One of the things many of us do as we dream of the life of retirement is to enjoy some adventures and vacations that you may have put off when raising the kids.  When you have those little ones in your life, you don’t want to miss a single summer when you can take them to Disneyworld or to discover America with them so you can make memories with your family.  So if your library of vacation pictures is mostly with Mickey and Goofy or on a huge water slide at Sea World, those are memories worth keeping forever.

But now that the kids are off with families of their own and you are in these years that are just for you. So now its time for the vacation you have been waiting for.  Its time for a vacation that is an adventure but also one in which you wallow in the lap of luxury.  It time for a vacation that you see exotic things but never have a need that some eager servant isn’t there to fulfill. 

And there is no other vacation thrill that meets this dream of the perfect retirement vacation than to take a cruise.   A cruise of the Caribbean can give you the chance to see exotic locations and be just as adventurous as you want to be.  I know when I first thought of being on a boat for 10 days, it seemed like the most boring prospect possible.  But there just isn’t any time to be bored on a Caribbean cruise.

Even without getting off the ship, your cruise operators will be there to provide you with swimming, shuffleboard, deep sea fishing and just about any kind of amusement you can think of.  But since this is your time to kick back and relax now that you are in your retirement years, no worries if you want nothing more than to lay on deck and watch the world go by.  Your cruise servants will just make sure your drink is never empty or just leave you to read Moby Dick or just have the best nap you have ever enjoyed.

Are there any tips you should be aware of before going on your Caribbean cruise?  Well you are going out to sea so if you think sea sickness is likely, see your doctor before leaving and take your meds before getting on board so that kind of discomfort doesn’t ruin a single moment of your fun during the trip.

If there is any real danger to be aware of it is overindulgence.  You will be provided with such a feast of food, drink and party opportunities that if you don’t pace yourself, you could wear yourself out in the first few days out to sea.  So get your rest and watch your consumption.  Be aware that the rich foods that you are enjoying so much might be a bit much for your constitution.   You can get your exercise with that morning turn around the deck or in an invigorating swim in the on board pool. 

To maximize your enjoyment, do some research up front about where you will be stopping so you know what to enjoy and what kind of shopping you want to be sure to do while you are there.   Many of the shore leave opportunities on your Caribbean cruise offer fun and exotic things to discover that you can enjoy in advance with a bit of reading and study about the native lands that are your playgrounds for a few days on your cruise.

You can easily get “hooked” on the excitement and fun of a Caribbean cruise.  You certainly deserve to be pampered and have an adventure now that you have reached that plateau in your life of retirement.  So get out there and have a great time.  And take lots of pictures.  They will give you just as much joy as the ones of you standing there with Mickey and Goofy.

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If you could sit down with a pencil and paper and list what the top five goals most people would put for their senior citizen years, what do you suppose would go on that list?  Financial security would probably rank pretty high.  And time with family would get good marks.  But just based on the thing that seems to be most on the minds of senior citizens, the thing that would probably rank the highest would be good health, avoiding injury and continued long life.

Now if you attend a seminar in good health for seniors, usually the things that get covered are diet issues and exercise.  But more and more, research into what seniors are most successful and consistently live the longest and have the lowest incidence of health problems are not the ones who statistically work the hardest to observe strict diet and exercise guidelines.  In other words, the senior citizens that are the most successful at being the best senior citizens ever are the ones who obsess the least about being successful.

Much has been made of “the power of positive thinking” lately and some of it is probably a bunch of hype.  But this research on the effect of attitude on how well senior citizens do mentally, emotional and physically does lend some credibility that a senior citizens outlook on life seem to have a great deal to do not only with their quality of life but how frequently you get sick and on longevity.

Part of why this is has to do with expectations.  If you enter your senior years with the expectation that you will be ill more often, will experience periods of low energy and will decline quickly over your senior years, that is probably what is going to happen to you. 

