The first decision about retirement usually is when to leave. The second is where to go. When your job no longer tells you where to live, the choices are almost infinite.

Sometimes, staying close to family is decisive, but otherwise you can ponder your choices for a long time.

I was born and raised in Chicago and am a city boy at heart, but my second wife prefers more rustic locations. So, we ended up in various suburbs. Before we decided, we made a list of what we both needed. Her list included a good library and a college which offered a variety of continuing education courses.

My list included a good library and also good golf courses and pool halls. I also need beautiful scenery.

Even with all this criteria, there are still thousands of places to choose from. We finally ended up in Columbia, Maryland, a community planned and built shortly after World War II. One other thought about retirement locations: I prefer places with multiple escape routes. This rules out islands, peninsulas and places at the end of a single road.

No matter where you go, you need to leave once in awhile.