CREW will be offered June 5-7, 2026. When registering choose either the two-day option (June 5-6) or the three-day option (June 5-7) that includes a Sunday session focused on retirement in Western North Carolina. Register now!
Not able to attend in June, but interested in future offerings? Complete the interest list form to receive updates!
About CREW
The Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend (CREW) is a practical, action-planning workshop that will help you consider:
- What retirement lifestyle suits me?
- Am I ready to relocate?
- Which community is the best fit for me?
- What type of housing will meet my needs now and for years to come?
- How will I find community in my new hometown?
- What do I do with all my stuff?
We will help you explore the personal and social aspects of this transition to retirement: How will a move affect your relationships and identity? Should you start over in a new location? How can you remain productive and lead a meaningful life in your new community? At CREW, you will be able to make concrete plans to enter and embrace an exciting retirement, wherever you move.
Cost and Registration
The cost for CREW is $500 per person for Friday and Saturday only, or $575 for Friday and Saturday plus the Sunday add-on option focused on retirement in the Asheville area.
The cost include program administration, materials and meals each day (light breakfast and lunch Friday/Saturday/Sunday and dinner Friday/Saturday). The cost does not include lodging or transportation. Learn more about lodging options in the Asheville area here.
For questions, email Hilary Schroeder, Life Transitions and Special Programs Program Manager, or call 828.250.3973.
Participants will receive a complete agenda, program details and directions approximately one month before the program.
CREW Format
Lively seminars, thought-provoking discussions and practical decision-making tools help you plan your move, from choosing a location and housing to settling into your new community. With about 100 fellow participants, you will hear from local retirees, many of whom relocated to the Asheville area, about their transition to retirement and lessons learned. Relocation professionals will offer tips on how to best navigate the moving process. We will learn practical steps to an exciting retirement and relocation!
Sample CREW Agenda
On Friday, we will begin by exploring retirement lifestyles. Do you plan to travel? Take classes? Continue to work or volunteer? Enjoy wellness or creativity? How will these decisions impact your choice of a new community? Couples will gain greater understanding of one another’s expectations about day-to-day life in retirement. Singles will discuss the unique challenges and opportunities associated with their retirement and relocation decisions.
On Saturday, we will examine criteria for choosing a new community, housing choices to meet long-term needs and how to actually make the move.
Friday and Saturday programming is for those considering a move anywhere in the country or the world.
Our optional Sunday program is for those considering Western North Carolina as a potential place to move. You will learn about small towns outside of Asheville, cultural and educational opportunities as well as health-care resources in Asheville, and an overview of Asheville real estate.
If you would like to explore the Asheville area, we strongly recommend that you add additional time in Asheville onto the front- or back-end of the weekend. The daily schedule for CREW is robust and does not build in time for visiting Asheville.
CREW Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between OLLI’s Paths to Creative Retirement and Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend workshops?
We offer another retirement planning program called Paths to Creative Retirement. Paths helps participants plan a meaningful retirement that matches their values and priorities, whether or not that includes relocation.
Both workshops address mid- and later-life transition issues. Paths focuses on personal transitions to a meaningful retirement including timing, identity, relationships and, for some, relocation. CREW focuses on the challenges and opportunities of relocating, specifically, and all other issues are seen through that lens.
Another difference is size: Paths limits enrollment to 35-40 people to accommodate an intensive and highly-interactive format of facilitated small group discussions. Paths participants receive personal attention as they consider next steps toward a meaningful retirement. CREW brings about 100 attendees together in a large-group format incorporating interaction with peers in some discussion groups. Participants can expect to leave CREW with the ability to make more informed decisions about relocating.
Who attends the Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend, and what are they seeking?
Typically, participants come from all over the country. Both singles and couples, they are usually in their 50s and 60s. Many are still working, though they may be two to three years from retirement. Most are interested in relocating and want help determining where and when to make their move. Some, but not all, are interested in learning more about Western North Carolina.
Does CREW address issues for singles as well as couples?
Not only do we encourage singles to attend, but also we do our best to connect them with one another and to offer programming specifically for them. However, we even encourage couples to explore their transition issues individually before negotiating them as a couple. Couples often say CREW helps them open up communication pertaining to retirement and relocation.
In addition to information, what will I gain from CREW?
Printed materials, presenters, panelists and local retirees provide information and insight to help with your planning. Other participants are also a wealth of knowledge; you will likely see that others are asking the same questions as you about this process, and find questions you hadn’t yet thought to ask.
Is CREW about moving to Asheville?
No. CREW is about relocating anywhere, and Friday and Saturday programming is for those who are considering any location in the country or the world. However, many attendees are interested in learning about Asheville. For those attendees, we offer an optional program on Sunday that includes information on other communities in our region, health/cultural/educational resources in Asheville and Asheville-area real estate.
Do I need a car for the weekend?
CREW is held on UNC Asheville’s campus, located one mile north of downtown. No hotels are within walking distance of campus, therefore most participants drive their own car or rent a car.
Past CREW Sponsors
Many thanks to these businesses for their support of CREW and of lifelong learning at OLLI at UNC Asheville:
- The Cliffs
- LIvingStone
- Connestee Falls
- Biltmore Farms Hotel
- Deerfield
- Where to Retire
- Givens Estates
- Roost Home Watch
Questions?
For questions, email Hilary Schroeder, Life Transitions and Special Programs Manager, or call 828-250-3973.