I'm in the midst of a life change and like most retirement aged people, I wasn't quite sure what taking the plunge would bring. Even though I had looked forward to this day, it felt like a jolt to submit the resignation letter.
I wondered what the final weeks of work would be like. How would people take it? What would it be like knowing I couldn't get a job if funds were tight? But mostly, even with all the planning we had done, had we done a good enough job? How will we cope with sacrifice down the road?
The retirement plan started in July, when I stopped using 'someday when I retire' and put a countdown clock on my cell: January 3, 2019. My husband and I had some financial decisions to make to prepare for my retirement, and timing was crucial.
Not only that. My cubicle was bursting with stuff that I'd need to clean out and do something with. I had a key job helping at work and was a valuable part of the team. Could I really say goodbye to my friends at work? They were such fun and energetic people. On the other hand, life ahead was full of possibilities, and I was itching to explore and travel with my husband. It was time.
I asked around what it was like to retire. It's great, they'd say; you can schedule your day any way you want, they'd say; you can read all day long or volunteer or take a class to keep busy. Maybe I didn't ask the right question. So I really had no idea what retirement would be like on the inside.
Well here is my answer.
Life after work almost instantly brought me back to a time when work life/balance wasn't a catch phrase, because it was the way we lived. Home time was filled with activities and hobbies, and family and friends, and there was always enough time to spend on what mattered because work was work and this was life.
Retirement gives the gift of savoring real time - my friends and I are chatting and laughing over lunch and linger as long as we want. I think to myself, this may be the first time in years that I wasn't pulled and stretched by schedules and responsibilities. I am here and enjoying the time and it feels downright luxurious.
And another thing. My husband and I fell into two meals a day right from the start. 10 and 6, with a snack some days around 4. What's up with that? It's perfect.
Some days we go in separate directions. Some days I cook all day and can meals and make a holy mess in the kitchen. He spends time with his hobbies and in the workshop. Some days it's a NCIS marathon day. Who cares? Someday we'll get ourselves to the gym, and into more of a routine, but right now, I love sleeping until 9 and staying up late.
We play cards in the Middle of the Afternoon on a weekday. 10 cents a chip. We talk more about money, but come to think of it we talk more about everything.
So when someone asks me what it's like being retired, I can tell them I'd miss the stress of work if it weren't for the joy of living without it.
