Most young people can’t imagine living in a place where you are surrounded by people 55 and older. For some, it may seem like an absolute nightmare. For this 30-year-old New Yorker, however, it was a learning experience. After two years of living at her parent’s retirement community in Florida, this is what she learned.
“What I Learned Living In A Retirement Home For Two Years”
The pandemic saw a lot of people, especially young people, back in their parents’ houses. After all, if there was no reason to pay your expensive city apartment rent, why would you? This is precisely what happened to Christina Manna. She went to visit her parents at their retirement community in Florida, the pandemic hit, and she ended up there for two years. (1)
“Like many in the corporate world, my company went remote indefinitely. I couldn’t reason with paying New York City rent until I knew for sure we’d be returning to the office. So, I stayed,” she wrote. “I had just turned 30 years old and was back living with my parents in their retirement community — yes, a literal retirement community.”
Of course, it was a bit weird at first. There were those who were unhappy with the new youngest resident, as the rule was technically 55+. Most, however, loved having Christina around. Rather than fight it, she leaned in and embraced living in the retirement home. She soon made friends her parents’ age and older and took advantage of the many activities and perks the retirement community had to offer.
After living there for two years, with all of its ups and downs, the time finally came for Christina to move back to her New York City life. Before doing so, however, she decided it was important to reflect on her experience in the retirement community and what she had learned there. These are the four biggest things she learned during that time.
1. Take Care of Your Health
Christina says that living surrounded by people three or more times her age made her realize how important our health is. She was constantly reminded of the importance of regular check-ups and talking to your doctor if you think something is wrong. Living in the retirement community reminded her that preventative care is the most important. Healthy habits we start when we are young will keep us fit and strong into older age.
“Don’t wait until you’re 80 to read about things you should be doing at 30.” she said.
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2. Don’t Wait To Be Retired To Start Enjoying Life
There’s this mentality that we all need to just work, work, work when we’re young to save up for when we’re old. Finally, when we’ve reached retirement age, we can relax and enjoy life. Christina says she’s now fundamentally against that.
“I now fully understand the saying that “youth is wasted on the young.”,” she wrote. “The mentality of working hard now to enjoy life later is something I fundamentally disagree with. I think now is when we’re supposed to enjoy life.”
She says her older friends from the retirement community really knew how to have fun, even if it meant getting in a bit of trouble sometimes. Christina says in a post-pandemic world it’s important for all of us to take time each day to have a little bit of fun. Even with our busy daily routines and work deadlines, do something you enjoy every day. Heck, even get into a little bit of trouble every once in a while. After all, you’ve only got one life, why wait to start truly living it?
3. You Don’t Have To Have It All To Be Happy
Like many of us over the last couple of years, the pandemic really forced Christina to slow down and enjoy small moments. Because she was back living with her parents, she got to enjoy so many things she would’ve otherwise missed.
“Before the pandemic, I equated who I was with what I do and where I lived. It’s easy to build your life around those things. But my life is so much more than that,” she explained. “Family dinners, watching my parents dance in the kitchen, chatting about life while on an evening walk, playing board games, cooking with my mom, taking a ride with my dad in his classic car with the windows down listening to Springsteen, or just pausing to breathe in fresh air and gaze at the palm tree branches swaying in the wind. I’ll never regret slowing down to be present in moments like these and I’m grateful for all of it.”
4. 5pm Is Too Early For Dinner
This tip is less of a profound thought and more just a general tip. She says that she and her parents got in the habit of hitting up the 5 pm “early bird special”. Though there are perks to it, she says it’s only really a good idea if you plan on going to bed only a couple of hours later.
“We got on a 5 p.m. dinner schedule and while early bird dinners out included half-off appetizers and no crowds, when 8 p.m. rolled around, I’d be standing in the refrigerator light kicking myself for not taking home the leftovers.”
The Final Thoughts
If there’s anything that living in the retirement community taught Christina, is that we all need to slow down, worry less, and enjoy life more. After all, at the end of it, we all share the same fate. So don’t give into the pressures that you need to be, do, or act a certain way. Don’t believe the lies that you need to have figured out “x, y, and z” by the time you’ve reached a certain age. Live your life, have fun, take care of yourself, and, you know, eat dinner at a more regular hour. No matter how enticing the early bird special might be.
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Sources
- “I turned 30 and moved into a retirement community for 2 years. Here’s what I learned.” Today. Christina Manna. March 15, 2022.