Where do you want to grow old?

edsutton,
I couldn’t agree more.
Downsizing could not be more attractive to me. It always has been.
My husband does the cooking and there are more than a hundred spices in the kitchen. I cut out a recent cartoon from the New Yorker and taped it to the spice cabinet door. The cartoon was bottles of spices plotting to multiply and then take over.
It’s the getting rid of stuff, the questions about what to keep, how to move the rest and what to do with it that are weighing me down.

To answer the original question about where to grow old, my husband and I are moving to Maryland to be near son. He and his wife want us near and we want that, too.
I’m 71 and still working full time. My husband is semi-retired. He’s 68.
We are leaving our longtime home in the sun belt. I’m not looking forward to the colder climate.
I would like to hear advice from seniors who have made this move. I am finding this overwhelming. Our two story house is full of stuff. I’m purging as much as I can, but it’s a huge task. We will put house on market in October.
Other people who have done this have advised me to sell or give away as much as possible and replace it in Maryland. Thus, save a fortune on moving and storage.
Thoughts?

These comments have been very helpful to me. I am struggling with trying to figure out what to do since I live alone, am in my 80’s and feel like I’m beginning to need help with things often. I live near my son who has an extremely busy life though he does keep in contact regularly. We live in a town I really love but where there are few senior services except for an excellent hospital network. I moved here about 3 years ago and have begun to make a few friends. All my daughters live in another state that I lived in when younger but was never happy there, so I resist moving back. However, the town offers extensive and lively senior programs. And my daughters are more available and well situated to take care of me when/if needed. So all these considerations are in my thoughts frequently. I am comfortable financially but not well off enough to live in the kind of assisted living that appeals to me. Lots to consider.

Great plan! You have given yourself good time frame to prepare.
I agree wholeheartedly with the advise to 'travel light'. I moved across country 5 years ago; saving on m9ving costs is excellent advise. I had pirged all my stuff, but did bring my furniture. With hindsight I would do this differently: I would pack up any heirlooms that I truly love. Once I arrived with my furniture, some didn't look quite right, and had to be switched out anyway.
I would get out the 'famous three' boxes: one to keep, one to give away, and one for trash. Keep reviewing the stuff to continually purge. When I consider what I could have gained from sales and the cost of freight, it would have been a financial benefit to arrive with my keepsakes only! The money spent would have gone a long way in refurbishing my new place! And so many less headaches!
Good luck on your plans, and all the best in your 'new' life.

I am 86 years of age and my husband and I decided at age 70 that we would move from the Boston area to the New York one to be near our daughters and help with our grandkids. A close family has always meant a lot to me. Then seven years later my husband died suddenly. So nourishing to live near family during this crisis. I continue to live in my two bedroom two bath 1000 square foot home which at the time was considerable downsizing! I
rent out my garage since I no longer need to drive. The key for me, besides living at least a one hour drive from your children, is to live in a place where you can walk to your prized local library, Postoffice, drugstore, community center and even your local hardware store. I believe that as we age we need to walk more and more in nature and beauty, while breathing in fresh air, to maintain happiness and good health.

bunnybear,
Your decision is a complicated one.
I am still working full time, but work from home.
Part of it for me is grandchildren. I only have two and would like to see them grow up.
I am so overwhelmed with the practical aspects - getting rid of stuff, fixing up house, selling house, that I can’t focus on the larger issues.

Great plan! You have given yourself good time frame to prepare.
I agree wholeheartedly with the advise to 'travel light'. I moved across country 5 years ago; saving on m9ving costs is excellent advise. I had pirged all my stuff, but did bring my furniture. With hindsight I would do this differently: I would pack up any heirlooms that I truly love. Once I arrived with my furniture, some didn't look quite right, and had to be switched out anyway.
I would get out the 'famous three' boxes: one to keep, one to give away, and one for trash. Keep reviewing the stuff to continually purge. When I consider what I could have gained from sales and the cost of freight, it would have been a financial benefit to arrive with my keepsakes only! The money spent would have gone a long way in refurbishing my new place! And so many less headaches!
Good luck on your plans, and all the best in your 'new' life.

I am 86 years of age and my husband and I decided at age 70 that we would move from the Boston area to the New York one to be near our daughters and help with our grandkids. A close family has always meant a lot to me. Then seven years later my husband died suddenly. So nourishing to live near family during this crisis. I continue to live in my two bedroom two bath 1000 square foot home which at the time was considerable downsizing! I
rent out my garage since I no longer need to drive. The key for me, besides living at least a one hour drive from your children, is to live in a place where you can walk to your prized local library, Postoffice, drugstore, community center and even your local hardware store. I believe that as we age we need to walk more and more in nature and beauty, while breathing in fresh air, to maintain happiness and good health.

We thought of that. They probably won’t move as they are both tenured professors.
Also, we should move somewhere. We live on Gulf Coast and are too old to keep evacuating from hurricanes. Our homeowners insurance went from $300 a month $850.
My oldest and closest friend lives an hour away from my son. They have a big house and we will live with them for a few months while looking for a house.
I have no other family other than my children. My daughter and her family are moving to Baltimore in May 2025, so we will all be together.
I guess I need advice on the practical aspects of the move. That’s what I’m overwhelmed by. Sell? Give away? Put in storage? The last time I moved, I was 25. We threw it all in a friend’s truck. Those were the days.