com        

Peter Glover was learning to fly when he was 60 years old! Some people retire once, Peter Glover did it twice. The first was a planned retirement and an injury caused the second. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing though! With time on his hands, Peter was able to pursue his passion of learning to fly. Before Peter retired, he raced cars and motorcycles. His mechanical experience allowed him to build “rally cars”. Peter won a some major races in Australia. Once he retired from this work, he bought a large sheep and crop farm. With basically no experience, Peter managed his farm successfully until he was injured and hurt his back. This stopped his farming career. Peter didn’t have the opportunity to become a pilot as a teenager.  But it was still in his heart to learn.  And after he spoke with a pilot at a car race one day, he decided he was going to fulfill his dream of learning to fly. Think it’s expensive?  Learning to fly might not be as expensive as you think.  But not everyone can do it because you would spend about as much for a good light plane as a mid priced luxury car. Henry and Peter discuss all of the details in learning to fly such as: * Choice of aircraft * The types of licenses you can get * Determining whether to own or lease a plane * Regulations for private flying (which is over-regulated in Australia according to Peter) * Fit to fly issues * Safety issues * Insurance, servicing & maintenance, gas for the airplane and lots more! There is a lot of information on the internet about flying.  And you can subscribe to magazines on the subject as well.  Check out your local airports as they often have flying schools.  Here in California some of the Community Colleges offer it as well. If you have any experience in flying leave a comment in the box below. Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Don’t simply retire from something, have something to retire to! Megan Giles supports those approaching retirement to successfully transition and create a retirement they will love to live! This is achieved through action-focused planning sessions and workshop facilitation. The key to success for the people who work with Megan is structured planning, looking beyond the finances, harnessing opportunities, informed decision making and tailored actions.  Megan and I talked about how she helps people prepare for retirement. Just as we do here at Rock Your Retirement, Megan focuses on the non-financial aspects of retirement. (YES a kindred spirit!) She likes to look at the whole person and what really enables the quality of life. She looks at things like; how you connect to people, how emotionally supported you are and do you feel you have a purpose? It’s never too late to make changes and create a greater sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in life after work. Acknowledging that you’re struggling but willing to take some action is actually an incredible strength. What does a mini coaching session look like? How do you prepare for retirement? Talk about work: * What is it that drives you? * What is that you don’t enjoy and look forward to never having to do again? * How do you translate these things into figuring out what you want to maintain in your retirement? * Do you want to fully retire or do you want to use your expertise to mentor someone or to volunteer? Talk about life outside of work: * What is it outside of work that you enjoy? * What is the stuff you used to enjoy that you don’t really have time for? * Who do you like doing these things with? * How do you bring these things into action? You need is a plan to prepare for retirement from Day 1. This doesn’t mean your days have to be completely full. Allow yourself time to do nothing if you want. But, it is important to have some immediate actions and goals. If you are retiring around age 60 to 65, you potentially have another 20 to 30 years ahead of you. You’ll have the opportunity to change or deviate from your path. Don’t feel like you are locked into one thing forever. Have a focus for now, but you can always come back around and revisit your plans and goals. There is no right or wrong. The beauty is that it’s your retirement and you are writing your story. Megan provided a wonderful tool for our listeners. It is a planning sheet called I’m Retiring But I’m Not Done Yet! Staying Relevant And Connected in Life After Work. You can get it for free by going to www.RockYourRetiremenet.com/Relevant Contact information for Megan: Email megan@megangiles.com  www.facebook.com/megangilescoaching  www.megangiles.com Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com Megan is now a guest writer for the Rock Your Retirement show.  You can find her first post 

Henry interviews Margaret Cook, a serial entrepreneur, about making the most out of life. Margaret started her married life in an RV! And she’s not afraid of learning either.  Her zest for it gave her the opportunity to learn what she needed to know in order to build a coffee shop in her hometown. This is a fascinating story of someone not afraid to follow her own path, and not afraid to put in the time to learn. Henry learned how Margaret is making the most out of her current life. Margaret did a lot of things.  She worked as a nurse when she was young.  This woman even taught herself how to upholster furniture.  She purchased and ran a shop to showcase her furniture.  And she’s been a hairdresser. Not only that, but she’s also been a massage therapist. This woman has done it all! In her current life of setting up and running the coffee shop, she’s had to learn a host of new things. This includes the legal aspects in her area. It includes deciding on what to add to the menu.  Additionally, she needed to figure out her niche, or what type of clients she wanted.  And…what about the competition? The cool thing is that she created this “room within a room”.  The shop is called “Antiques and Coffee” and is located in Lismore, Australia.  Margaret has a list of ongoing projects including her “Stage Two” which will be taking an extra lot that is next to her family’s farm into another eating place.   You can learn all about it by listening to the episode. Just click the play button and you can listen now. Margaret received inspiration the book ’The Life You Are Born To Live’ by Dan Millman.  She really liked the advice in the book to “make good of bad” and that’s what she did. Margaret’s motto: Make the most out of it. We only live once. You should go out and seize the day. Let us know what you think!  Leave a comment in the box below. As Henry says, stay well and be happy (it’s a choice) Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

