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VOL.35, NO.3
Don’t retire; reinvent yourself PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULA COUPE
By Glenda C. Booth After Paula Coupe retired from her 30year government career, she spent her first six weeks organizing recipes. Once rested, the Fairfax resident set about finding a new life. Now she’s making jewelry, pottery and lamps, even entering juried shows. “I became a new person,” Coupe said. Another Northern Virginia retiree, Arina van Breda, who practiced medicine in Northern Virginia for 36 years, planned extensive travel after her retirement in 2019. But when the pandemic halted those adventures, she instead pitched in to administer vaccines — an experience that she says gave her the “volunteer bug.” Most people nearing retirement look forward to freedom and downtime. After all, you can sleep in, have control over your time, and grocery shop during less crowded times. But transitioning from a decades-long career can be daunting. While avoiding commutes and enjoying leisurely reads are luxuries, most retirees soon want to do something constructive. Typically, in their early retirement, people try to complete their travel bucket list. But as they age, they travel less. Prince George’s County resident Karen Morgan, a former attorney for the Maryland legislature, cautioned, “When your job’s suddenly gone, you need to fill that space and do more than just sit around.” Before retiring, many people focus on financial planning but fail to plan for their personal fulfilment. An AARP study found that 57% of retired adults never thought about taking care of their post-career emotional health. Some, fortunately, focus on reinventing themselves. At a workshop Coupe at-
MARCH 2023
I N S I D E …
LEISURE & TRAVEL
Patagonia’s marble caves and turquoise lakes amaze; plus, Rick Steves on adding fine art to your travels, and Ed Perkins’ tips for travel to Europe page 24
Paula Coupe retired from a federal job and now spends her days crafting jewelry and pottery, attending book and movie clubs, and making new friends. Other retirees choose to volunteer or find part-time work, or become activists. The key to finding happiness after you retire, according to several locals like Coupe, is discovering what you love and reinventing yourself accordingly.
tended before reitiring from the U.S. Department of Commerce, advisors told her, “‘You are not defined by your job. You can reinvent.’ I took this to heart,” Coupe said.
Work part-time or volunteer
A Shakespearean musical comedy at Toby’s; plus, Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri, and Bob Levey on pinching pennies page 29
Some people transition into retirement by working part-time, especially if they See RETIREMENT, page 16
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