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I don't miss work either but I do miss having the money. We don't even need it, but that's the money addiction talking. I'm amazed at how easily I transitioned between being a workaholic to being unemployed. I guess you just need to reach your breaking point physically and emotionally like I did when I quit my job and that miserable workaholic life style nearly six months ago. I wouldn't miss working even if we needed the money. I would just suck it up and go back to work being miserable and wishing I was at home. There are days when I feel like it's not real and I will have to go back to work, but I think the farther I get away from working the easier it will be to accept that I'm retired. I only wish I hadn't renewed my license in October. That would have made a no going back now reality.
I retired this past August @ 60 y/o. We purchased a home in Western Kentucky last year in anticipation of the move. We came down on vacations and got things ready for our permanent move, and haven't been happier. My Wife and I joke about not having to set the alarm clock tonight, or: "hey, I don't have to get up in the morning"!
We moved down here, and really didn't know anyone. We had 1 Friend we made during the process, and he and his Wife have been invaluable, and made the move a lot easier.
All in all, it is what you make of it. I was a company VP, and joke with my Wife often about how things were different when I was "someone"!
I know this is a long answer to your question, so I will sum it up by saying: I do not have any qualms, or regrets for retiring.
I know I will not miss the actual work or the overnight hours but the overnight staff has become my community/family and that is not replaceable. It's a dilemma. Not that I have so much money that I can just march out easily in two years and three months, but I feel like I have one more big hurrah in me and it's a new life in a small town out West. I do think I'll transfer my license to the new state and consider driving some 50 miles each way (in all weather, my major issue) and maybe work one or two shifts a week while I can. Financially, that would work well.
I think maybe (MAYBE) women have less issue with "who I am" when working or not. There is so much pressure on men to be their jobs and earning, to identify with the job position. I feel fortunate not to identify with my employment even as it is my community more than the town I live in (I have no family).
I watch a tiny twitch developing in my left hand and wonder if I'm getting some neurological disease and better move early rather than later if I'm to go for one last dream.
I won't miss the work per se, but some of the mental stimulation for sure....and the regularity of purpose to my day. I also don't think I will miss the people but I will miss interacting with people.
I have been finding more and more (62 and still working.) that I dont really have a plan of how I will pass my time if I stop working, and I keep repeating that it's nice to have an income and medical insurance. My attitude has always been sort of one day at a time, which is funny in a way because I had thought I would try to work until 60 and here I am 62. I also realize that at any point, my job could end (company is ever changing as I guess they all are).
I am realiizing more and more and then some, that I do not have many people/friends/ aquaintances to do things with or interact with. This concerns me. On weekends, I do my shopping browsing, going to the gym, I am not necessarily at home, but I am mostly doing things solo. I dont have buddies to hang with. I am married, (dh has been retired for a long time and is quite content) but have always needed to have buddies to hang with meet for lunch do stuff.
So I guess I will work a bit longer ........... I read these forums all the time and gain a lot from them.
Great advice, I'll try to do that. It's only been a couple of days but I have only felt relief and reduced stress so far.
Congratulations on your retirement. Don't be in a hurry to volunteer or fill your calendar with weekly obligations. Part of the joy of retirement is the freedom it gives you to do what you want whenever you want.
I've been retired almost five years now. I loved my career. It was my passion and calling, but I do not miss it. I miss certain people and certain aspects of my life's work, but retirement is fantastic. I can finally read the books I've wanted to read, pursue new hobbies, travel more, spend more time with people I love, and live life on my terms. Enjoy!
I know I will not miss the actual work or the overnight hours but the overnight staff has become my community/family and that is not replaceable. It's a dilemma. Not that I have so much money that I can just march out easily in two years and three months, but I feel like I have one more big hurrah in me and it's a new life in a small town out West. I do think I'll transfer my license to the new state and consider driving some 50 miles each way (in all weather, my major issue) and maybe work one or two shifts a week while I can. Financially, that would work well.
I think maybe (MAYBE) women have less issue with "who I am" when working or not. There is so much pressure on men to be their jobs and earning, to identify with the job position. I feel fortunate not to identify with my employment even as it is my community more than the town I live in (I have no family).
I watch a tiny twitch developing in my left hand and wonder if I'm getting some neurological disease and better move early rather than later if I'm to go for one last dream.
I think men do feel 'empty' without a job to identify themselves and this is reinforced by other men and also by women...my wife believes I need to do something to make money after retirement such as consulting, business, or at least good investing (I'll try to do that of course). I'm open to see what happens.
I won't miss the work per se, but some of the mental stimulation for sure....and the regularity of purpose to my day. I also don't think I will miss the people but I will miss interacting with people.
I have been finding more and more (62 and still working.) that I dont really have a plan of how I will pass my time if I stop working, and I keep repeating that it's nice to have an income and medical insurance. My attitude has always been sort of one day at a time, which is funny in a way because I had thought I would try to work until 60 and here I am 62. I also realize that at any point, my job could end (company is ever changing as I guess they all are).