John Brocato will talk to us about traveling solo. John had the fortune (or misfortune) of growing up a Kansas City Royals fan living in St. Louis Cardinals territory. John’s two primary hobbies are baseball and travel. He decided to write a book about his adventures which is called Road Trips, Routes, and Royals. John is the first to admit that he is difficult to travel with. He likes to go “off the beaten path”. This is one of the reasons he began traveling solo. John has some fascinating stories to tell about his travels and he gives a TON of great information in this episode. John mostly travels to see baseball games, and works other travel around those games.  He also likes to visit Presidential Libraries.   There are still three he needs to visit. Here are some of the tips John talks about in his interview for traveling solo and “on the cheap!” * Start close to home to build your confidence * Be loyal to certain hotel chains which will allow you to get points or rewards for discounted prices or even free nights * Strike up conversations and talk with other travelers to get their recommendations for attractions or places to eat * Know what you absolutely have to include on your trip first BUT also allow for spontaneous excursions * Limit your driving to no more than 300 to 400 miles per day John also talks about being a member of Rewards Network who is partnered with a number of different reward programs. You can earn hotels points, frequent flyer miles or other various incentive programs. He also uses the program to find obscure restaurants in various cities he visits. If you would like to contact John check out his Facebook page where he posts his travel pictures! John’s Book: Road Trips, Routes, and Royals Do you like to travel solo or have some tips for our listeners and readers?  Let us know in the comments below! Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Henry went on vacation to a Carob factory! He visited a tourist attraction called Carobana, and discovered that one of the owners, Jean Hamey, had a lot more to talk about than just carob!  She and her husband Ian operate Carobana, which is a tourist attraction, and a factory, which manufactured Carob coated treats. If you have never seen carob, it is a large seed pod of the carob tree.  We actually have them in San Diego where I (Kathe) live.  First you remove the seeds.  Then you dry and powder the pod.   Jean explains the rest of the process in the interview. Jean agreed to talk about her carob organization with Henry. She and her husband inherited the place after her in-laws passed away.  They now have a successful  manufacturing, retail and tourism business.  Much of the interview focuses on the development of the enterprise, and Jean’s unique business skills. As far as the carob business, Ian has built much of the machinery, and persistence and hard work have produced a steady growth which has resulted in the success Carabana is today. A couple of things to know about carob are: * The pod not only contains many small beans, but also a semi-sweet pulp. * These pods contain iron, magnesium, calcium, along with vitamins A, B2, B3, and D. * Carob pods are used as a cocoa substitute for chocolate flavoring.  It doesn’t taste like exactly like chocolate but it does work as a substitute. * On a diet?  Carob contain just 1/3rd of the calories of chocolate. * Even if you are allergic to chocolate, you can usually eat Carob. Henry asked Jean what she was going to do after her imminent retirement.  And boy does she have plans!  Not only has she been running a business all these years, but she also does book-binding, writes children’s books, AND writes craft books as well.   So she has a lot going on. Have you ever heard of “Quilling”? I, Kathe, had never heard of this before, but Jean has written a book on it Quilling Beauties of the Bush.  You may have heard of it, but it’s basically a way to make beautiful 3D pictures out of paper.  Basically, you use strips of paper and then roll or shape them, and glue them together. Then you loop, curl, and twist the paper until it makes something beautiful. Quilling creates greeting cards, jewelry, or pretty much anything that you want to make in a 3D manner. I (Kathe) found the quilling part of the interview to be fascinating.  It was fun to learn a little about a hobby that I’d never heard of.  Of course once I looked it up, I realized that I had seen the finished works of these artists. If you are in Australia you can purchase Jean’s tasty treats at http://www.carobana.com.au/. And you can purchase her quilling books anywhere in the world on Amazon. Have you ever done quilling or eaten carob?  Let us know what you think in the comments below. Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes

