By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Longtime Coloradan Barbara Neil made the move from her 4,400-square-foot mountain home to her two bedroom apartment home at Wind Crest a few  months ago. And, she says, she’s thrilled to be in her new place.

Neil thinks that too many people put off moving to a retirement community because they’re “not ready,” which she believes is a risky form of procrastination.

“If you wait until you’re ready, you might not get into the place you want. And if your health deteriorates, someone else might end up deciding where you’ll go,” she adds. “I would advise people to make plans for their futures sooner rather than later—the peace of mind is worth every bit of effort.”

Big, happy family
Neil says that the benefits of living at Wind Crest far outweigh leaving a familiar area behind. “This is a great place to be. For one thing, I’m around more people here. This really is like a big family,” says Neil, who has been widowed for nearly five years. And if she feels the need to gather with some old friends who are still up on the mountain, she can.

“I just had 12 friends from Genesee here (in November) for bridge and lunch. Wind Crest catered it, so I didn’t even have to cook!” she says. “They all thought it was fabulous.” She reports that the next day when her broker visited, “He said he’d never seen anything like it.”

Neil is so excited about living at Wind Crest that she is on the Welcome Committee, which enables her to meet incoming residents and introduce them to all the amenities and opportunities that await them in their new home. When she’s not busy on campus (she’s also an active member of the bridge club), she takes advantage of off-site excursions—like going to the Colorado Ballet.

“There’s so much to do here,” Neil says. “I don’t see how it would be possible  for anyone not to get involved in something.”