What’s Next?

Billy Kaderli

I spent six days at our favorite beach, doing some body surfing but mostly just sitting alone, watching the waves and currents while quietly pondering my future without Akaisha. Normally I would have reasons to rush back to Chapala to reunite with her, but all of a sudden I realized I no longer needed to hurry home.

A friend invited me to stay at his place in Guadalajara, and I spent a night there before heading back. That small detour from my plans helped me more than I expected as I move forward.

I never dreamed I would be alone with no boundaries at my age. Our plan had always been that I would go first, and Akaisha would enjoy the money with a new boyfriend—a running joke between us that wasn’t far from the truth.

Obviously, that’s not how it turned out. Now I find myself on an entirely new road with few plans and little preparation.

Playa Chacala

Shake-out

The “shake-out” trip to the beach was good for me. I used it to reorganize my travel gear, discovering what I had forgotten and what I no longer need traveling solo. Watching the young children play on the beach—building sandcastles only for the surf to wash them away—reminded me of the circle of life and how precious our time here truly is.

There are life lessons everywhere if you stop long enough to relax and remain open to them.

I still have more of Akaisha’s affairs to handle, but I’m forming a clearer idea of what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. Most tasks I can manage from here, but a few will require me to return to our place in the States.

After that, I’m considering spending a few months in Asia to completely shake up my life, and possibly heading to the Caribbean for some downtime during the colder months. As I’ve said before, I need to take things one day at a time—but with each passing day, I’m beginning to see more opportunities ahead.

Akaisha’s spirit of adventure still lives in me, and I know she would want me to keep exploring, learning, and embracing whatever comes next. For the first time in months, I feel a quiet excitement about the unknown road in front of me. The future feels open, full of possibility, and I’m finally ready to step into it.

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About the Authors

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.