The population of the United States is aging, which means that people are living longer. This also means that seniors are forming a significant bloc with significant implications in terms of influencing politics, the economy, and culture. “Old age” now extends many years. Living longer and healthier, the older population has created a new phase in the human “life course.” A keen mind characterizes this new phase, personal revitalization, a need for remaining immersed in society and forming new relationships as well as enriching old ones.
The view that aging is linked to cognitive decline is giving way to the realization that mental sharpness can continue in old age. In acknowledgment to the latter, special programs developed explicitly for seniors proliferate in the fields of life-long learning, sports, travel, culture, and leisure activities. These programs exist to fill the need that seniors have for rejuvenation, new experiences, the pursuit of new viewpoints on old attitudes, and the formation of new relationships.
Retirees have time for extended travel, and they travel often. As a result, the leisure travel business, in particular, has experienced significant growth from this segment of the population. In addition to generic tour groups, travel agencies have customized unique travel itineraries to accommodate special interests such as cuisine, wine, music, history, wildlife, and the performance and visual arts. There are even educational tours dedicated to the study of wars and battles such as Gettysburg.
Combining travel with educational interests, companies such as Road Scholar provide extensive learning and travel opportunities around the world. This company offers access to 150 countries and all 50 states.
Museums are also a good source for educational tours. The Archeological Conservancy offers tours for the study of ancient archeological locales. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has its Travel With the Met program hosting domestic and international vacations in the subjects of art and architecture. The Smithsonian Institution has its Smithsonian Journeys providing unique theme trips such as German Cars and the Austrian Grand Prix. The Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston also have travel programs that are educational in nature.
Many colleges and universities also offer travel/study programs for seniors. As an example, Oxford University offers 40 one-week courses to adults during the summer covering topics such as archaeology, creative writing, history, literature, music, politics, and philosophy. Many colleges offer such outings only to alumni while others offer them to the general public.
Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit learning establishment located in southwestern New York State that runs summer educational programs in art, music, religion, politics, and education. In addition to providing lectures on these subjects, the Institution also provides performances of its symphony, operas, dance recitals, and cinema.
Remember your school days when you looked forward to days off from school for holidays and summer vacations? Well, retirement can be just the opposite: a long vacation where you look forward to going back to school, and you do so for the pure pleasure of learning. You have the freedom to choose the subject, and you do not have to take any tests or worry about a grade. All you need do is show up and enjoy the companionship of like-minded life-long learners.
– Joe from Arizona, a FAR customer who is finding purpose in this new stage of his life.
* The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the Finance of America Reverse (LLC).
This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as financial or tax advice. For more information about whether a reverse mortgage may be right for you, you should consult an independent financial advisor. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.
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