Medical tourism can be defined as the process of traveling outside the country of residence for the purpose of receiving medical care. OMG, I had two guests on this episode, so you get two for the price of one!  Or is it double trouble?  I’ll let you decide. I brought Billy and Akaisha Kaderli on the show for a couple of reasons. They retired when they were 38 years old.  Yes, you read that correctly.  So they have now beat out WENDY HOLT for being the youngest retiree on the show.  Or should I use my new word Time Shifter?  you can read more about Time shifting on the Rock your Retirement website. Billy and Akaisha are experts in a lot of areas, including Medical Tourism which is another reason I wanted them on the show. Billy and Aikaisha feel that the medical care they receive outside of the US is better than the care they receive in the US and at a fraction of the price. After 5 weeks in Mexico, Billy needed a new crown. He was able to see four different dentists and get his issue resolved.  It only cost him $4,900 pesos or about $250 US dollars! Things you may not have known about Medical Tourism: * Many doctors train overseas and then practice in the US * Medical providers usually speak English * Or you can get a translator that does * Thailand has the best Medical tourism * According to the Kaderlis * You’ll know in advance what your medical procedure is going to cost * Some providers offer concierge service * They’ll come to you! * You can get same day service We also spent some time talking about: * How they decided to retire so early and how it affected their relationship * Living outside of the US and how they dealt with the culture shock. Today’s Freebie is “Top 10 Questions and Answers on Medical Tourism” which you can get by going to: www.RockYourRetirement.com/MedicalTourism Billy and Akaisha’s website is RetireEarlyLifestyle.com and if you want to check out their Medical Tourism Page to look at clinics and hospitals you can go HERE Books: * Your Retirement Dream is Possible The Adventurer’s Guide to Chapala Living: A Common Sense Approach to your New Life in Chapala, Mexico Retire Early Lifestyle: Your Questions Our Answered The Adventurer’s Guide to Pana Living: Living in Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala Cut and Run Report:  Our First 200 Days of Retirement

Henry had never gone to Karaoke before. From Henry’s article: “I admit, I had a jaundiced idea of karaoke although I had never been to a session.  But three hours in the Royal Hotel in Taree has turned me round completely.  However, I promise never to get up to sing, simply for the protection and respect for the other patrons. Why  SWMBO and I attended a karaoke night is a bit of a long story, so you will have to listen to find out.   We both loved the Thursday night karaoke in the Royal Hotel in Taree, where I learned many things and was forced all my preconceptions about karaoke.  And you can’t beat the five dollar Bangers and Mash meal for value. The folk who got up to sing were not drunk twenty and thirty year olds. The people who got up to sing had, for the most part, really terrific voices.  The folk who got up to sing were not doing it to show off to their partners. The singers were not in the least part competitive.  There was definite goodwill and support for folk who were nervous or new to the scene.  And Dennis, Raquil and some of the regular singers volunteer their time and talent to support their broader community, I didn’t reckon on that. Dennis and his wife Raquil run Party Time Karaoke, which is a commercial business. They own the necessary equipment and market their services to hotels and clubs, as well as individuals for weddings, birthdays, and divorces.  Companies engage them for sales training and team bonding exercises.  If you think this could work for you call Dennis on 0413 399 498.  He is very professional, has excellent gear and will go out of his way to accommodate your needs.. Back to the Royal Hotel … I asked Dennis how many songs he had on his computer and the answer floored me.  If you want to know, you are going to have to listen, but it is more than 1,000, more than 10,000, more than 100,000 – you will find out.  The tracks are all backing tracks of the original songs, and in some cases include the backing singers voices as well. Listen to the session, the heart warming part that really made me think twice starts about two thirds way through.  You will love this episode,  just remember it is being recorded in the busy lounge of a hotel while the patrons are having fun. Do you participate at karaoke nights?  Would you if you were given the opportunity? Leave a comment in the Reply Box below and let me know.” This article first appeared at http://RetiredExcited.com

What is responsible travel? I spoke with Tammie Ferguson who owns Love in Action Travel. Don’t you just love that name? Tammie talks about socially responsible travel. Tammie created Love in Action travel for people who want to combine their love of travel with their passion for serving others and making a positive difference. We spent a good amount of time talking about “Voluntourism” Trips. They plan itineraries to different countries such as Guatemala, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. People can sign up and join on the trip. These are 9-10 day itineraries with 5 days of that being spent building a home.  Some of the projects they work on are: * Habitat for Humanity global village home builds * Serving orphanages * Creating Healthy Home kits, including smokeless stoves and water filters Why Responsible Travel? * Great opportunity to meet new people * Explore a different country * Learn a new skill * Rejuvenate * Give back Although prices vary and can change, Tammie has a trip planned to Guatemala in June and the (2017) fee is $1,870. The trip fee includes meals, lodging, any cultural activities, ground transportation, the community service project that you will be involved in, and even travel medical insurance. You pay for the flight, money for souvenirs if you want any, and bring extra for that massage after all your hard work! Tammie also talks about the other trips she plans which include Agritourism Experiences, Cultural Tours, and Fathom Cruises Today’s Freebie, 5 Ways Impact Travel Helps You Rock Retirement, can be found at http://RockYourRetirement.com/Impact Contact information for Tammie Email: info@loveinactiontravel.com * Website: LoveInActionTravel.com * Facebook: http://facebook.com/loveinactiontravel If you would like to learn more about Habitat for Humanity go to https://www.habitat.org/ Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes  

