Retirement - what's on your bucket list?
3Mehtizens of the World:
Right before COVID hit, in February 2020, I decided to retire. It started off as a passing comment to my wife “I need to take a year off” and her response was “Why not two years”? So what started as a short-term sabbatical became a long-term sabbatical and eventually turned into retirement. At first, Feb 2020 was terrible timing since couldn’t travel and general restrictions world-wide, but in hindsight, it was pretty good timing as COVID provided a good excuse to transition various businesses to the next generation of leaders (I run several funds and directly oversee many high growth businesses).
So here I am, with plenty of time to do the equivalent of what many folks would say “climb Mount Everest” - indeed, 2021 saw a lot of opportunity for me to take on interests and side hobbies that I generally put in the “If I had more time, I would …” category. By time, I mean serious time dedication to mastering a particular skill, not just a recreational, non-time-sensitive skill or hobby.
For instance, I have taken up “severe interpersonal conflict resolution” (hard core firearms training with full blown indoor/outdoor simulation, etc - don’t make this a political discussion please), urban escape and evasion skills, drifting (cars), etc.
I am looking to explore more entertaining things to broaden my horizon and mind; thus, I appeal to you, a fellow Mehtizen, to further inspire me. If I run out of things to occupy my time, my retirement would turn to semi-retirement and back to sabbatical and back to work to keep my mind busy. shudder. Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated. Thanks.
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Cruises, cruises and more cruises! I was late to the cruise vacation game as I only started this mode of travel five years ago thinking I could not afford it. Hell, I spent way less on a cruise to Alaska than I did for a week at Disney but I digress.
I have several cruises on the retirement bucket list, Panama canal, transatlantic, Bermuda (actually going in August) and back to Alaska because it was just awe-some.
@ironcheftoni I like the idea of cruises - have read stories about people who cruise all year round and don’t have a permanent address. Don’t think I’m quite ready for that just yet, but it does sound attractive for much later in life.
@hammi99 @ironcheftoni
One of our fellow Mehtizens does that!
https://meh.com/forum/topics/farewell-to-meh-clickbait
Been retired 23 years. I’m 80 now. A workaholic, my wife said, “When you retired, YOU RETIRED!” They day I walked out of my place of employment, I never looked back, never regretted retiring. Didn’t miss the work or the pressures that came with it. Did miss the people.
I consulted for a year or so, but didn’t like still being at someone else’s beck and call, and quickly decided I wasn’t going to do that any more.
What most people don’t know is that even if one has been successfully married for years, when both spouses are at home together ALL the time, it is an adjustment, particularly for the at home spouse, whose daily routine and life gets interrupted.
It was solved in the short term, in part, in that I would go to one part of the house and she another. We would see each other at meals. Then after a few years, meals became asynchronous, when we ate individually when we felt like it, and only occasionally did we eat together. One drifts naturally towards one’s genetic predilections of being either a night or a morning person. So I sleep late most days, but don’t go to bed until wee hours. I like it that way and feel no guilt, and no obligation to do other wise according to someone else’s schedule or dictums.
Didn’t want to travel. Been all over the world and saw that same damn plastic potted plant in countless hotel/motel lobbies.
Very little in this world that I wanted to see.
Settled in to hobbies and after a few years relocated back to the home country as grandchildren were being born. Got into volunteering. Became a worker/officer in a couple of organizations, until one day about five years into that, I realized I was working 30+ hours a week!
So in short order, I shucked all that, and got control of my life back.
I don’t have a problem keeping myself amused and except for a few limited social interactions (less so because of Covid) am quite content. I read, study, garden, cook, but I DON’T watch TV. Never have had an interest. Still don’t
Always been a cook. But took up baking back in Oct, 2020. Thought about teaching myself to make baguettes. How hard can it be, I said to myself, it’s just flour, water, yeast and salt. Little did I know…
Months later, I finally began to produce excellent baguettes, but I ate a lot of failures in the interim.
I bake all sorts of things now, some of which we eat and a lot of which I give away. My baking challenge was mastering Kaiser rolls for my NJ Pork Roll sandwiches, which I make for myself for breakfast. Very short trial period, with success on the first try. I must say I make an excellent Kaiser roll! Lovely exterior and pillowy soft interior.
In short, retirement has been great! I would hate to have to go back to work of any sort. I like being in complete control of my time, what I have left of it. I enjoy everyday and am thankful for the 8,521 retirement days I have had so far. What a gift!
@Jackinga Those rolls look delicious!
Breathing.
Does that count?
I am a very serious Meyer’s Brig introvert and it and as a result retirement scares me scares me because I’m not a people person and I fear being a hermit in the cave Well use this picture.
So I planned to work until I really can’t do it anymore and then I will have my TV and my books and my computer And more books and the people I game with and more books and probably more TV and computer and well you get the picture
I might suggest equestrian sports: REALLY learn to ride.
My intention in retirement is to ski all winter & design/build tiny homes the rest of the time. Unless I need to ex-patriate to Panama or Norway or someplace
@compunaut good one - equestrian sports is on my wife’s list!
@compunaut @hammi99 Better yet, combine the equestrian sports with the skiing & try skijoring!
@hammi99 @ircon96 I’ve seen very similar events in Jackson Hole and Steamboat Springs
@compunaut @hammi99 Yes, it’s pretty popular in certain locales. People also do this with their dogs, it’s great for the high-energy, hyperactive breeds!
@hammi99 so you basically took classes to be Dirty Harry and/ Jason Statham?!?!
/giphy Jason Statham
@tinamarie1974 and I even paid to be water boarded, kidnapped, tied up . . . LOL
@hammi99 @tinamarie1974 Amateur move, i bet you could have gotten your wife to pay for all that!
@hammi99 @ircon96 @tinamarie1974 or she could have DIY’d it
@hammi99 @tinamarie1974 @mbersiam So true, why outsource? Sounds like somebody could find good use for a murder shed!
Retired in 2009. Still haven’t decided what to do, but enjoying every day nonetheless.
We might have been retired already if not for the current delightful economy and some lingering sense of duty towards long time customers. Not sure when now.
We will become a Pack again. One or two dogs always with us for as long as we can. Work makes that impossible right now.
It’s probably a little late in the year depending on where you live but start a garden and grow your own produce. Fresh stuff always tastes better.
Take up ham radio, it keeps me going between antenna projects, satellite comms and contesting, and especially experimentation and digital communications. Not enough time, lol!