Spartan Profiles: Don Manges

 EUROPEAN RETIREMENT

            More and more Americans seem to be finding new wrinkles in retirement.  A perfect example is Don Manges, ’51, who retired in 2001 after working four decades in advertising. 

            Rather than downsize and eventually move to a retirement center, he and his wife Dana decided on a more adventurous alternative.  The Manges sold their house in suburban Pittsburgh and embarked on a two-year European visit, living in London, Paris, Rome, and Vienna.  “We wanted to create an adventure, not just settle into ordinary patterns of retirement,” says Manges, who has since co-written a book called Leaving Home At 72 (available at amazon.com).  “We wanted to the experience of living in Europe, not seeing things through the lens of a hotel concierge or tour guide, but through real neighborhoods.”  

            With a monthly budget of $5,000, they had no trouble finding affordable rental apartments.  “We met people everywhere who became our friends,” says Don, who still emails them regularly.  

            The Manges were motivated by their love of travel.  “I had lived in Paris and Rome before,” recalls Don.  “I also volunteered in Turkey, Lithuania and Armenia.”  But they had to plan their foray carefully, because of health issues.  They also bought cell phones for each city, so they could talk to their grandchildren back home.  But the upside is that they were able to really enjoy Europe and accumulate a lifetime’s worth of experiences, all retold in their book. 

            “We got to live in neighborhoods with nods from grocers in the markets, have dinner parties for friends we met, go to still-smoky jazz clubs, take trans and rent cars on side trips, and struggle with language,” says Don. 

            His best experience was revisiting the Pantheon in Rome, 50 years after he last saw it as a soldier when stationed in Italy.  “I was able to relive some of the experiences I had 50 years ago,” he says.  “Of course, from a slightly different perspective.”