The Next Chapter
It’s amazing how little things like a birthday or day in time can affect you. This Lifestylist just celebrated a milestone birthday, and it really made me rethink what I want to do with the next 20 years of my life.
I love working, and have been working at various opportunities that interest me since I was 14 and sold Fuller Brushes door to door in Buffalo, NY so I could buy a horse (don’t tell anyone!) while I was doing that, I also went to work after school at a wonderful German Bakery, and spent summers as a camp counselor so I could pay the board for my horse. I am grateful that my parents gave me such a good work ethic, and I have never had to go without being able to find a job, even if it meant cleaning horse stalls, or selling door to door.
Retirement isn’t an option for me, I love working and being able to do what I do as a Lifestylist too much. But I think what is becoming important to me is spending that time doing something that has meaning. One of my many jobs was working at a senior living community when I was getting divorced in my younger days, and I loved it, mostly because I had a wonderful mentor. It was a new concept that was created by the Hyatt corporation, and we created a special place for independent senior to live that was based around hospitality instead of healthcare. The dining program was run by one of the most creative chefs I have ever worked with, we had events that included the Russian ballet performing at our community complete with a vodka ice luge for our residents to enjoy. And it worked -our residents loved living their, and their families loved visiting. It was a special moment in time.
Fast forward to about 10 years ago, and my parents decided that it was time for them to give up their 3 story lake house and move to a place with more services. All three sisters did a lot of research, and we found a “luxury” community that they loved for awhile, but then the owners came in and changed management at the community and went from being resident driven to profit driven. The first place they made cuts was in the dining room, and we all used to love to go over and eat with my parents but it has gone from a locally sourced menu with great talent in the kitchen to I have a feeling meals being prepared somewhere else with nothing fresh or locally sourced, and the wine is what is the cheapest thing they can find in a box at the grocery store. My parents, and all of their friends have worked hard all of their lives, and they deserve better.
And that is what I am seeing as my next chapter. Retirees aren't looking for a place to slow down; they've earned the right to live exceptionally well. Positioning Lifestylist® as the guide to unlocking that "earned good life" is what seniors deserve, and I plan on figuring out a way to make that possible for them, and for me.
I’m looking forward to my own form of senior living -moving to the French Quarter of New Orleans where I can live in an ageless, walkable city that celebrate free thinking and creativity every day. I was told by someone that New Orleans is the perfect place to age gracefully, and I believe that, and want that. But not everyone wants to take on the challenge that I am, and would rather live in a community where they can be surrounded by new friends and opportunities which is what a senior living community should offer. Healthcare is always a concern, but for most people it isn’t the priority. Living well can keep healthcare as something that might be needed later - not the focus of your new, living well chapter.
So that’s where I am hoping to write this new chapter about; creating curated, lifestyled opportunities for others like me who have worked hard, and are ready to enjoy their next chapter. Fingers crossed, I will have lots to share soon!