Jim, our situation was that Cheryl's parents and my parents both retired late in life. Both mothers went down almost immediately with teminal illnesses. My personal situation turned from a teaching job I loved (and thought I would love for the next 10 years), to a incredible nightmare in one school year (2004-2005). During that same year I faced an overwhelming barrage of injuries/failed operations/illnesses. More times in the ER, and more times under general anesthesia, than my ENTIRE 53 years before that, combined.
Before last summer, Cheryl and I have never met anyone who was FTing in an RV. Last summer we all of a sudden began running into couple after couple, in rapid succession, who were FTing and told their exciting stories to us.
The State Retirement Office (Teachers) in a surprise move last summer, strongly urged me to file for permanent Disability Retirement - NOW.
Last Fall, my Dad sat across from his kitchen table from me and, as tears started to well up in his eyes (I've seen my Dad cry only once in my life), he said to me, "All those plans your mother and I had for retirement... Now we'll never be able to do them..."
I do not believe in coincidence. You don't have to hit me over the head more than 2 or 3 times for me to get the message. While this process has been far from easy (understatement), we have been intensely motivated, relying on a tremendous amount of Faith... And
WE ARE GONE!!!