Gleaned from The quiet retiring hype are the following 8 items that Owen and Jill Weeks identify as some of the key elements to finding a successful retirement locale:
1. Availability of Medical & Dental care
2. Availabilty of broadband Internet
3. Security
4. Access to rail or air transportation
5. Sociability of the new community
6. Car repair if you drive anything out of the ordinary
7. How many TV Channels are available
8. Will your cell phone connect you to pizza delivery
It just seemed interesting to me that not just Internet access, but broadband access ranks so high among the list of priorities. In a stereotypical list for seniors, one might expect to see newspaper delivery rather than Internet access as a priority. I would venture a premise that the current generation of soon-to-be-retired will completely re-define what has been a traditional season of slowing down and a new generational gap in how one retires will emerge. Just wait... you'll be checking out Sharper Image in a few years for a Titanium, solar powered rocking chair with a built-in wireless laptop and hands-free, stereo, voice activated cell phone connection...on a GPS-guided golf cart, no doubt. Ah yes, chasing the technology dragon, retirement style! *grin*