About

Betsy is a VW Campervan christened by our daughter who tagged her with the name which seemed appropriate for one who will be our companion in retirement.  Carol and I have been married for 36 years and were friends as students for 5 years before our engagement. We have had a happy family and work life. For a long time we have discussed our dreams for retirement and travel has been a constant theme.  We have been occasional campers always relishing the freedom it brings, and we have had 3 forays of holidaying in a campervan or mobile home, the advantage over camping is that the vehicle is mobile and more comfortable.

We met as Humanities students at Wolverhampton Polytechnic, Carol majoring in history and I in geography.  I variously describe Betsy as our retirement home on wheels or mobile tent. In her we hope to explore beyond the UK to supplement our knowledge we started to acquire as students.

We retire in April ‘19 and have been planning it for the last 6 months.  There is a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Work provides certainty and stability, the routine is known, the paycheque is regular and comfortable but there are constraints.  The arrival a grandchild who lives in London means limited time to get to know her and establish a relationship as she grows up. With Carol being a teacher we can only travel in the school holidays with high costs, high temperatures and high volumes of other travellers.

Health is an issue.  We are both fit but by what measure – Carol controls asthma with drugs and I take medication for high blood pressure.  We both carry too much weight. I have watched with dismay a close family member and a close friend have entered retirement in very poor health unable to reap its rewards.  By most measures we have 20 years active life ahead of us but only if our health holds up.

So this blog is about preparation for retirement, planning our travels with Betsy and staying healthy.