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A Picture Perfect Retirement

From IT professional to a traveling man, Geoff Prior is having the time of his life.

“I made it to the bonus territory,” Geoffrey Prior said. At 57, he had lived longer than his own father and he knew he wanted to do something special with the extra time he had.

Geoff was ready to make a change in his life and decided he needed to transition from his busy lifestyle traveling around the world as an IT executive. He took a job where he worked from home and started to wind down. Then Geoff got hit hard with sciatica and he began to wonder, “Is it too late?” Too late to have the type of retirement he dreamed of filled with hiking, biking and traveling.

He steeled his resolve to get healthy and knew then it was time to retire. In 2019, at the age of 59, he and his wife decided they had sufficient money so he could retire. There was still a question of health care. Geoff said they decided to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act. “I’m loving it,” Geoff said. He admits that initially there were bureaucratic hassles, but now he says, “it’s the best health care I’ve ever had.”

Beginning His Dream Retirement

Geoff knew he wanted to make travel a priority in retirement. As an IT executive, he had spent much of his life traveling around the world for work. He knew his retirement travel would be totally different since he wouldn’t have the finances for planes and hotels, but his priority was more to just see new places.

So, he bought a travel van, not the VW Campervan of our youth. Instead, it was a 2019 Travato Campervan with a bathroom, shower, refrigerator, stove and two beds.   His first trip was a 72-day trip across the country that was a high school graduation present for his son.

Because his own father died when he was 12, he never had experiences like that with him, so spending time with his son was important.  They started down south in the Smokey Mountains and then travelled west through St. Louis, Kansas then up to Lake Superior, Rochester and Cape Cod.  Along the way they took biking trips on “Rails to Trails”. Geoff said, “Miraculously, we got along great”.

This first trip only made him want more and he began planning trips every year. The next summer during 2020 he went on a 3-month trip during which he spent much of his time alone. This trip was difficult because of COVID. Even as a self-described introvert, the lack of interaction with others, even as simple as going into a diner and eating with other people around him, was a challenge. But Geoff said he was always “comfortable with himself” and he spent time exploring and taking pictures.

His five-month 2021 adventure was a little easier and his wife, who lost her job during COVID, was able to join him for part of the trip as well as his son for another part.  They traveled in his van visiting Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.   As the summer drew to a close, not yet full of travel, Geoff headed north on his own to visit Glacier, Banff, Jasper, the Tetons, and Yellowstone National Parks.     

A New Hobby/Business is Born

An additional benefit of his traveling retirement has been starting a side business, GRP Imagery, where he sells the photos he takes while traveling.

Geoff had been taking pictures for years of the family vacations and important events. But something changed when he started taking pictures to document his travels. He started sharing them on Facebook and Instagram and received great feedback from his family and friends. Then he decided to upgrade to a Sony a7iii full-frame camera and an assortment of lenses.

“I realized they (his pictures) were as good as any picture I had seen on the internet,” Geoff said. In fact, they are so good, he has started entering them in contests and winning! His first win was a photo he entered through the Glacier National Park Conservancy Photo Contest.

Geoff’s Winning Photograph

The photo was an example of Astro-Landscape Photography. This is a type of photography Geoff specializes in. It is exactly what it sounds like, shooting a landscape with the Milky Way in the background. To get these pictures he needs to wake up early and take photos between 2-4 a.m. or stay up late and shoot after 10 p.m. To get the perfect picture he takes multiple pictures. 10-15 and stacks them.

He also selected as a category winner in the Stewardship Network 2021 Nature Photo Contest for his picture of a goat. “I take full advantage of serendipitous moments,” Geoff said. The day he took the goat picture, he wasn’t taking pictures of animals, but a goat jumped down right in front of him and another awarding winning picture was born.

One of his favorite photo stories is about his trip down the Oregon Coast. He describes capturing a sunset at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse

It was so beautiful that he stayed there much longer than he should have and wasn’t sure where he was going to sleep. Luckily, there was a Walmart nearby and he “Wally-Docked”, which means taking your camper and sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. Not only does Walmart allow this, but also you can “Cracker-Dock” at Cracker Barrel.

He was able to stay so close to the lighthouse that he got up in the morning to take sunrise photos as well.

Life At Home

Geoff has 1,000s of photographs and spends hours processing when he’s home. He is also taking classes that can help enhance his career. “I took Adobe Illustrator through CCBC online,” Geoff said. CCBC has a program where people over 60 can take classes tuition-free.

