Thoughts on Retirement

Do you ever get the question “Where are you going to settle when you retire from the military?” For years people have asked me this question and I never knew what to tell them. How about “I have no idea?!” It seemed like there was something wrong with me since my husband and I had no plans after his twenty years. It appeared like everyone else had plans but us!

As a native Montanan, many of our vacations centered on trips to visit my family in Montana. I grew up there and love the beauty, solitude, and peacefulness of my home state, yet I never anticipated that I would ever live there again. After years of visiting, my husband soon came to love the state and began talking to me about retiring there. All I could think about were all the problems associated with moving there. I knew that Montana was not perfect. The winters are frigid, often during the summer forest fires pollute the air, and how was he going to make enough money if we moved there? Did I want those problems?

What I’ve realized is that life is 50/50. I was focusing mainly on the problems of moving to Montana and not the amazing blessings of the state. I needed a better balance. No matter where we live it will be good and bad depending on what we think. Every place I have lived in the Navy I loved and I didn’t love. No place I ever lived was perfect. With that knowledge, I get to chose what I think about wherever I live. I love Montana, my family is there, and I love the solitude. So why not have some faith, focus mostly on the positive, and move to Montana? I’m going to love it and sometimes I’m not going to love it and that’s okay!