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Good grief. Find a home for your pets and travel!!! Life is too short!
This is exactly why I don't want any pets - I want to be able to take off any time and hit the road.
You’ve made the choice not to have pets but that doesn’t give you permission to tell others what to do. I have pets and your post hit me the wrong way. Enough to say: Don’t let the road hit you on your ass on the way out of town.
I've now been retired 1 year. Sometimes it's great, others times it's okay and occasionally it's less than okay. It's kind of like life. The biggest adjustment for me is that at 56 years old there are few people my age retired to do things with and I went from a very social environment to a more solitude one. Many of my friends are at the busiest stages of their careers and have limited availability. My wife is younger than I am and is far from retirement age. I had planned to work a part-time job on a more regular basis but have found that it wasn't my passion once it became more than part-time and that the schedule is so erratic that it prevents me from planning anything longterm. Although I planned for the financial part of retirement and have sufficient income having some additional income would be a benefit down the road so I am looking for a regular 25 hour per week job that works with my schedule, ideally early mornings until around noon. Ironically, my dog is my retirement buddy and gets me up and moving as he demands multiple daily walks.
[quote=fallstaff;55403278] it's been like a series of rainy Saturday afternoons the whole time. Just lazing around with no particular place to go and a blank calendar.
That sounds like a bad thing but really it seems to be what I've always wanted. Was watching a rerun of a 90's TV show. People were exhorting (harassing) the main character to get out of his rut. He tries to change his life and, of course, it's a series of comic mishaps. Finally at the end he tells his girlfriend: Why do I have to get out of my rut? I like my rut. I worked hard to get into this rut!
I thought: [i]That's exactly the feeling I've been trying to put into words all these years. [quote]
I don't have many problems with my boring retirement. I answer to no one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PAhippo
Not sure who 'WE' is but ok is ok with me.. I enjoy not having to answer to a boss, scheduling my own time, wearing what I want (had a dress code).
I'm not thrilled or ecstatic over it. It's just a way of life now. I appreciate being at this stage of life but by most people's standards, it's a boring life.
I don't care about other peoples' standards. I like my boring life.
Me too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda
It's not important what others might consider boring; only how you consider your life. If you're perfectly happy, then that's absolutely fine.
Nobody's trying to tell anyone else how they should spend their retirement years;
Oh no? Sure could have fooled me!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piney Creek
Aaaah, so if having a tale to tell is part of this, then maybe what you need to do is develop a "satisfied cat that ate the canary" look to go with saying "It's ok." Then you have a tale of mystery! Your friends think you're being humble and will give you points for not bragging, but they'll also think you must have some interesting (but secret) tales to give you such a satisfied grin.
ps. A bonus benefit of doing this is the contented grin will convince you, too. It's funny but true that deciding to smile while you're doing something can often make even mundane tasks more interesting.
I like that. ^^^^^^ It doesn't bother me to just say "okay" or "I'm surviving it". Too bad if they don't like it.
At this point, I have been retired since September 2010. Retirement through need for medical treatment. I have glaucoma and more currently a retina problem. So it's back and forth to the doctor. Still ongoing. Currently a problem with a prescribed medication, waiting for some kind of advice/information, etc.
I don't have a big income so activities that cost $$$ are limited.
But I'll take the day-to-day life I have now (my 2 cats give me lots of love and comfort) over the way it used to be.
Being alive and staying healthy are good enough for me.
I certainly think that retirement is like life only better because you don't have to go to work. Everything else is up to you. I think the "bucket list" idea is only for a certain type of personality. I am thinking more and more about not "grabbing" things, although I have usually been NOT that kind of personality. I do think that way of holding activities can get sort of consumeristic, rather, not being in the present as much as ticking off boxes and maybe having ego about what one does. Like consuming all the 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado and ignoring those peaks that are a few feet lower and have far fewer visitors. "Bagging" certain trails. Fine for people who operate that way but not a requirement in retirement.
I have found that learning to live in my new community and having my senior adoptee dogs is far more satisfying than trips I've taken. I just spent my emergency fund money on buying a rental house for people who are devoted to taking my dogs if something happens to me. I do hope they will buy it from me when they can, but now they are not in a position. This means more to me than having money for travel. I am thinking that, as I gain some health and energy (as I hope to, as previously posted elsewhere) and the family buys the house from me, I might decide to go on some travel. I am interested in Road Scholar and Overseas Adventure Travel.
Would happily take some road trips if I had someone to travel with, low energy or not. But daily, I am happier home with my views and weather and dogs having a home than I would be if free to focus on other stuff. Happier than I was when working, and I never "grabbed" at achievement or anything while working, but slogged on to make a living and try to make a difference (for pay).
Maybe some (or one) are reacting to having eight dogs, and recently ten dogs - which the OP has.
And the OP says it can be problematic and something she sometimes regrets. OP has mentioned having 10, and now 8 dogs as problematic in the past too, and has written about it in the past. OP brought this up in this thread too.
Everyone has their own ideal's for retirement and occupying our time. I do get tired of people who ask,"but what do you do with your time?" As if one must always have worthwhile pursuits. I think sometimes our Puritan work ethic pursues us into retirement. It tries to make me feel guilty for just goofing off and not working harder at having fun or self-improvement.
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Too bad if they don't like it.