This class will help him with his photography business. “I love having the opportunity to explore new things,” Geoff said.

He considers himself a “rookie retiree” who’s still learning how to manage his time, especially when he is home. He’s been considering getting a part-time job, but doesn’t want it to interfere with his ability travel.

Right now, he’s preparing for his road trip to Alaska (which has been on his bucket list for years), entering more contests and selling his photography through GRP Imagery.

Geoff’s advice for other individuals considering retirement. “Don’t wait until it’s too late.” He said he has never regretted his decision to retire early.

Rocking the World with 97Underground!

For school teacher to media mogul, Tom Pless is having the best retirement ever.

When Tom Pless retired in 2017, after more than 40 years as a public-school teacher, he had no idea that just a few years later, he would be running an internet radio station with more than a million listeners worldwide.

“I got in at the right time and I got out at the right time,” Tom said of his teaching career.

Although there were many things he still enjoyed about teaching, one thing made the decision to leave relatively easy. “I left because I had the golden ticket,” Tom said. He had more than 30 years of public service and he was 66 years old, which meant he could retire with a comfortable pension and good health care coverage.

Having his finances and health care taken care of, Tom was more concerned about staying busy, then making money. “I needed a purpose,” Tom said.

The Origins of 97 Underground

He found that purpose at 97 Underground.com, a pure rock station that he had started over 40 years ago.

Tom began working in radio and television in 1974 part-time to help supplement his teaching income. Then in the 1980s, he began 97 Underground, an FM radio station, at Dundalk High School where he taught. The students participated in the running of the station and used it as a learning experience.

After a while Tom took the station off the air until the concept of internet radio was introduced.  He then ran the station out of the high school as a music box, a station that simply plays music with no programing or commercials.

Prior to retiring, Tom attempted to partner 97 Underground.com with the new HammerJacks Nightclub in Baltimore, but when that deal fell through, he decided to run the station out of a studio from his home.

With the help of a friend, he built a fully functioning studio in his basement. “I bought all the pieces on eBay,” Tom said and his new 97 Underground.com internet radio station was born or reborn.

Back then, in 2017, Tom had no more than 15,000 listeners. Now he has Roku and Amazon FireTV stations as well as in his App on Apple and Android and social media channels. You can even buy a T-shirt through his store, Metal Merch Nation. He’s become a media mogul.

A Typical Day at the “Office”

Now, he starts his day with a cup, no a gallon of coffee. Then he gets to work on his station scheduling music and programs, creating slides and commercial spots for his sponsors and advertisers and hustling to get more exposure.

Whiskey Samples from Heaven Hill

One of his biggest advertisers and sponsors is Elijah Craig Bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery. Tom is a whisky aficionado and during his show , The Phantom’s Lair, Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m., he dispenses quality pours for review on the “Whiskey Wisdom” segment of the weekly live broadcast. During this time, Tom tastes and rates different whiskeys provided by Heaven Hill.

But Tom has other sponsors as well including many local venues such as the Rams Head On Stage Annapolis, Baltimore Soundstage, Metro Baltimore, and Rams Head Live.

He not only provides radio spots for these sponsors, but also creates slides that are displayed on his multiple outlets.

When he compares his life now to when he was working, he said, “Same amount of hours. Same amount of stress. No personal contact. That’s the one thing I hate about this work, no personal contact,” Tom said

But don’t let him fool you, the smile that spreads across his face as he talks about 97 Underground.com says it all.

What Makes 97 Underground Different

His radio station has grown over the years to include 15 different hosts each bringing their own unique perspective to rock music. Many of them have loved music almost as long as Tom has and he has hosts that are from as far away as Great Britain.

97 Underground.com plays rock music from the 1970s and 1980s. Much of the music is fairly mainstream until 9 p.m. when the station plays harder music during “Nasty at Night.”  97 Underground.com has everything, plus one thing that makes his station a little different from other rock stations — he plays new music.

Tom is always looking for new music and enjoys discovering new bands. He spends Fridays listening to new music and gets “bombarded” with emails from new artists saying, “Please play my record.”

Not only does playing new music give him a unique sound, but it also helps promote his station. Tom posts a playlist of the songs he will be playing that week and the featured bands promote his station on their social media sites.

Tom also wants to find out how his listeners feel about the music he’s playing. He surveys his listeners to find out what songs are their favorites.

One of his favorite stories is about a new talent he discovered, Abby K, a female bass player. He helped her get her first gig outside her home state of North Carolina. She and her band played at the Ottobar. Now she is living in Nashville making a name for herself and has already put out eight singles.

