***The Official Retirement Post***

[SrPato]

Way to go man! That's awesome. Now you can live the dream and just chill.

What you going to do next? Write a book? Travel? Start a blog covering the life of being a midget wrestler?

Hahaha...Well, our first plan is a 3 week trip to Italy/Sicily in October. My wife's family is from Cefalu, Sicily and she's never been there so, off we go! We'll spend one week in Sicily and the rest touring the mainland. The cool thing is, every major city is connected by a railway with a few of them being the high speed trains. I've always wanted to ride in a bullet train.

 

[Firebird]

I know a lot of dudes who are retired before 60.
Most of them say they are busier in retirement than when they were working.

 

[grapedrink]

Hahaha...Well, our first plan is a 3 week trip to Italy/Sicily in October. My wife's family is from Cefalu, Sicily and she's never been there so, off we go! We'll spend one week in Sicily and the rest touring the mainland. The cool thing is, every major city is connected by a railway with a few of them being the high speed trains. I've always wanted to ride in a bullet train.

Why not make it 1-3 months? What's the rush to get home

 

[SrPato]

I have a bunch of neighbors who have retired in the last year or two.... Some of them are having fun but some of them are clearly lost. I have a hard time empathizing with someone who can't figure out what to do besides work - I just don't get it. It's as if they are only partially formed adults.

I'm with you on this one. There's always home improvements, garden work, and that pesky VW constantly needs attention. That's besides the obvious surf, surf, everyday surf.

 

[SrPato]

Why not make it 1-3 months? What's the rush to get home

We have a puppy that we both adore.

 

[gbg]

Congrats. Good for you. This is the way it should be. Retiring no later than 60.

 

[ElOgro]

I have a bunch of neighbors who have retired in the last year or two.... Some of them are having fun but some of them are clearly lost. I have a hard time empathizing with someone who can't figure out what to do besides work - I just don't get it. It's as if they are only partially formed adults.

The opposite. They’re fully formed adults. Don’t graduate from being a kid.

 

[john4surf]

I retired on my wife’s birthday 5 or 6 years ago. I miss the crew I had and most of the travel/projects but the best part is not having to tell your boss you‘re going to take a vacation, week off or, give other heads up. Wife has the cruise bug so I have to return to places I‘ve been to for work and try to have ‘fun’ being her tour guide.

 

[SteveT]

I think one of the coolest things is I don't have to grovel and feel guilty about going on vacation (I had 5 weeks paid) and leaving co-workers with my workload.
Also, it was always a pain doing advance work to help not make it not such a burden, and the PITA fires to put out after coming home.
TIP: Find yourself a good reliable house/pet sitter.

 

[sussle]

I know a lot of dudes who are retired before 60.
Most of them say they are busier in retirement than when they were working.

and i know a lot of dudes who are like "yeah, but if I wait til i'm 68/70 y/o, i get a lot more $'s from SSI". to which i reply "fook the money - it can't buy you back your 60's. "

I told one of my old ACBP buddies I was taking SSI asap because i was pretty sure that my 60's would be my last best decade, physically, and I did not want spend to a minute of it working......so he sent me this

 

[GromsDad]

It's official, I gave notice to my boss and HR yesterday that I will be retiring on September 30th. After 29 years of faithful service to the State Judicial System, I've decided it's time to really have some fun. My pension would be fully maxed out if I waited another year but the difference in pay would be minimal. Now's the time to enjoy life, travel, surf whenever I want to, play tennis, pickleball, fish, buy a new truck and trailer, maybe even a boat.

Another fun fact is that I've accrued so much vacation time that I can apply it towards my offical date of separation which would put me out of the office somewhere around the end of July. View attachment 176495

Oh yeah, and I'm 58 years old. View attachment 176497

Congrats. Hope you have long health to enjoy it. My parents retired at 55 and I'm just a few months from that age and can't imagine being retired now even if I could afford to do it. I think I'd go stir crazy.

