Nobody wants their life to be boring, even after settling down and retiring.

At least, that’s what Nancy Hornik and her group of senior citizen friends believe. Dubbing themselves “The Cudahy Vagabond Seniors.” The group found themselves staying in the same hotel as our Wave Media staff during our St Louis trip. 

As Hornik and her peers filled the hotel lobby socializing on a Thursday night, we found ourselves crossing paths with them while staying at the same hotel for our trip to the NHSJC journalist convention. Curious as to what such a large group of senior citizens could’ve been doing there, we conducted an interview on them. We came out with more than what we bargained for, discovering that the group was actually from Cudahy, Wisconsin.

When being asked about how the trip came about, Hornik recalls “it was all organized by two wonderful ladies who picked out restaurants for [them].” They stayed in Branson, Mo for two and a half days and saw six shows during the duration of their trip, passing through our hotel on their way back.

Hornik explains that her favorite show was at the Sight & Sound Theatre, describing it as “a fabulous Christmas Story presentation with live actors and animals.” 

So why come to Illinois just for a few shows? For the Cudahy Vagabond Seniors, it’s about the experience. 

“Well, we’re called the Cudahy Vagabond seniors. So obviously, we’re all old folks who like to still move as long as we can and see new sights.” Hornik said. 

The members of the group just want to live their lives while they can instead of sitting and doing nothing after retirement. 

“We have a lot of widows and widowers [in] the group. They can still socialize and [go about].” Hornik says. 

These activities for the group are healthy for their members, as all need socialization at any age. These seniors have found an admirable way to stay active and entertained for as long as they can, and look forward to many more trips in the future.

*Written using skills learned at the NHSJC in St. Louis.