What the Future Holds

For a self-described “analog person in a digital world”, Tom has become very tech savvy running five different pieces of software and producing all the commercials.

One thing he doesn’t like about internet radio is that listeners have to find him intentionally. “It’s not like the old days when you were sitting in the car searching through stations, Tom said. However, over a million people have made the effort.

Tom and Ron Keel from The Ron Keel band

At 71, Tom shows no signs of stopping. Next month his is doing the Red Carpet at the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame. He will be playing music and interviewing the bands.

He also has plans to broadcast live from a rock festival in Atlantic City and for the upcoming Bike Rally in Dundalk as well as other music events. These live presentations and word of mouth are where Tom gets his listeners.

For Tom, every day is a new adventure. “It’s my world. I have a purpose,” Tom said.

When asked about his advice for others considering retirement he said, “You have to have a plan. Inactivity causes you to become complacent.” That word will never be used to describe Tom Pless.

Yes! That’s Tom with Alice Cooper.

If you are ready to listen, go to 97underground.com. For more information, email contact@97underground.com.

If you know someone who you think would make an interesting subject for my blog email me at ksparis15@gmail.com.

Taking Retirement One Day At a Time

Not everyone has a detailed plan when they retire, sometimes they take it a day at a time.

(In full disclosure, Scott Paris is my husband of 35 years.)

“Why would you want to include me,” Scott Paris said. “I don’t have everything figured out.”

But that’s why I wanted to include Scott in my blog. Not everyone has their retirement plan in place when they leave. Instead, he is constructing a plan as he goes.

That’s not to say that Scott hadn’t thought about retirement before leaving. “I had always planned to leave the Federal government when I was 62,” Scott said. With that goal in mind, he had already begun thinking about what would be important to him once he retired.

Employed as an economist for 35 years at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), his most important goal was being financially comfortable after retirement, but he also recognized the need to build his social network in the town where he lived.

Scott had taken the train to Washington D.C. from his town outside of Baltimore City for more than 35 years. That meant that many of his social connections were in D.C. Scott looked for ways to build more relationships closer to home as having a local social network of friends was very important to him.

In addition, Scott wanted more time to enjoy his two passions: playing music and exercising. Once he stopped commuting during the Pandemic, he had more time for the things he loved most, including spending time with his wife. “I spent more time in my house during COVID than I had during the past 25 years,” Scott said. He found that he liked being home and liked the time he and his wife had together.

So why leave during the Pandemic when he was working remotely 5 days a week?

In the past few years, Scott had taken a leadership role in his Union as the Executive Vice President. After a change in Union leadership, Scott found the environment was too stressful to stay and decided to retire at 59 ¾ years old.

However, before leaving, Scott checked in with his financial advisor to see how this change would affect his retirement income.

Money Matters

As a government employee with 35 years of service, Scott received a pension, but not one large enough to cover all his expenses. However, he learned of a supplement to his retirement pension that he could receive until his was eligible for Social Security at 62, which was called the Federal Special Supplemental Annuity . The additional monies were designed to help federal employees who had 30 plus years of service cover expenses in the intervening time from retirement until they become initially eligible to collect Social Security.

Also, Scott realized that staying with the government those two years additional years would not significantly increase his pension. This revelation made him much more comfortable with retiring.

Scott was not yet ready to tap his 401K, but looked at it as an option if necessary since he had met the 59 ½ year old age requirement.

The other thing Scott had going for him was that his spouse (that’s me), continued to work.

With all that in mind, his financial advisor and his wife gave him the green light to retire.

Social Connections

Scott chose July 29, 2020 as his retirement date. As an avid cyclist and runner, Scott knew that retiring when the weather was nice was essential. He knew that the extra hours of sunlight would allow him to be more active and elevate his mood.

However, for Scott, the transition to retirement was not easy. He had been raised to have a purpose every day and without the Union and/or his job as an economist, he had lost that purpose.

So, he decided to try a variety of activities. His brother-in-law had told him. “Retirement isn’t about having nothing to do. It’s about having the time to do whatever you want.”

Scott was already involved with two bands and retirement allowed him to take it up a notch. Since the members of one band were all retired, they decided to start practicing once a week. Although his other band only practiced intermittently, his frequent practices greatly improved his bass skills.

In addition, even before Scott left, he had begun exploring joining the Masons.

