Today I paid off all of my student loans. I can’t believe it! It took 20 years. Now I can start saving for travel! I can go to so many places on my list! Europe is first. Great Britain and Ireland to be precise. Then to Nordic countries. South America for some reason is not appealing. Everyone goes there and it became a cliche of travel, especially here in Portland. You meet someone and all they talk about how they went to South America and found zen. I am not kidding.
I don’t want to retire in the U.S. To tell you the truth, I don’t want to live in the U.S. now while the country goes to shits and especially if Trump wins the second term. Just cannot do it. Imagine retiring in Spain in a little village. Or a little village in Ireland or England on the coast. I don’t think Norway or Greenland would be possible although those would be my first choice. I love the North! Now I can scout and see what my options are. Granted, I still have about 15 years until retirement but I am patient. I can wait and I know it would be worth it. The only thing I am nervous about is my two incurable diseases. Would I receive the same care there?
Nevertheless, I am ecstatic. I am elated. And I hope this wave lasts for a while. I need good news because you cannot get it anywhere else. I quit reading news for that reason. Journalists nowadays are only looking for a scandal or natural disasters. And of course, there is Trump and COVID. I am done. I will create my own news out of good things that happen to me every day, out of beauty I see on hikes, out of crossing wishes on the bucket list. I will be happy just with that.
