Settling In or Setting Out?

Here I am...back on my blog after almost a month of neglect.
Chris Crowley (remember the book I mentioned, Younger Next Year?) makes the point that successful retirement involves a complete break with the past and a reinvention of oneself. The long journey across the US provided an effective buffer between my last life and the next. I will write a little about the net effect of that drive in another piece. However, now that I am here, it is not so much a matter of settling in as setting out. Part of this is finding a passion. One of my past passions was flying. I started out with learning to fly in gliders (real full size sail planes) and then got into flying things with a fan at the front end. This led to many adventures. As part of sizing up life in Corning/Painted Post, I discovered the original site of gliding in the US (on a ridge called Harris Hill, overlooking the regional airport). One day, I rode my bike out to have a look at the operations there; it was quite a climb up to the ridge. After watching the launch of several flights and the return of a couple of gliders I realized that this now was quite boring for me. On another bike ride, I dropped into the local airfield and tried to imagine myself getting back into that scene. When I took up flying, I knew there would be an end to it and sensed that, when I came to the US, that I would probably leave the flying business behind. Early on, in Portland, I did some flying with an instructor in preparation for my US license renewal. Dropping into the local airfield the other day did not ignite the old fire.
What would a new passion look like? Now take my friend Michael; he devotes lots of time and energy to getting his Buick Electra ready for its big test in Nevada next year. Last Saturday, we went to the drag strip about 70 miles away. The car went well. We had to wait all morning and part of the afternoon for the strip to dry out. Only 1/8 mile was available; nonetheless, one 'rocket' was timed at 146 mph at the end. All that work for 4.6 seconds of experience!!! But what an experience! Not my brand of passion however.
In the meantime, following the advice of Crowley and Lodge, I go to work each day at the office of exercise. Currently this is a couple of good bike rides each week, and, most days, around 5000 meters on my Concept2 Rower. To this routine I have added an early morning bout on the roller skis of about five kilometers (sic...the non-US readers will have to accept this instead of kilometres). I pole and skate around in the dark, my headlamp pointing to the front and, at my rear, a red blinking lamp to warn overtaking motorists. With the ski season mind, I have added strength training to the weekly exercise routine. This must be doing me good as I have lost another five or so pounds (2.27 kg). Crowley is right...you have to treat this as the new job.
Still looking for that passion. I have a few little projects in mind. Remembering last years autumn leaves, I am using Uma's lawn mower's mulching capacity to convert lawn clippings and fall leaves into compost and am in the process of constructing compost bins at the bottom of the back yard. The completed bin is almost full as a result of yesterday's mowing. And last night I baked my first wholemeal loaf (nine grains) of bread. I am considering doing the two day High Performance Driving Course offered by the local chapter of the BMW Drivers' Club. Learning to pilot my Infiniti G20 as swiftly as I am able around the Watkins Glen Raceway sounds like an interesting and exciting thing to do.
Watch this space...you may see passion emerging!