“I had spent my life in Washington and realized I didn’t have a lot of local connections,” Scott said. After hearing about the Masons from a family friend, Scott did some research and decided to join.

The Masons offered, not only social connections and mental stimulation (memorizing information), but also yet another group of musicians to play with as one of the other members invited him to a weekly Friday afternoon jam.

But Scott was looking for something more. He had spent years with the Union negotiating contracts and settlements, so he decided to pursue a master’s degree in Mediation and Conflict Management from the University of Baltimore (his third master’s degree). In addition, Scott already had a basic certificate in mediation, and he had always been interested in a position with the Federal Mediation Conciliation Services (FMCS) which adjudicates differences between Management and Unions. This degree seemed like a natural fit.

While pursuing this degree, Scott was recommended for a part-time internship with the Global Peace Foundation. The goal of the project is to address concerns between the Black and White communities in Baltimore City.

“Although I feel as though I am totally outside my comfort zone, it is such a worthy project that it seems like a great way to invest my time.” Scott said.

Staying Active

However, Scott also wanted to make sure he had time to have fun outdoors.

Scott has always been incredibly athletic. He has run the Boston Marathon 6 times and believes going out for a two-hour bike ride is a just a quick trip. Getting back those three extra hours a day not commuting, especially in the winter, gave him an opportunity to use his new retirement gift.

As a retirement present, Scott bought himself a custom-fit road bike, a bright orange Tommasini Techno complete with Campagnolo parts. Apparently, that is a really cool bike and other cyclists, who know bikes, stop him to comment on it when he’s out riding.

Both the music and activity put Scott in his happy place.

Moving Forward

At this point, Scott does not have a clear direction of where life will take him. He still thinks about going back to a full-time job, if the right one would come along. However, commuting back to Washington D.C. five days a week is not an appealing option.

He is looking forward to more hours of sunshine and the warmer weather of spring. The winter and the cold weather which sometimes limits his outdoor activities are still sometimes challenging.

Still, he is excited with all the activities he has chosen although there is a downside, “Sometimes I’m busier than I was when I was working,” Scott said.

If you have an interesting story or know someone you think would make a great subject for my blog, email me at ksparis15@gmail.com.

The Fantasy Retirement Come True

Many people dream of retiring to a Caribbean Island, but my friends Bill and Anne “Bunny” Horton actually did it.

Bill and Bunny enjoying retirement.

Many people dream of retiring to a Caribbean Island, but my friends Bill and Anne “Bunny” Horton actually did it. Four years ago, they packed up their home in Florida and moved to the scenic Island of Bonaire.

Bonaire is a Caribbean Island recognized as a special municipality of the Netherlands. It is part of what is referred to as the ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Bonaire is the least populated (21,000 residents) and least developed of the three islands. There is modest tourism and has sea salt production as its primary industries. It is a desert island, receiving only 22 inches of rainfall annually and is located outside the ‘Hurricane Belt’ of the Caribbean. The temperature fluctuates between the high 70s to low 90s Fahrenheit. (They use the Celsius scale on Bonaire.) 

The island of Bonaire.

Bill and Bunny’s first introduction to Bonaire was during a two-week cruise from Florida back to their home state of Maryland with multiple stops along the way. For long-time scuba divers Bill and Bunny, Bonaire offered an amazing underwater experience. But it was during dinner and drinks at a local restaurant that made them realize there was something special about Bonaire.

Sitting at the bar, looking out over the water, they immediately felt comfortable. It wasn’t only the diving, but it was also the warmth of the people. Having worked with the Dutch for much of their careers at IBM and AT&T (Royal Dutch Shell was one of Bill’s last customers), Bill and Bunny were both familiar with the culture.

They also thought it was the perfect place for their son to begin his professional dive certification. Their son actually moved down there prior to their move to prepare for his certification.

Beginning Their Retirement Plan

Back home, Bill had already retired in 2015. Having been declared “excess” by his employer, AT&T, he was given 60 days to either move to Texas for a job within the company or leave. Long ago disenchanted with corporate America, Bill made the decision to take his severance package and leave.

Bunny was still working for AT&T, but she too was ready for a change. Feeling unappreciated, and ready to leave the corporate world, the two began planning for retirement. Previously they had thought briefly of Hawaii, but after a visit there for Bunny’s 50th birthday, it didn’t seem like quite the right fit. 

They couldn’t get Bonaire out of their minds and in 2016, they took at two-week vacation to Bonaire to check it out as a potential forever home. 

