Choosing a Place to Live, Not Just a Place to Grow Old — 2026/7/5 (Sun) Reiwa8

It rained heavily this morning, so I hurried to bring my laundry inside. Later, when the sky cleared, I took it back outside to dry. As I did, I found myself reflecting on the past two months of my new life.

I left Shizuoka on April 30 and began my new life in Matsuyama on May 1.

Back in Shizuoka, many people asked me, "You're still so young. Why are you moving into a retirement community?"

I think most people simply didn't know that Eden no Sono is not a nursing home. It is a residential community designed for people who can still live independently.

This was not a decision I made on impulse.

I had experienced a trial stay at Hamanako Eden no Sono, visited Matsuyama Eden no Sono, and stayed there for trial visits as well. I carefully calculated the costs many times and spent a long time thinking about how I wanted to spend my later years before choosing this place.

It has now been almost two months since I moved here.

The staff members are kind, and I can keep a comfortable distance from the other residents. More than anything, being freed from the daily routine of planning meals, shopping for groceries, cooking, and washing dishes after doing those tasks for so many years has been a tremendous relief.

I still do my own laundry and take care of my personal daily routines.

But I can leave the meals to others with peace of mind.

That balance feels just right for me.

After breaking my shoulder, I realized this even more deeply.

If I had been living alone in an ordinary apartment, I would have had to prepare every meal despite the pain in my arm.

Because I live here, I have been able to focus on my treatment and rehabilitation.

Looking back, I truly feel that choosing this place was the right decision.

I also remembered that I renewed my driver's license the day before I fractured my shoulder.

The licensing center was quite far away, and I almost postponed it. But I decided to go because I wanted to keep it as my official photo ID.

The very next day, I was injured.

If I had not renewed it beforehand, I would probably have spent these weeks worrying about the deadline while dealing with the pain in my arm.

I have always been the kind of person who prefers to take care of important things in advance.

Sometimes I worry too much, but this time that habit truly helped me.

I started a new life in a new city and unexpectedly experienced a serious injury.

Even so, I can honestly say that I enjoy living here.

I hope to treasure that feeling and continue building my life here, one day at a time.

#Essay #SeniorLife #EdenNoSono #LivingAlone #RecoveryAfterFracture #NewBeginning #DailyLife #SimpleLiving