Page 148 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2020

GOLDEN YEARS
From To
Retirement Restart
story by Susan K. Villarreal
M y husband had retired but I was still working. The job was great but I was ready for retirement, and so
we spent many an evening wondering, “Okay, but then what?”
Simply retiring promised us less to do, not more. But we liked new restaurants, taking cruises, theatre and weekend trips. We’d enjoyed most of what the Midwest had to o er. We called these our “adventures,” and we agreed that retirement should o er more of these, not less. And that’s when we decided to move out of state. But to where?
Winter in Illinois was looming, and aside from going out to shovel the driveway and icy, slushy driving, we’d be stuck inside for months. So we began to consider our options. Unsurprisingly, we wanted someplace warmer... a lot warmer! Arizona? Nope,
I preferred the seaside (the cruises, remember?). We’d visited
the Gulf Coast when our daughter was stationed here and got married in Biloxi. Plus we had friends in Gulfport we’d met on
a cruise, so with their help we started researching the area and checking out homes.
A local realtor helped us shop in Long Beach and Ocean Springs. She knew the area and understood what we wanted. Zillow was useful, but it was our realtor who helped us interpret the o erings. It was October when we nally came down to see
homes with her. It was she who suggested that we consider new construction and, speci cally, a neighborhood in Ocean Springs.
On March 10, 2020, we were o cially Gulf Coast homeowners. We’d arrived with a long list of restaurants, activities and sites we planned to visit... then the COVID-19 lockdown began. So everything we planned for months was now on hold.
Then something amazing happened. Since we couldn’t go out, we got to know our neighbors (while six feet apart, of course) and made real friends. Our friendly neighbors include young families, middle-aged couples, active duty and retired folks. And they are not only from Mississippi but from all over the country. Seems like others are discovering the The Secret Coast as well!
Lately things have become a bit more relaxed. We’ve visited the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch (a blast!), tried some awesome restaurants in the area and even made a trip to Laurel of Home Town fame. But whether at a supermarket or nice restaurant,
it was the kindness and genuineness of Gulf Coast people that stood out for us.
When the pandemic is over we’ll restart our life’s adventures enjoying everything the Gulf Coast has to o er. In the meantime, we’re content to sit on our patio at night, watch the pines sway and enjoy the bayou sounds of Ocean Springs.
148 | November 2020
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Relocating to Coastal Mississippi