Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am the same person, living and doing the same things that I enjoy, minus the constant stress of being laid off or losing contract work money or spending hours sending out resumes into the void.Now I am free of all that and that is a tremendous relief.
I'm not wealthy, but I have a rich, yet simple life filled with joy, inner peace, and finally a semblance of financial security on a minor scale compared to some.
I have what I need but more important my time is totally my own to do with what I want at any given moment. Nap, read, bike, golf, shop, hike, cook, watch the birds on the feeder, the rain fall in the yard, anything.
I feel like a 12 year old out of school for summer vacation, but summer vacation is not going to end! Wow! So sweet!
Brightdoglover, I've been following your story and I am looking forward to reading your experience as you retire. I'm sure it can't come soon enough for you!
Last edited by HappyDogToday; 06-23-2017 at 07:58 PM..
Location: Foothills of Maryland Blue Ridge mountains
993 posts, read 762,127 times
Reputation: 3163
I learned a long time ago not to have expectations. We put away as much money as we could and we are fine.
My husband (65) retired a year ago and I'm 59.....and no longer able to work due to a brain injury from a fall 3 years ago.
We moved from our larger home a couple miles from the D.C. line in Maryland to a small, 3 bedroom 1950s rancher in a rural area about an hour from D.C. Best move we ever made. We live on top of the ridge of a small mountain and have expansive valley views.
We have never experienced such joy as we have this past year and by anyone's measure, it's been a tough, painful year with joyful events intermingled.
28 yo son addicted to heroin with a heart condition and slowly dying....the doctors have braced us for the worst. He checks himself out of the hospital to hit the streets and use. He's homeless, refuses more treatment and we don't know where he is. Long 9 year story.
Early stage cancer was found on routine mammogram and I'm recovering from a mastectomy and reconstruction and ready to start seeing an oncologist for treatment. Prognosis is good.
My 31 yo daughter married a wonderful man and had our first grandchild.
Being retired has given us the time to grieve together, to sit together in companionable silence, enjoy our music and share books, to reflect on our life together and our son's life and on the hopeful future we see for our daughter and her family.
We have time to really listen to each other and slow down. To be quiet. My husband was able to attend the endless doc appts with me. No more business travel or work related difficulties.
In grief there are gifts, sometimes many. This gift of retirement and our shared grief has made my life more rich, vibrant and full. Living life in this way gives me greater joy than I've ever known possible. There is nothing...and I do mean nothing....I take for granted.
I didn't have any idea of what I would do, and I did not give it much - almost no - thought. I imagined I would be kind of lazy, run my life by my own schedule....travel, I guess. But I didn't know any people who were active in retirement, so my projections were almost non-existent.
Then at 55, I was part of a big lay-off, and four days before my last day I got injured at work...and I was partially disabled, which got progressively worse. It took six years to get this all fixed up, and it was obvious that I had become retired by default.
I could not afford to continue to live in Manhattan, did a lot of research of places in the U.S....and in the end was totally unenthusiastic about the two choices I made. So, in January 2000 I gave away everything in my apartment but my music, books and clothes to emigrate to Europe. Then I got on a plane and left. Just attempting to do a swan dive rather than a belly whopper into a new life kept me busy for years....and everything was new, no matter how much research I might have done about it.
I am "retired" certainly. But in fact I essentially turned in my previous sixty-some years for a new life. And, yes, I have been very, very happy with that.
There have been a number of threads here about financial expectations -- and about retirement activities. The responses seem to be split among those near to or planning retirement and those who have been retired for some time.
I was wondering if the expectations of retirees have been matched, exceeded or changed by reality.
For example, I planned to be much more heavily involved in ministry and volunteer work, but, spent the first several years traveling, playing golf, fishing, reading (and even wrote a book). Now, I'm slowing down on these activities and evaluating future options. Health has not yet been a factor, although we did more traveling early-on, with an eye towards my wife's potential eye problems.
Financially, I expected things to be a little tighter with more uncertain, than it has been. This was part due to concerns about the 2007-2009 economic crisis (retired in 2008), but, also because my considerable 'retirement planning' turned-out to be more conservative than necessary.
Almost ten years in retirement it has exceeded expectations and hopes by a Bada Bing multiple of approx 2x. Surprisingly the recession and recovery seems to have been a big plus and created many recreational opportunities.
Retirement? It is a sacred word. You will not speak it!
Don't believe I'll ever be able to retire fully, still too entrenched with my business which I love. I can't see leaving it, but might whittle down my personal client list to a few long time and close friends and leave the rest to the others in the company.
A bunch of money each month for doing absolutely nothing? You bet it's met my expectations!
LOL I feel the same way. Our life style hasn't changed one bit and we're still growing financially. I'm so spoiled now by the freedom. I find my self resenting commitments of any kind now. Dr. appointments They interfere with what I want to do. It would be very difficult for me to go back to work now. It's amazing how fast I got over being a workaholic.
There is no such thing as retirement; you just change what you do every day.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
They interfere with what I want to do. It would be very difficult for me to go back to work now. It's amazing how fast I got over being a workaholic. 