“I don’t want to go home to Florida – I feel like THIS is home,” Bunny told her husband, but she knew she couldn’t retire yet. They spent the next two years planning their “FLExit” (their Florida Exit, as Bill likes to call it).

Fantasy Meets Reality

Bill had always been the numbers guy and set up a budget to see how much it would cost to live in Bonaire. “I came pretty close to the number,” Bill said with a chuckle, “I only underestimated air for our dive tanks and alcohol.”

However, to make the plan work, Bunny would have to stay until 2018 to meet the pension requirements of AT&T.

That didn’t stop them from planning and preparing. Bill joined expat Facebook groups to find out more about what life was like on Bonaire. They met with their financial advisor to ensure their investments would sustain them in retirement. Finally, they started paring down their possessions in Florida and looking for real estate in Bonaire. They were committed to not having a mortgage.

Health Care on Bonaire

One important aspect of Bonaire is national health care for residents. That means that all their health care is paid for by the government.  “It’s quality health care,” Bill said. He and Bunny have had to take advantage of the system several times since they moved down there. “There are a few specialists on island,” Bill said. Specialists are often scheduled to come from Aruba, Curacao and even the European Netherlands to treat patients on Bonaire. Sometimes residents need to leave the island for health care, and the island insurance coordinates everything needed. During those times the government not only pays all costs for the patient, but also the caregiver. This coverage includes flights, hotel, transportation and a food per diem. 

Realities of Island Life

But both Bill and Bunny warn that island life is not for everyone. There are only four US based businesses on island. There are no malls, no Amazon direct deliveries, even the grocery store has a selection which is very limited on brands and items, in general. “ There may be only 7 salad dressings to chose from rather than the fifty or more that the US stores carry. You may be not see bananas for weeks. You have to get used to that,” they said.

They rely on people coming from the states to bring them luxuries like Triscuits, Cheese-Its, Crab cakes and Berger Cookies (It’s a Baltimore thing.) Two times a year they order a big shipment from Amazon and others to be cargo shipped to the island to get technology items, bathing suits and shorts (all they ever wear), heavy items, even 350+lbs of their cats’ preferred litter (which will last a year or more). The shipments take roughly 2 weeks to receive once they leave Miami, so patience for getting items they want is critical. Of course, this shipping to the island also increases the total cost of the items by as much as 30%.

Also, things happen on Bonaire time. Stores are often closed in the middle of the day for a couple of hours for lunch and then close early in the evening. Roads may have long lasting pot holes or are simply dirt and are not up to the standard most Americans are used to. While there are nice restaurants, there are not a lot of other nightlife establishments.

“I’m over the moon.”

Bill and Bunny have seen many neighbors make the move to Bonaire only to see them then leave after little more than a year. But for Bunny, it’s paradise. “I’m over the moon. I’m so happy, but I’m a simple person,” she said.

“On Bonaire, you can just go to the beach and dive in,” Bunny said. They often scuba dive twice a day, 4-5 times a week. As a marine biology major in college, Bunny said she would even go more often if she could.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

They wake up around 10 am, make the bed, eat breakfast, feed the local birds, iguanas and chickens, swim in the pool and dive. They have also worked with the local rescue organizations committed to helping sea turtles and the restoration of the coral reefs.

At night they love going to their tower, a perfect spot for sipping wine while looking out over the sea, the island landscape & the small airport. Parakeets zoom by and neighbors stroll the quiet road and wilderness trails.

After enjoying a nice dinner, Bill and Bunny spend time looking for funny videos and comedy online. If they are lucky, they may even have a few of the wild donkeys come by for a treat of apples. “Even the donkeys smile here,” Bunny said. They are loving life and enjoying being happy.

The day after Bunny retired, she flew down to Bonaire, where Bill had been getting settled in with the house and pets, and they began their new life. Four years later, they have absolutely no regrets.

Before You Move

If this sounds like the life for you, here are the requirements for becoming a resident on Bonaire:

  • Pensioners (retirees) need at least $20,000 in annual income
  • Need a place to stay (Own a home or have a rental agreement)
  • Clean FBI record
  • Proof of marriage or have a statement of singularity (A statement that you are single can take up to 2 months to get in the US. Gay marriage is recognized in Bonaire.)
  • Animals can be brought into the country as long as they have a USDA health certificate

If you’d like to know more about Bonaire or a Caribbean retirement, Bill and Bunny can be reached at Bill&Bunny@FL4Some.com.

If you know someone who has a great retirement story, send me an email to KarenParis15@gmail.com

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