Career
I guess my dreams began many years ago but lets exclude childhood whimsy. I guess my first adult dream was to become a pilot but at that time in history it was difficult to obtain a pilot's licence without near perfect vision and that I did not have. Never-the-less, I managed the initiative to join the Air Force where I trained as an Instrument Mechanic in hope that there might be a back door to a seat in the cockpit. That was not to be.
It was a brief period of employment that generated the initiative to get me into university. In an attempt to take advantage of my musical talent I began a degree program in music. University exposed me to a world of unanticipated dreams and while I didn't complete a degree in music I did graduate with a degree in Physics.
With a new sense of confidence I accepted my first employment as a graduate to design computer systems (there was no computer science yet) for a major airplane manufacturer. This launched a 20 year career in various aspects of computer science with a passion that kept me near the leading edge of the science.
The passion for excellence lead me to an alternate career educating students in computer science. This new passion for teaching and learning inspired me to achieve an advanced degree in computer science myself and a terminal degree in education.
The final segment of my working life allowed me to combine computer science and learning by developing methods for employing computer technology in both physical and virtual classrooms. Then came retirement with the initial dream of travel.
Retirement Travel Dreams
Throughout my working career my wife and I raised three boys and my wife had managed her dual career of home manager and nursing. I had traveled quite extensively throughout North America during my working life and my we traveled as a family to skiing and summer vacations. Only infrequently had we the opportunity to travel together without children.
We began our travel dreams with road trips in Canada and the USA, gradually expanded to cruising in the Caribbean. We shared a dream of visiting Australia. Our success in expanding our travel adventures and our 40th anniversary provided the needed inspiration to plan what turned out to be a three month trip to Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific islands.
Our passion for travel has grown and resulted in our leading a group of 16 on an Alaska tour. A cruise vacation that included the Panama Canal and a first visit to Europe the allowed us to visit Italy with extended stays in Rome and Venice and to sample Monaco, France, Greece and Croatia. There will be more to be certain.
Many of our travel experiences are documented at Our Retirement Travel. I also publish a journal (blog if you must although I dislike that term) at My Journals etc.
New Passion
Retirement, unfortunately, is a condition of ageing and with that can come declining health. While experiencing generally good health I had a brush with cancer and a successful outcome. That experience, my wife's diabetes and my escalating weight inspired me to try to get healthier or at least keep as healthy as I could be.
The gym really didn't address the weight as I hoped, nor did the swimming. My wife didn't find either of these activities interesting. In a continuing effort to keep active we began ballroom dancing.
It was not our first experience but our original efforts were some 20 years old. We began to take private instruction at a nearby studio. The young couple who owned the studio and social interaction with other students inspired us to continue. During the first three years we have both begun to participate in Pro-Am (instructor with student) dance competitions. My passion for dance has developed into a competitive partnership with another woman at the studio (wife's permission granted). By the way, dance has had a cost. My cost was a loss of 20 pounds in weight and 4 1/2 inches in girth, the goals unachieved in the gym and pool.
Information regrading ballroom dance and my journey to becoming a dancer is documented at Becoming a Dancer.
Benefits of Older Passions
One of my youthful passions was amateur radio, sometimes known as ham radio. I have been continuously licensed since the age of 16. Over my working life I have not been continuously active in the hobby but when my career shifted to education I had time to participate in the local club.
Since retiring my wife and I have developed, from the local group of hams, a friendship circle and social network that keeps us all active and provides companionship.