I am realiizing more and more and then some, that I do not have many people/friends/ aquaintances to do things with or interact with. This concerns me. On weekends, I do my shopping browsing, going to the gym, I am not necessarily at home, but I am mostly doing things solo. I dont have buddies to hang with. I am married, (dh has been retired for a long time and is quite content) but have always needed to have buddies to hang with meet for lunch do stuff.
So I guess I will work a bit longer ........... I read these forums all the time and gain a lot from them.
I'll probably miss the mental stimulation and kudos for the things I was good at in the work environment. I don't think I'll miss the day regularity. I do worry that I don't have enough social interactions outside of work...trying to improve on that. Healthcare costs are a factor to give serious consideration about...we are still trying to figure out whether to take Cobra, Obamacare, Medishare, etc.
I worked for 37 yrs from 18-55. I had to medically retire which was sad in its self. I had anoher 12.5 yrs to continue to work before reaching retirement age 66yrs+8months.lol When I became sick an had to sign up for S.S.D.I. I was devastated .
I missed the interaction of working and talking with my co workers. I had the respect of my bosses. I worked so hard in nursing that to have to just walk away we hard.
fast forward one year. I got S.S.D.I. 3 months after I filed for it. it doesn't come close to what I was making nursing but it is what it is.
do I miss work today? nope not any longer. Love that I don't have to dig my car out each times it snows. I can take a sick day and not worry about leaving my shift short. lol. The only thing that annoys me is my body still wakes me up at 4:30 each morning automaticly. so annoying lol. Sometimes I even dream im stil working but am hiding so nobody knows I there lol
I retired at 57 after working continuously for 40 years, even while attending college and graduate school. Yes, I was a teacher in a public school system for 32 years, so I do have a pension~although I did take a hit because I didn't teach for 35 years. That pension was mandated at 7.5%, like a forced IRA or "deferred income". I still pay full COBRA (no free insurance for this retiree), which eats up a chunk of the pension, and will until I'm eligible for Medicare. Yes, I can draw on Social Security at 62, but looking at the rate of 8% increase per year, it's far better than what investments are doing so I may wait until Medicare to start drawing SSI.
We chose to live well below our means with early retirement as a possibility. When the day to day grind became too stressful (sleepless nights, no administrative support, a Superintendent who had never been a day to day classroom teacher, and being forced to take on a program for which I had no training or experience, along with the fact that the case load was 3x what the state recommendations were for that program). I dreaded Sundays and lived for Friday afternoons. When I would see younger colleagues walking in at 7:45 and leaving the building at 3:15 with only their coats and car keys I realized that it was time for me to clean out my files and escape while I was still at the top of my game and respected as the educator I had become.
The first year after I retired I subbed, which gave me the contact with colleagues and kept me engaged with the students, but I didn't have to get invested in their progress; monitor grades, contact parents, document their class behavior etc. We also put into motion a plan for relocating to another state; put a bid on a short sale, waited almost 4 months for an answer, did a quick closing and remodeled the home before listing and selling our home. Between the house project (600 miles away from where we were living) and subbing, cleaning out, downsizing and doing the move ourselves I managed to transition out of the teaching while I was still effective, had the energy and could relate to the students.
Just as an FYI, I know this has been said before~but we worked for 190 days in the building, with other days put in on my own time (I worked 2 or 3 nights as well as either Saturday or Sunday as I had to shop for groceries for my program). Other teachers will grade papers for 3 hours every night or all day on Sunday. There's a tremendous amount of outside "unseen" preparation for every subject and grade level. I NEVER had 2 weeks off for Christmas, usually Christmas Eve until the day after New Years. I never had a week in February, March or at/around Easter. The school district calendar only guaranteed Good Friday off, if we had been scheduled for more we usually lost them to snow make up days. Summers were spent taking professional development classes (the only way you could move up on the pay scale after a 8 years of teaching) or writing curriculum. We would start the week or two before Labor Day and finish after Memorial Day. Our first break was Thanksgiving. Being sick meant sending in a script and hoping that a responsible person was in your room and could continue with instruction in your absence. There was no secretary or co-worker to cancel appointments or take messages. My parents and in laws memorial services had to be planned around when I could take 4 days of bereavement and be 600 miles away, while leaving plans for 4 days of instruction and getting the "right" sub in my absence.
Shortly after moving I fell into 2 part time flexible jobs that I absolutely LOVE....I work when I'm available and it's fun stuff, still engaging my brain and using my skill sets honed while I was working in education. We travel when we desire, have made great friends in our new location and neighborhood. We have time to finish a book, complete a project, stay up late and sleep in if desired. We belong to the local Y and volunteer in the community. I serve on our Homeowner's Association and joined a social club of 300 women in the area. Husband found an amazing part time job that pays his for his health insurance as well.
Do I miss teaching...NO, not what it is today compared to when I started and what I was trained for 45 years ago.
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