I remember when my grandparents first moved to Sun City.
This was back in the day when there wasn’t even a Jewel-Osco across the street. My visits to Huntley were spent brewing sun tea on the back patio with my grandma, fishing at the lake with my grandpa, and trekking to the only beacon of civilization (Culver’s).
Actually, everything I learned about finding inner peace I learned in Sun City.
While I don’t quite meet the age requirements to be a resident (only about 30 years shy!), it does feel like a piece of me has grown up in Sun City. Where else could I spend Sunday afternoons, enjoying the more contemplative way of living, the bluer skies, and the farm-fresh air (minus the actual farms)?
Don’t get me wrong, though. I’ve noticed that there’s nothing slow-paced about the way people live here. I learned that soon enough from my grandparents’ Great Gatsby-style social life.
Let’s just say, I’m pretty confident that my grandparents (and their many cohorts) go to more parties than I do.
If we’re lucky enough, my grandma will pencil us in on her overflowing monthly calendar, in between club meetings, social invites, and other festivities. My mom learned to put in her schedule requests early when hoping to take a day trip to see Grandma and Grandpa with my brother and me.
When we do visit (luckily, Grandma and Grandpa’s impressive calendar always seemed to have room for the fam), it’s like a vacation. When we were kids, my brother and I would get to go to the lodge and swim in the pool. Now that we’re older, we like to relax on the porch and take in the freshest air in Illinois. The whole atmosphere puts us into a comfortable lull. My usually-energetic brother falls asleep in the back of the family car on the way home, unable to resist the community-wide calm.
I’m beginning to think retirement is a code word for enlightenment.
And my grandparents admit it. It’s their second childhood, they say.
I think what’s so impressive to me is how busy the residents of Sun City are, while still managing to maintain their zen, to live in the moment.
Although I’m not a native of Huntley, it still feels a lot like home. I’m excited to step onboard the Sun Day as Assistant Editor; it feels as familiar as a Sunday stroll around Wildflower Lake.
