Deb & I invested in a 4-season porch and a lovely backyard so that, when we eventually retired, we would enjoy just being home in between travels.

"Eventually" turned out to be just before the COVID lockdowns started. Our fabulous 2020 cruise to Alaska morphed into a 2021 cruise slid into a 2022 cruise. Our porch and yard were our refuge, and we loved it.

We've been on the 2022 cruise to Alaska (which we'd saved up for), a 2023 cruise to Iceland (paid for by my late father's estate — timing is everything!), a 2024 road trip to New England, and we're planning a 2025 trip to FL for our 25th wedding anniversary (Jacksonville, where my ex-wife and her wife live, and Disney, which my ex's wife helped us plan since she's a great travel agent [www.7continents2c.com — it's not a commercial plug if it's for a ex's spouse, right?]).

We thought we'd be more active in retirement, but we get tired more easily. Plus I have trouble driving unfamiliar roads in the dark — Deb planned the New England trip for mid-summer, with the most daylight.

And did I mention we have a delightful backyard? 😉