September 25, 2026
Hi Reader
I'll be honest with you: this week has NOT been my most inspired week. We got back from Portugal, and instead of gliding into retirement bliss, I've been buried in bills, bank reconciliations, and laundry that multiplied while we were gone. My motivation? Somewhere in the Porto still on vacation without me.
But here's what I keep coming back to: the mundane isn't the punishment for retirement it's the actual texture of it. Travel is the part everyone pictures. The bills-and-laundry weeks are the part nobody warns you about, and they fill most of the calendar. If retirement only feels good on a beach in Portugal, that's a problem, because you can't live there full-time (trust me, we've priced it out - plus I would miss the grandkids too much).
So, this week I've been thinking less about our next trip and more about the everyday rhythm. How do Mike and I settle into a routine that still feels like we're making a difference, while leaving room for the things we never had time for before?
It's part of what's behind this week's post, but it started with a simpler question — one I think every couple nearing retirement should ask each other directly: are you actually on the same page? Have you agreed on where you want to live? Do you both want to do the same things with your time - travel, golf, kayak?
That last one's a real example. Mike and I tried kayaking together this year. We do not recommend it, at least not as a couple activity let's just say it turns out we have very different ideas about pace and steering. And that's fine. You don't have to share every interest to be aligned on a life together.
This week's post digs into that. I've included the worksheet I wish Mike and I wish we'd filled out years ago.
Couples Retirement-Alignment-Worksheet_1.pdf
Has your spouse's retirement adjustment (or your own) looked different than you pictured it? Hit reply and let me know - I would love to hear from you!
Warmly,
Wendy
Quote of the Week
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." — Annie Dillard, The Writing Life (1989).
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Have a wonderful week.
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