The earliest drafts of the script for my “after‑work life” are scattered across a decade’s worth of notebooks—scribbles captured during meetings where my presence was optional at best. To keep my mind occupied, I made lists. Endless lists. One of them became my Bucket List: a catalogue of everything I hoped to experience before life ever required me to slow down.

On 16 September 2025, the day I retired from the Canadian Armed Forces, every single item on every version of that list was still marked “outstanding.”

That changed within a week. Once retired, I threw myself into the list with real purpose. Within three months, I had already completed two of my top three goals—both of which involved challenging adventures abroad. That’s when the comments started rolling in from friends and acquaintances:

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“Wow! I love your stories.”

“I love how you just go for it.”

“Please post more pictures—we love following your adventures.”

Some told me they were living vicariously through me. Others wanted to know how I did it.

Those reactions lit a spark. I realized that many people genuinely enjoy reading about the lives of others—and more importantly, that retirees (and really, people of all ages) want to make the most of their later years but often don’t know where to begin. That insight gave me the push I needed to start blogging, something I had been considering for a long time.

This website is my way of sharing what I’ve learned. But more than that, it’s a space designed to inspire retirees—and anyone craving a fuller life—to stop saying “one day…” and start turning their dreams into reality.

If that resonates with you, I invite you to follow my blog. From volunteering abroad to exploring the sharing economy, I’ll be diving into the experiences that have made my retirement the most rewarding chapter of my life so far.