By Alan Suderman
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Along the road of life there are many important decisions to make: who to marry, what career to pursue, whether or not to have children. Many older adults are now facing the decision of how and where they’d like to spend their golden years.

Not long ago, Alyce Krupa decided to stop doing time as a homeowner and move into a retirement community. “It’s was a big decision,” Krupa says. “And not something I took lightly.”

Moldy leaves—the final straw
A few months after Krupa’s husband Joe passed away, she considered moving to Eagle’s Trace. But she also felt like she had an obligation to hold onto her house of 31 years.

Then one cold winter day, she made up her mind to move.

“It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s raining, and I’m up on a ladder pulling moldy leaves out of the gutter,” Krupa recalls. “Suddenly I thought, ‘What are you doing out here, you crazy old lady? What am I trying to prove—why do I have to keep this house?’”

Then she thought, “The heck with it—I’m going to have a life of my own now.”

Moment of clarity
Krupa went inside, made herself something hot to drink, and decided then and there to move to Eagle’s Trace. “It just dawned on me—I was lonesome. I just kind of existed there,” Krupa says. “That was the day I decided, I don’t want to be there anymore.”

Now happily settled in at Eagle’s Trace, Krupa says she’s glad she made the  move. She joined the line dancing club, takes H2O kickboxing classes, and is making a lot of new friends. “I’ve got people to talk to, and that’s nice,” Krupa says. “It sure beats raking leaves and cutting grass.”

‘No regrets’
Not everyone’s decision to move to Eagle’s Trace is quite so dramatic. But making the most of the retirement years by living in an active environment is a common thread among most residents.