For some activities there is simply no age limit. That you have to have experienced something by the age of 30 or 40 makes little sense; after all, life goes by much longer. These bucket lists, so often quoted and circulated on the Internet, are meant to tell us when it is high time in life for a certain experience. At the end of the day, what counts is actually having experienced something. And: Some projects can even be better realized in old age. Here is a selection:
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Go on a world tour
A “world trip” is at the top of many lists. But while younger and middle-aged people often don’t have a sufficient budget, loans have to be paid off – or the children are still too small, the time in retirement is ideal for extensive travel. Because if the financial side of the holiday is taken care of (for example with the holiday pension) and the children are out of the house, all you need for this great adventure is good health and a bit of courage. More and more older travelers are packing their suitcases and going on a long journey in a relaxed manner. It doesn’t always have to be around the world, it can also be a longer trip by mobile home or cruise, or a regular annual holiday within United State, North America or to a more distant destination. In 2017 alone, 55 to 74-year-olds undertook almost 16 million vacation trips and thus almost a quarter of all trips by United State.
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Start a (second) degree
Studying your favorite writer? Immerse yourself in the history of North America? Or finally get to the bottom of a tricky physical problem? While studying at a young age should primarily be the basis for a professional career, in old age it is all about interest and passion for a topic. According to the concept of “lifelong learning”, seniors enjoy studying and are increasingly deciding to go to university (again). And all this without any pressure or fear of exams, after all they do it for fun. In order to quench the older generation’s thirst for knowledge, some universities even offer additional lecture hall places. Because half of the approximately 37,000 guest students are older than 60 years.
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Make (more) music
There are many ways to be musically active; be it in a band, in an orchestra, in a church choir or in an a cappella group. Even for those who have never made music before, it’s not too late. It is also possible at an older age to learn an instrument or to use the voice to sing. The life experiences that seniors bring can mature music, make lyrics more believable, and bring alternative timbres to music. It may also be possible to find music groups in which different ages are represented, so that one can inspire one another and learn from one another.
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Establish a start-up
Today’s entrepreneurs are often fresh out of university, young and hip. What you lack: professional and life experience. But seniors can also successfully start a new company. It’s never too late to be your own boss after years of employment, as the KfW Start-up Monitor 2018 shows: Almost a quarter of all start-ups today can be traced back to a founder between the ages of 45 and 64. There is nothing against that at all. After all, if you have a good idea, age doesn’t matter – and you can take advantage of a number of advantages: plenty of knowledge of human nature, many years of experience in your own job and, ideally, better access to the necessary start-up capital.
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Living abroad (again).
“One day I would like to live by the sea!” Many holidaymakers have said that before, but it never came true. While the job and the families often do not allow you to move to your desired location, you can think about it again in old age. 234,000 United State are showing the way and had their pensions transferred to their new home in 2016. Switzerland is at the top of the United State Pension Insurance list, followed by the USA, Austria and Spain. Before moving, however, it should be checked whether the payments of the statutory, professional and private pension schemes can also be paid out to countries outside the EU without any problems.
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Do (more) sport
At the end of the 1960s, sport in old age was almost unthinkable. Only one in 100 retirees exercised regularly. At that time, retirement meant: retirement and putting your feet up. Today, on the other hand, one in three 65 to 85-year-olds does sport once a week, and one in five does it several times a week. The number of older German marathon runners is also increasing. In 2003, out of 1,000 participants, 50 were over 60 years old. Today, at 95, there are almost twice as many. The best time of a German at the Berlin Marathon 2017 in the class over 60: 2:59:40. At the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, that would have been enough for place 52! In addition, almost every city has exercise offers that are good for the joints and the body in old age, such as yoga or swimming.
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Set up a shared flat
The shared apartment, also abbreviated as WG, is actually more common among young people, especially students – and mostly due to lack of money. Several people share an apartment with everything that goes with it, often including the joys and worries of everyday life. Anyone who has not yet had this experience can catch up on it when they retire and make use of it not only for the financial but also for the personal benefits. This is particularly attractive for single people. Feelings of loneliness can quickly pass over cooking evenings together or chatting on the balcony. You can also help each other with cleaning and shopping.
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Finding love
Finding and keeping your absolute soul mate is not that easy. Sometimes it may turn out over the years that it doesn’t fit so well, sometimes the relationship doesn’t survive the ups and downs of everyday life, sometimes death separates. For love, however, age does not matter, even in old age it can come to us out of the blue and quite unexpectedly. This is shown, among other things, by current data, according to which every seventh marriage in the 50 to 75 age group is now closed. A good 15 years ago it was every tenth marriage.
Sourced by: John Labunski
