"Baby Boomers" - from 1946-1964 77,000,000 babies were born, thus constituting the largest and, therefore, most powerful generation of this century. Now in our 50's and 60's and looking at the remainder of our lives, I find that the majority of us "boomers" are asking the question "Is it enough?" Did we accomplish our goals or enjoy all that we set out to experience before we were forced to depart this mortal coil?
The resounding answer in my interviews with friends and acquaintances has decidely been "No!" Some of us, trapped in cubicles and air-tight offices for the last twenty years are feeling a sense of urgency, a strong desire to set out on adventures into the unknown or reclaim childhood desires and abandoned dreams and plans.
Determined not to leave before we got the most out of this party called "life", a few of us got together and decided one Sunday afternoon that we weren't going to take it anymore!! But now what?! While sipping the Margaritas our host had graciously provided, we agreed on at least one life-long, cherished goal: travel the world, not just as tourists, but more like anthropologists... staying long enough in each location to truly soak up the local culture and lifestyle in order to better determine how we wanted to live our lives for the next ten, twenty, thirty??? years.
That's the "what". Ah, but how? We ranged, in our motley crew, from those who had been fiscally conservative and practical to those of us (read: me!) who had not a proverbial pot to piss in. So, now comes the creative thinking part of our plot. How can we make a living while pursuing our goals of adventure and experimentation?
Many in our generation are creating web businesses, thanks to the invention of the personal computer. Others have import-export businesses, try their hand at travel writing, house-sitting..you name it, the sky's the limit when re-creating our lives in this day and age. But there are almost too many choices and some of us, wanting to continue to eat and sleep indoors, give up before we have even started.
We decided to identify each member's talents and abilities to see if they might inform our choice and give us a "jumping off" point from which to start. We were, as follows: a Lawyer, a Therapist, a Social Worker, a Teacher and a Transportation Planner. Okay, sounds like a perfect team to help the down and out while improving local traffic patterns. But hidden in our life experiences..remember..we've been around awhile..were other talents, including: film and television producer, journalist, interviewer, and former Buddhist Nun! (Yeah, that'd be me again. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time!)
Thus, the idea of "Boomers Abroad" was born! A reality television show that follows our escapades and travails as we attempt to fulfill our "bucket" lists while roaming the world and still being able to meet our basic (and maybe not-so-basic) needs!
Please join our adventure and help us with your suggestions and comments as we prove that we CAN escape our mind-numbing jobs, dust off our long-buried hopes and dreams, and live a life filled with joy and adventure...before it's too late!! After all, you gotta have something to daydream about once yer in that rocking chair..or, what's it all about?!
Go team!! Go BOOMERS!!
