One Happy Camper
LAURA MARK’S ADVENTURES IN RETIREMENT
“When I made the decision to retire, one of my major concerns was losing my sense of community,” says Laura Mark, who completed 38 years of service with the USDA Forest Service in 2016. “I was blessed to have had a career I loved and coworkers who were family, but it required me to make big changes in retirement.” Laura remembers the first months of her post-work life being especially jarring. “I must admit, I felt disconnected for the first six months after I retired,” she recalls. “I’m not the type of person who makes decisions on a whim, so I basically spent the first year after I retired thinking about what the next chapter in my life was going to be. I got thinking back to Ann’s class on ‘What to Do When Every Day Is Saturday’ and asking myself what I really wanted from life.” After this intermediary period, however, Laura’s new life took shape quite naturally. “I always knew that I wanted to move somewhere rural after I retired, somewhere where you know your neighbors and there’s a real sense of community,” she explains. “I also wanted to participate in volunteer work, as that’s always been part of the fiber of my being.” With these twin goals in mind, all Laura needed to do was find the place to pursue them. The revelation about the “where” came somewhat unexpectedly. “About a year ago, I was visiting some friends in Durango on a holiday weekend,” she says. “While hanging out, the subject of my potential move came up. Out of the blue, my friend asked me, ‘Have you checked out our neighbor’s place?’ Turns out there was a house for sale in the same subdivision. It was smaller than the one I had been living in, and it was on 3.5 acres of land, had a beautiful view, and offered the built-in community of living near two of my best friends. Needless to say, I was convinced and bought the house.” Because Laura didn’t want to move in winter — and neither did the current resident — the house remained in escrow for nine months. That was perfect for Laura, as it gave her time to work on
remodeling her old house, something she is passionate about. Did all the hard work pay off? “Well, my house sold in a day,” Laura says, so we’re thinking it did. Upon arriving in Durango, Laura’s life took shape pretty quickly. “I began volunteering at Spring Creek Horse Rescue, and it’s been immensely rewarding,” she says. “I’ve loved horses since I was a little girl, but I did not have time to enjoy them when I had a full-time job. Helping these animals find new, loving homes has given me a renewed sense of purpose. It’s unbelievable.”
When she’s not at Spring Creek, you can probably find Laura doing projects at home. “I’m building a shop for leatherworking, another dormant hobby, as well as installing sliding glass doors to make sure I get as much of that view as possible. Aside from that, I’m spending time with my two dogs, hiking, camping, traveling and just enjoying life. I’ll tell you one thing: I’m never bored.” Looking back on the two and a half years of retirement, Laura is so happy with the way everything has taken shape. “I never thought about what could go wrong in retirement, only what could go right,” she concludes. “While there were definitely tough moments, I think I timed everything perfectly. I’m one happy camper.”
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