Jim Moir doesn’t think that he’s too old to skydive. Henry had a conversation with Jim and found out that Jim used to skydive competitively.  When he retired he said he was obviously too old for competition because the youngsters thrash him. Jim couldn’t just retire from skydiving though, so he redirected the skills and experience he had built up over decades. So he’s still involved in the sport he loves. Henry follows Jim’s progress in life and parachuting, from beginner to competitor to champion and instructor.  Not only does Jim like to parachute out of airplanes, but he also taught his wife to skydive.  She went from a novice to a champion skydiver in under two years. Jim lives in Melbourne, Australia, as do many of Henry’s guests.  They go over what equipment you need.  Henry and Jim talk about why you can skydive at any age. They talk about the great innovations in the sport.  And why age doesn’t matter.  Do you want a heart stopping feeling of exhilaration?  Try skydiving.  At any age. But that’s not all. Even if you aren’t interested in jumping out of an airplane, listen to Jim and Henry talk about how you can use your skills to make your retirement great.  The camaraderie of continuing a sport or an activity into retirement can make the activity worthwhile. During the interview Jim mentions flying with a wing suit.  If you have never seen this, watch this YouTube video to get you excited, or shake your head in horror. How can you apply Jim’s suggestion of extending your hard won experience to your retirement?  Let us know with a comment in the reply box below.

Thinking of cruising in retirement? Check out Cruise Critic! As most of you know, I recently went on a cruise, and while I was there, I met Donna Clark. I just had to interview her for the show to talk about Cruise Critic! Donna doesn’t work for this website…she just thinks it’s pretty awesome and so do I!  And no, they are not paying me to say this!  (But they should…right? Ha!) http://CruiseCritic.com is the most extraordinary place to go to find volumes of information and helps keep you cruising in retirement. This website is a valuable tool for anyone looking into cruising or on a cruise. You can find things such as: * Member reviews of cruises * Reviews of ships * Reviews of staterooms on the ships * Port reviews * Sometimes they will have professional reviews along with member reviews * Excursion reviews * Finding a cruise * Browsing destinations and deals and much… much more! You can become a member of cruisecritic and there are some great benefits to this. Community Page: When you click on the community page and select your cruise line, it is like a bulletin board. People will post questions and anyone can answer them. There is a ton of information! Roll Call: You can find the actual cruise you are going to be on. Once you click on that, you can talk to other people that are going to be on your ship. Another benefit of Roll Call is the ability to set up private tours.There are quite a few great things about private tours * Fewer people so you get to know the people in your group better * Less waiting * More of what YOU want to do * The only real downside of private tours is if you have a fear (like I do) of getting back to the ship on time before it takes off! Most private tour companies will guarantee you will be back on time, though.  You can research private tours through the magic of Google as well! Cruisecritic group party- Who doesn’t love a good party? Member will receive a special invitation to what is often referred to as a “meet and mingle”. So fun!. All of this great information and the best part…it’s totally FREE! Website: www.cruisecritic.com If you would like to download our Free Report, Secrets about Retirement your Broker won’t tell you! just go to: www.RockYourRetirement.com/Secrets Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track…and helps with these show notes! * Les Briney, my husband, and Danny Ozment of Emerald City Pro who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU for telling your friends about the show, leaving comments below, and sharing episodes you really like on Facebook, and reviewing the show on iTunes This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Rod and Tina Holt wanted to explore Australia after working hard physical labor all their lives. They decided on a life on the road in a RV, known as a caravan in Australia.  Now they are RVing across Australia. Rod, being very independent loves the freedom of the wide open road, not to mention the absence of stress! But just how do you start to live the RV life? Henry and Rod had a great discussion about living this lifestyle, caravaning and how free it feels.  He asked them how they started (after all, moving into such a tiny movable space isn’t something that you do every day for sure!)  The Holts started small.  They new that they needed to acclimate themselves to this lifestyle so they started with short trips to get acquainted with living in an RV, and then they decided to see every corner of Australia.  That’s when they began RVing across Australia. During the interview Henry gets them to discuss issues such as: * How to choose the right RV for you * Important issues to look for * Where to store your RV * How to stay safe on the road * The pleasures of going where ever you want to go Rod took control of his life at an early age, and this allowed Tina and him to design a life around their own priorities.  They were more concerned about their lifestyle than getting a good education and then working for the rest of their lives. Rod cares more about freedom, meeting new people, and exploring! If you want to learn more about how to include RVing into your Retirement lifestye, or how you can actually live in an RV, check out Rock Your Retirement Episode 48, How to Live in an RV. What about you? Tell us about your experiences in an RV in the comments below.