Juiced

Not sure what changed this week, but I’m suddenly full of energy and positivity! I’ve hiked more miles lately than all winter. More than 10 miles just today. Usually after 4-5 miles in a day, something hurts. My left hip, right knee, bottom of my feet, muscles, or I’ll have shin splints. But not much pain this week. I even did a hard whole-body workout at the gym. My body is a bit sore from that, but just the chest and stomach muscles, which have been neglected lately.

My unemployment has finally restarted, even though they shorted me a few weeks of pay. That is due to my misunderstanding some stuff. So, several $hundreds came in on Monday, with more due in 10 days from now. I’ve been careful with spending for the last few months, but still was depressing to see the bank account drifting downwards. That shouldn’t  happen anymore until next winter, hopefully. It really does help my financial accountability having a budget book to write every expenditure in. I’m glad I bought that! This week, I clamped down tighter on eating out, doing more of my own cooking and focusing on healthier foods. Maybe that’s why the additional energy.

The sun has been out much more lately. Kind of a relief, after some weeks of record rainfall. We would have 2-4 days of heavy rain, a few dry, perhaps cloudy days, then back again to the rain. I don’t mind the moisture and like weather changes. But it’s hard to be cooped up in the van, with just books and my phone for entertainment, for days on end. Then I tend to eat too much, out of boredom. Nights have been cool and I’ve even had to run my heater a little in the evenings. One more storm front will be hitting Sunday- Monday, with 3-4 inches of rain. Then back to good weather for the foreseeable future. Sunny days and warmer temps tend to boost my mood.

I’ve been doing more research about living in the Phillipines and Mexico, and feel more confident about being able to afford retirement in either country. Many people have chatted with me online about realistic budgets, cheap housing, weather and safety concerns, and so on. I recently joined some expat groups on Facebook that are full of info. It’s been good to talk with folks who are retired in those places and who know the pitfalls. They all warn me that dating or marrying a woman can be awesome, but can also destroy a man, financially. Lol I’m well aware of that danger! After retirement, I would have no wish to return to the work force due to a woman’s machinations and my own stupidity. I still doubt that I would retire full-time to another country. Traveling in my van in the US is still doable and fairly cheap. So, maybe half the year in America and the other half in a different country. And no hurry about the date of retirement, unless my health changes or I get sick of working.

One kinda funny thing happened when I posted in a Phillipines expat group. I introduced myself, said a little about what I thought my retirement would look like, mentioned that I am NOT planning to look for a wife or girlfriend, and that I prefer a mountainous area for the cooler climate. Lots of helpful advice, mostly from older American men. But some comments were from filipina women and several sent private messages, trying to start an online relationship with me. Even though I clearly said in the post that I don’t want romance in my life anymore (that isn’t set in stone but I’m not looking for it). I ignored them all and didn’t answer any, except one who is married with children, and had some good advice. She lives in Makati, which is the most expensive and exclusive city in the Phillipines, and most popular with rich Americans. I figured her family must be well-off. We chatted for an hour about living in the Phillipines. She said Bagiuo would be the best location for me, since it is high in the mountains but is a big enough city to never get bored there. Then she suggested that she be my live-in maid, cook, and companion. It would cost me $300 per month, plus food and a place for her in my rental. I wasn’t rude but shut that down quickly. She has 3 young daughters and is married. That’s where she belongs. There is no way that I could do that. I know there is a culture difference and many Filipinos are desperate enough for money to do anything. Maybe I was reading it wrong, but would not be comfortable being in that situation. Maybe her husband is a drunk or can’t hold a job. Maybe he cheats on her or beats her. Maybe he’s a great husband! But I don’t know the circumstances and don’t want to go there. The only reason I answered her message was because I didn’t think she was interested in me, just being helpful. We haven’t messaged since then, which is a good thing.

Anyway, I’ve been stress-free this week, mostly sleeping well, eating better, exercising more, enjoying life more. Hopefully, that continues! Still haven’t decided whether to move on from Ventura. Only 7 weeks left of my winter vacation. I’ve thought of spending a week or 2 in the Yuma area, a week in Ajo,  a week in Vegas, a week in Boulder City, a week in Lake Isabella, and a few days in Porterville. If so, I should leave now. Otherwise I’d have to cut my time in each place or eliminate some locations. It’s not fun for me to spend too much time driving, and not enough time to relax in each spot and absorb the atmosphere there. Perhaps have some adventures and meet cool people. I’ll decide in the next few days. I’m waiting for a new debit card to arrive at the post office here, then will be free to leave. It probably would be best for me to do more traveling, since I’ll be basically stationary for the following 7 months at my camphosting job. There, I’ve just about convinced myself to leave soon. Maybe even before the rain hits here again. I’ll check the post office tomorrow for that letter, and freedom to take off.