What one thing about your personal retirement lifestyle or choices surprised you the most? (alcohol, move)
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I thought things would get better and better and be more interesting. I had a lot of plans that were dashed by Covid - plans that I have not been able to reactivate (still surges in places I want to travel to, plus I feel less physically/mentally functional than I did a couple of years ago). I guess I didn't really think getting old would be a liability, but I'm finding out, it is.
I hope I change my mind about that, because I know there are some old people who are thriving and doing everything in their 80's and even 90's.
I would not underestimate the impact that Covid had on your/our mental health. It might take some time to dig out of all that (for a lot of us).
World Klas, a easy solution is to take turns picking vacations and then the other person happily goes along knowing that they get to pick the next one.
I would not underestimate the impact that Covid had on your/our mental health. It might take some time to dig out of all that (for a lot of us).
You know? I've been contemplating about posting the same thing.
COVID has been a mental health nightmare for me.
Others have wanted to throw simple labels on various people's struggles, usually "depression."
It's not what I would call it (what I'm feeling and what I feel like the OP might be describing), and just labelling it as depression is not helpful.
For me, I've found:
Not enjoying events in the same way I used to. There are specific places that used to be "the happiest place on earth" to me (not Disney) that were not enjoyable to me when I visited again when they re-opened.
Having a mild/weird/pervasive form of anxiety seeing the diminished public activity in the last 2 years. Walking by shuttered businesses, seeing retail staff struggling with overwork and rude customers, not being able to casually walk into a bar or restaurant without reservations, etc.
I've found a growing schism between people whose company I really enjoy vs. dread. Not in the same fashion that the OP describes, though, but a schism nonetheless. My handful of close friends are awesome...had a 4 hour dinner with 2 of my closest and we laughed from beginning to end. On the other end of the spectrum I have more casual friends whose company I used to somewhat enjoy but now I DREAD spending time with them. I don't link it to the same dynamic that the OP presents, but I don't think it matters. The social/mental impacts of COVID did a number on all of us.
Wow! I can see where your DH is coming from. I hate road trips. Can't stand what seem like endless blacktop. Plus I don't like land vacations. Only vacation enjoyable to me is a cruise. In retirement, I have been doing up to 4 cruises a year. Just love being on the ocean with the ship mainly the destination. Ports of call would be gravy or dessert.
What I did not expect is to be single again in retirement. At first it seemed scary but now I love it. Can do what I want, when I want. No compromises involved !!!
Wow! I can see where your DH is coming from. I hate road trips. Can't stand what seem like endless blacktop. Plus I don't like land vacations. Only vacation enjoyable to me is a cruise. In retirement, I have been doing up to 4 cruises a year. Just love being on the ocean with the ship mainly the destination. Ports of call would be gravy or dessert.
What I did not expect is to be single again in retirement. At first it seemed scary but now I love it. Can do what I want, when I want. No compromises involved !!!
I think that must be the ONLY compensation to being single if you were formerly married and liked being married.
(That, and being able to be lazy and look like a slob around your own house if you feel like it -- which is actually a mixed "blessing", I think. It is good to have someone there to prevent you from being a total sloth, but sometimes I just feel like staying in my jammies all day if we are not doing anything. Just like I miss our dog for forcing us to go on walks even if it was cold or rainy.)
Retired for 3 years now. Love working the ranch, but I knew I would. Learning a different climate and soil has been an adventure, but joining the old bulls club where ranchers go to talk and BS over coffee in the morning has brought a lot of great information and new friends.
The big surprise was that knowing how much I detested my "career", I was completely shocked by how much I love curating the small local museum.
It's only 3 days a week during the summer, but the history and research, helping people with genealogical questions, collaborating with other museums, talking local history with the customers, I never knew work could actually be fun and fulfilling.
I loved the Navy and would have been a lifer if not for physical breakdowns, but long deployments, the endless travel, being separated from the wife for months at a time, it was sometimes a tough job.
But this strange little museum in a small town on the back side of nowhere in conjunction with my ranch, I can honestly say I've never been happier.
Retirement has been the best part of my life so far.
I was worried my husband would get easily bored but he took to retirement like a duck to water. I also never imagined we would become avid hikers in Arizona and daily coffee shop bums. I’m happily surprised how well we are in alignment on what we want to do regarding travel and other activities so it’s been working out much better than expected.
I am surprised that I have gone back to a heavier work schedule after working part time for many years. This is suiting me well, because I enjoy the job. It adds so much meaning to my life. And I am very concerned about the economy, the high inflation, and a falling stock market. So I will be adding a couple more years of good wages to beef up my SS when I start it at age 70.
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