Donna finds inspirations

Donna, 74, retired 9 years ago after a long career as a bookkeeper. She loves to travel and has special memories of trips to Vermont and to Yellowstone National Park. But beyond visiting family in Texas, she’s been limited recently to day trips near her northern Colorado home.

"I love road trips. I was all set to start some overnight trips in the general area, and then the pandemic hit. I wasn’t afraid to fly but I was afraid to stay in hotels or motels."

As the pandemic ebbs, Donna is eager to hit the road again. When she discovered GetSetUp through a promotional email from SilverSneakers, she was immediately drawn to technology classes. But she’s now immersing herself in travel classes as she explores potential post-pandemic treks. She was particularly drawn to the class Road Trip USA: How to Plan, Enjoy, and Stay Safe with GetSetUp Guide Russ.

"I’ve started with the travel classes because I’m interested in learning more about road trips…Driving is easier than flying for me because I can stop, I can see things along the way, and it’s more comfortable for me all around. I kind of like to see that stuff on my own, at my own pace."

Lightening the load

Donna also enjoys GetSetUp’s classes on cooking and art. And the photography classes are especially interesting to her. An avid shutterbug, she’s found over time that her Nikon digital camera is too heavy. She recently purchased a new smartphone and enjoys learning about the camera features on the device. GetSetUp’s smartphone tutorials are rejuvenating her passion for landscape and flower photography.

“Carrying the camera around my neck got to be a real problem for me. The smartphone is so much more convenient. As I’m reminded in classes, your phone is always with you, so a lot of times you take shots that you would have missed if all you owned was a digital camera.”

Donna also enjoys the classes on apps that help users edit and enhance their pictures. She jokes that she doesn’t recognize herself after using some of the portrait touch-up tools she’s discovered in GetSetUp sessions.

"The classes in photo editing have been a tremendous help to me. I laugh because now I touch up a photo of myself before I post it, and I think, ‘I don’t look like that.’”

Tackling Tech

Donna has taken classes on smartphone features beyond the camera. She jokes that she “desperately” tries to keep up with the technology world.

"If it wasn’t for my niece in Texas, I’d probably still be using VHS tapes and a landline. So I love the technology classes on GetSetUp. I need to learn about all this stuff and GetSetUp makes it easy."  

Overall, Donna sees GetSetUp as a standout among all the sources of online education she’s discovered over the years.

"I’m constantly going on GetSetUp and taking classes on all kinds of subjects, and it’s great because there’s nothing that keeps you more invigorated than learning new things."