 

[Matilija]

Retired at 56 , and am 2.5 years into it and haven’t been bored a day yet. Helps not to be a lazy person by nature. Between puttering around on little projects to the gym, surfing, snowboarding, camping, I’m always busy.

I had a great job but my work never defined me, it was always a means to an end. People who’s work defines them seem to have difficulty in retirement.

I am constantly plotting my next caper, early retirement is best thing I ever did.

 

[SrPato]

I had lunch with my wife today and we talked about how nice it'll be to not have to answer to anyone on a daily basis. She retired last fall and loves it! I'm really looking forward to telling our CEO "Adios" on Tuesday. She's gonna lose it as she's a total control freak and won't be able to do anything about me leaving.

 

[Firebird]

and i know a lot of dudes who are like "yeah, but if I wait til i'm 68/70 y/o, i get a lot more $'s from SSI". to which i reply "fook the money - it can't buy you back your 60's. "

I told one of my old ACBP buddies I was taking SSI asap because i was pretty sure that my 60's would be my last best decade, physically, and I did not want spend to a minute of it working......so he sent me this
View attachment 176522

Yep. Taking mine at 62. Who knows if I'll make it to 67.

 

[Will there be snacks]

It's official, I gave notice to my boss and HR yesterday that I will be retiring on September 30th. After 29 years of faithful service to the State Judicial System, I've decided it's time to really have some fun. My pension would be fully maxed out if I waited another year but the difference in pay would be minimal. Now's the time to enjoy life, travel, surf whenever I want to, play tennis, pickleball, fish, buy a new truck and trailer, maybe even a boat.

Another fun fact is that I've accrued so much vacation time that I can apply it towards my offical date of separation which would put me out of the office somewhere around the end of July. View attachment 176495

Oh yeah, and I'm 58 years old. View attachment 176497

 

[HatterasGlass]

I had lunch with my wife today and we talked about how nice it'll be to not have to answer to anyone on a daily basis. She retired last fall and loves it! I'm really looking forward to telling our CEO "Adios" on Tuesday. She's gonna lose it as she's a total control freak and won't be able to do anything about me leaving. View attachment 176525

Awesome.
The erBB would benefit from the play-by-play.

 

[byoda]

im a year and half into retirement i recall beforehand asking my dad if i was going to get bored doing nothing... he said that i was going have no problem.. he was right i love not having to schedule surfing around work going when its good during the week and love not having to work... wasting my life on hours long zoom meetings... love indulging myself in fun stuff like my new gretsch ,driving my 64 bug around around town, being more involved in family, kids, grandkids... the only regret i have is not doing it sooner

 

[grapedrink]

I had a great job but my work never defined me, it was always a means to an end. People who’s work defines them seem to have difficulty in retirement.

In my early 40s and in a similar boat. A lot of my colleagues are super into chasing the various accolades whether that be leadership programs (basically professional fraternities for grown adults), board seats on various commissions, higher tier positions etc. If that brings them joy and satisfaction then good for them, but to me it seems like another leg of the rat race. I’d rather put that time and energy into a side investment that can provide for me and my family should my W2 world (or my own drive within it) ever go sideways.

Most will have their best aggregate earning decade in their 40s. If you lose your cush job around 50 you may not get another one. I’ve seen it happen to others and it aint pretty

 

[john4surf]

Yep. Taking mine at 62. Who knows if I'll make it to 67.

I figured that any/all years past 35 or so were a bonus. You’ll be fine past 67. There are some great things ahead of you, hopefully you have a great partner you can share those years with. Caveat, beginning around 74/75 things start going haywire and doctor appointments are your friend. John

 

[kidfury]

Just went to 1/2 time at age 65. I've got plenny of means, but my wife already works much more than I do and accounts for most of our income. If it was all up to me I wouldn't work, but my job is fulfilling, kinda easy, and I get a lot of time off. Congratulations on your retirement.