Matt and Susan aren’t ones to sit still.
They’ve biked across the continent from Oregon to Maine, explored England and Spain on two wheels, played music for decades and stayed deeply involved in the causes that matter to them.
The only difference today? They’ve found a new home base.
“Moving to Holiday didn’t change who we are,” says Matt. “It gave us more time to be ourselves.”
More time for music
“It’s nice not worrying about repairs, yard work, housework, cooking,” says Susan.
Without those everyday chores, Matt and Susan say their days feel lighter and less rushed. They’ve discovered they can fill that extra time with more music, more friendships and more community.
For 35 years, Matt has played trombone with the Corvallis Community Band. At Holiday, he and Susan found another way to make beautiful music together: They started a choir.
“I’ve sung in choirs all my life,” Matt says. “But this is my first time directing a choir, so I’m learning a new skill, and that’s wonderful.”
Music is one of Susan’s passions, too.
“I played percussion – a big bass drum – and I crashed giant cymbals,” she says with a smile. “It was really fun. But I crashed them too close to my ears. I don’t do that anymore.”
These days, she’s happy behind the piano, accompanying the choir and playing “Happy Birthday” whenever the occasion calls for it.
There’s also a bit of history behind their love of singing: Matt and Susan met while members of the same choir.
“So, I guess things worked out,” says Matt with a wink.
More ways to get involved
Ask Susan her age, and you’ll get a reply that speaks volumes about her philosophy on life.
“The short answer is 85,” she says. “But the long answer is, I’m old as midnight, new as the dawn, which means I’ve had a lot of life experience, but every single day brings something new to learn.”
It’s a fitting description for a couple who’ve never stopped getting involved. And moving to Holiday hasn’t changed that.
“Living here is an extension of how we were already living,” explains Susan. “With less dusting.”
A self-described computer nerd, Susan draws on her background as a scientific technical writer to help a former colleague with climate research.
Matt, a retired social worker, continues to show up for people, too. Once a week, he takes a local man hiking in the hills outside the city.
“It’s important to him, and it means a lot to his wife,” says Matt. “He has a few health issues, so I feel like I’m contributing to his quality of life.”
And the list goes on.
At Holiday, Susan and a fellow resident created and continue to organize an extensive library. She also writes postcards encouraging people to vote, regardless of party affiliation, with a community group focused on social justice.
The couple are Resident Ambassadors, too, helping new neighbors settle in by joining them for meals, making introductions and simply being there when someone needs a friend.
“People need people,” says Susan. “Perhaps more so at this time of life.”
More space for living
Ask Matt where he lives, and his answer is simple.
“The whole place is our home.”
It’s the library. The exercise room. The dining room. The shared spaces inside and out, like the roomy sundeck and walking path that circles the building.
“The community even enables our cycling habit,” says Matt with a laugh. “They provide a secure, undercover bike rack which we really appreciate.”
There’s another part of life at Holiday that they appreciate: knowing they can stay put if their needs change. They can arrange personal care services through third-party providers.
“That was a big point for me,” says Susan. “I don’t want to move again. It’s nice knowing we can just stay here.”
For now, though, Matt and Susan are focused on what’s ahead, like today’s plans, tomorrow’s possibilities and the next adventure waiting around the corner.
Because moving to Holiday didn’t ask them to become different people. It simply gave them more time, more freedom and more opportunities to be exactly who they are.
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