This is not just because the thoughts themselves have any power like the positive thinking people would have us believe.  But if each day you wake up anticipating poor health and low stamina, you won’t be as active during the day.  You won’t want to socialize with others and you won’t have goals and ambitions.  And these are the kinds of things that keep people of any age going.  By “giving up” to the onset of old age, we send a signal to our minds and to our bodies that there will be no effort to stay fit and healthy.  And because there is no effort in those directions, poor health and low energy results.

Some call this the “self fulfilling prophecy” syndrome.  Senior citizens that think they will do well, have an active lifestyle and continue to enjoy good health are the ones that do just as well as they think they will.  But their counterparts seem to be able to “think themselves ill”.

There is a lot of cause and effect looking at your life with confidence and ambition can have.  And it has been frequently shown that senior citizens who are active, who get out and take on projects, spend time with others and refuse to let old age get them down are the ones that stay happy and healthy longer and have better quality of life throughout their retirement years.

Another paradox of the importance of attitude on the quality of life of a senior citizen has to do with thinking of others more than yourself.  Senior citizens who do volunteer work are active in helping others and who are always finding ways to bless the lives of family and friends also seem to be happier and more successful members of the senior community.  To state this simply, those who worry about others the most, benefit the most personally.  But those who worry about themselves the most have the most to worry about. 

The best way to turn around the effects of bad attitude and get a change of outlook is seek better companionship.  The old saying “misery loves company” is quite accurate.  So to get a better mental attitude, be with people who have good attitudes.  A positive and creative outlook on life is contagious.  And it’s worth the effort to change how you view your retirement life because to think negatively is only going to lead to problems.  But if your attitude says you will get the best from life, you will experience that and become the best senior citizen ever.

When you were thinking about the life you would live as a senior citizen, you may have held that old idea of sitting on a rocking chair and watching the world go by.  That silly idea for some reason seems like an ideal situation for people in their golden years.

But what is ideal for you from a quality of life point of view is to be an active and energetic senior citizen and not to see retirement as your time to stop moving about completely.  In fact, there are plenty of good reasons that you should get out and walk every day.  If you make it as much a part of your daily routine as your morning coffee, there are tons of great benefits that you will reap.

Of course, your kids and your doctor already been on you about the benefits of walking for your health. And those are valid to be sure.  Walking will keep your blood flowing, improve your circulation, do your appetite a world of good and keep your joints and muscles limber and exercised. 

What that means is that the more you walk, the longer you will be able to walk.  So if you see older seniors around your neighborhood or in your retirement apartment moving about in wheelchairs or walkers and you don’t like that prospect for yourself, then get out of that chair and get out there and walk.

But there are many benefits that making walking part of your lifestyle can bring your way that have nothing to do with health.  That tired out old phrase of “getting some fresh air” has more wisdom to it than you know.  As you continue to process your transition from a busy adult life to retirement life, there is a lot to think bout.  For good solid decision making, there is nothing better than a brisk walk with all the oxygen it will give to your brain.

You should make it policy never to make a decision late at night, after a few drinks or when you are upset if you have not gotten out of your home for a few days.  Hold that major decision for the walking trail. If you have good blood flow and your breathing is up giving you good oxygen to your thinking apparatus, you will be at your mental peak to make good decisions.

But let’s not overlook the social benefits of walking.  If you are a single senior citizen, to put it bluntly, walking is a great place to meet members of the opposite sex. And if you want to meet that senior gal that has the kind of spunk you have or that great guy who wants to live life to its fullest, you are going to meet those people out and about walking and staying active.  It sounds strange to say so, but the walking trails where senior citizens go the most are great “pick up” spots simply because it is so easy to join someone interesting on a walk and get to know them in a non-threatening manner.

Use some creativity in where you walk and when.   You can work a good walk in with an errand or to see a part of the city you always wanted to explore.  If you can still drive, get to know the many walking trails in town and become a regular there.  The younger people will get around you and they will get a big kick out of seeing you out there as well.

But more than that, you will get a big kick out of walking every day.   The endorphins from this exercise are a better high than your evening cocktail.  And that walk can be great fun and a time to meet new friends and have some interesting adventures as well.