Retiring this year (relationship, southern, employee, financial)

[Tesaje]

That's what I've heard too. The first couple of weeks to a month just feel like a long vacation. It is after that that the reality of not being beholden to the "man" starts to sink in. Can't wait. 7 more months to go for me. On those ideal days when the temps are perfect and I'm in my office, I just think that next year at this time, I can be in my garden and won't have to cram everything into the weekend regardless of whether the weather is nice or not..

[rferd]

Tesaje,

I also heard that about when does one realizes that one does not have a job anymore. My last day of work was Friday and still do not feel like a retiree. I will try to describe the changes I feel as time passes.

Your 7 months will pass very fast. Just try to keep your mind on your job; after all it is not over yet.

I will monitor expenses very carefully for the next three months (being on the conservative side) and see how I do with income vs expenses. Then I will re-adjust.

I am now trying to get a little organized: putting my address book up to date, getting a couple of things done in the house and... beginning to see how my wife and I have to adjust to having me more in the house.

[nancy thereader]

All I can say is that .... you will love it. At the beginning of the Women Retiring Alone thread, I was still working, trudging into the city every day, waking before dawn. Walking blocks in the rain or in freezing cold weather.

It all seems so long ago, though.

It is a whole new life and welcome to the new world . It is fabulous, you'll see.

[texdav]

I have been retired for 9 years how. my wife for one year. She says on sunday evening she still gets that old feeeling ashe need to prepare for weork on monday. i remmeber that feeelihng. but like she says then you realise you don't its a nice feeling.I find that I still get up and go drink coffee with people who do work and some that are retired. I then come home and my wife and i have a long easy breakfast and plan the day.Nothing too stressful ;you understand.Even shopping at the slowest times and at our leasure takes on a different feeling.Its even better how that my wife has retired.

[rferd]

I am going to start another forum for people that have just retired to share the new life and experiences until they establish a routine. Something to record the change over period. Let's see how it goes.

[Guntersville Boomer]

I feel like Tesaje, we are on the same timeframe, 7 months and counting. When I read that she would think I wonder what I will be doing next year on this day, I have also had that thought. I am trying to enjoy this time right now too, thinking it is the last month of May, etc...that I will be here doing this job. We bought a used RV Class C and now DH and I are starting to plan our first trip so that is giving me something to look forward to!

[BucFan]

Often I've thrown around the RV idea - with the intention of seeing the USA over the course of several months. Might be something I still do. I've traveled so much over here in Europe, but sadly, haven't even sen much of my own country. Will like to see Washington DC and NYC in my travels in the coming year.

[miruca]

BucFan - DC is beautiful - especially in the spring. You will enjoy it. As for Ny - it's fun but after 48 hours I'm done - too congested and busy for me - that exhausts me.

I haven't heard back from the retirement office but I'm hoping all is moving ahead and that i don't get a late month surprise that I will need to extend. I'm enjoying my work right now though so it is to some degree a bitter sweet leave taking. I'm sure retirement will just be "sweet" though

[rferd]

There has been several entries in this forum about people that are retiring, or have retired this year - that is the purpose of this forum: BucFan, Miruca and others. It would be nice if we get a list of the people that are "Retiring this Year"; their user ID, expected date of retirement and perhaps where they are planning to reside once they retire. We could, as a group, congratulate those that gone through in 2009 and hear from the ones still pending.

I opened a forum to record the experiences of those that have recently retired; how are they making the transition and perhaps some advice on this topic from those that have gone through. You can find the forum under Retirement.

It is raining today but... I do not have to go to work.

As for me, ID = rferd, Retired 06/01/09, Presently in NJ but eventually in SC, .

Keep up the good work "2009 Retirees".

[Southernatheart]

Less than two months! It is becoming more of a reality for me. Very close, very close -- could I be saying this -- a little too close for comfort. I have been anxiously awaiting this time for more than ten years. I have been marking off my calenday daily for a year. It is all consuming and all I can think or talk about -- to the extent I can see my co-workers cringing when they see me. But now I am breaking out in hives daily.

I signed up for SS and Medicare -- hives. I put in my pension application -- hives. I submitted my resignation -- hives. I am a walking oxymoron!

Could it be that I am facing too many changes in my life? Retiring, leaving my home state of 65 years, leaving my family and moving to a new home in Alabama. Whatever it is -- scratch, scratch, scratch -- it is overwhelming.