retirees - what do you have to look forward to?

[cobra]

On 12/19/2021 at 5:17 PM, RocketDog said:

 ... at a place you don't want to be, with people you don't want to see,

I can understand that, 

Unfortunately, many are stuck in a less than desirable job or occupation by necessity.

But if you can find something you enjoy then it's no longer work, it's just how you spend your day.

 

I do not plan on retiring until I can no longer perform work requirements, physically or mentally.

 

I love what I do and I vacation often.

 

Actually I dread the day when I'll be walking around in my bathrobe all day, looking out the window, with the mind-numbing drone of a TV in the background,

rather die on the job.

 

 

[RocketDog]

12 hours ago, cobra said:

I can understand that, 

Unfortunately, many are stuck in a less than desirable job or occupation by necessity.

But if you can find something you enjoy then it's no longer work, it's just how you spend your day.

 

I do not plan on retiring until I can no longer perform work requirements, physically or mentally.

 

I love what I do and I vacation often.

 

Actually I dread the day when I'll be walking around in my bathrobe all day, looking out the window, with the mind-numbing drone of a TV in the background,

rather die on the job.

 

 

Some would say that after spending 50+ years on a job,enjoyable or not, you owe it to yourself to partake of something different in life. If you don't have any ideas just make it up as you go along.

 

Of course you can choose your own future but If you wait until you can't perform your job then you have demoted yourself to a level of incompetence that will annoy/sadden/disappoint /harm those around you and yourself. Dying on the job seems a pretty sad life goal.

 

Personally I went a bit too far the other way. I retired at 66, full retirement age, after reaching a technical and financial peak in my career. I also loved my work and avoided many of the issues I named in my first post by working several days /week from home.

Two weeks after I retired I was on a plane to Bangkok, determined to "open a new door, step through it, and see what happened". As it turned out parachuting into a foreign country and culture was more of a shock and challenge than I expected. In the first year I often thought I had bitten off more than I could chew.

Now, 5 years later I have bought a house, gotten a dog and a garden, a car & motorcycle, and been living with a wonder local Lady for over three years. I'm happier than I had been in decades and my roots to America are withering rapidly.

 

I do not regret throwing myself to the wind and certainly did not find myself shuffling around in a bathrobe. Watching Thai TV was never a viable option either 55555.

 

There is life beyond a career but you have to want it, seek it, seize it, and make it yours.

 

We are both lucky that we can make such life choices, as many in the world cannot. But in a way that very privilege should be an inspiration to take what remains of your life in a new and unexpected direction.

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, cobra said:

I can understand that, 

Unfortunately, many are stuck in a less than desirable job or occupation by necessity.

But if you can find something you enjoy then it's no longer work, it's just how you spend your day.

 

I do not plan on retiring until I can no longer perform work requirements, physically or mentally.

 

I love what I do and I vacation often.

 

Actually I dread the day when I'll be walking around in my bathrobe all day, looking out the window, with the mind-numbing drone of a TV in the background,

rather die on the job.

 

 

Every job I did was great for the first 6-12 months, then it became a chore.

I like looking out the window at my rabbits in the garden and the Buffalo/Uwa in the field behind me.

I like watching tv, and posting on forums.

I like cooking for me and my boy and getting quietly drunk every day.

[1FinickyOne]

41 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I like looking out the window at my rabbits

yeah, whats the deal with the rabbits? Soft to pet, sure. Any personality? Do you keep them in cages? Do they recognize you?

 

I have a 2 yr old living here now - I'm sure she would get off on it... but what do I need to know? 

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

yeah, whats the deal with the rabbits? Soft to pet, sure. Any personality? Do you keep them in cages? Do they recognize you?

 

I have a 2 yr old living here now - I'm sure she would get off on it... but what do I need to know? 

Mine live free, fenced garden, outside at night, and the house doors open in the day.

They love biting through electrical cable, phone charger cables and fibre optic cables.

They also tore the bottom out of my sofa so they could sit underneath it.

Fairly easy to house train, but they will climb on everything.

 

[473geo]

4 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

yeah, whats the deal with the rabbits? Soft to pet, sure. Any personality? Do you keep them in cages? Do they recognize you?

 

I have a 2 yr old living here now - I'm sure she would get off on it... but what do I need to know? 

They breed fast ????

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, 473geo said:

They breed fast ????

Mine are all girls.

Over my garden wall yesterday morning.

 

[TheScience]

My ever cheerful wife always taking care of me...12 years ♥️

 

Well, used to look forward to teaching but last two years just dreadful.

 

Our international trips and especially US cut out.

 

We still spend a month here each year (below).

 

Things will change again when I hit 62 SS and stop teaching - enter second retirement.

 

Maybe buy a truck or car and move south.

 

Don't think about covid just go about your life!

[ExpatOilWorker]

Morning coffee and an almond croissant on my new 3" acasia wood table.

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Over my garden wall yesterday morning.

yeah, plenty of cows out in the fields... eating cables does not sound good but I could pen them in outside - not sure if it would drive the 2 dogs crazy?? It is not a huge leap for one of them anyway. 

[1FinickyOne]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Mine live free, fenced garden, outside at night, and the house doors open in the day.

They love biting through electrical cable, phone charger cables and fibre optic cables.

They also tore the bottom out of my sofa so they could sit underneath it.

Fairly easy to house train, but they will climb on everything.

 

poetic toes? Longfellows? 

[RocketDog]

12 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

yeah, whats the deal with the rabbits? Soft to pet, sure. Any personality? Do you keep them in cages? Do they recognize you?

 

I have a 2 yr old living here now - I'm sure she would get off on it... but what do I need to know? 

Pets for food. Not uncommon in rural America. They eat kitchen waste and make good eating.

[ExpatOilWorker]

23 hours ago, TheScience said:

My ever cheerful wife always taking care of me...12 years ♥️

 

Well, used to look forward to teaching but last two years just dreadful.

 

Our international trips and especially US cut out.

 

We still spend a month here each year (below).

 

Things will change again when I hit 62 SS and stop teaching - enter second retirement.

 

Maybe buy a truck or car and move south.

 

Don't think about covid just go about your life!

What beach is that?

[Nojohndoe]

On 1/5/2022 at 6:25 AM, cobra said:

I can understand that, 

Unfortunately, many are stuck in a less than desirable job or occupation by necessity.

But if you can find something you enjoy then it's no longer work, it's just how you spend your day.

 

I do not plan on retiring until I can no longer perform work requirements, physically or mentally.

 

I love what I do and I vacation often.

 

Actually I dread the day when I'll be walking around in my bathrobe all day, looking out the window, with the mind-numbing drone of a TV in the background,

rather die on the job.

 

 

I would really like a  full description of the  activities involved in your "vacation" time. The image invoked by  "bathrobe,  humming tv , looking out the window" is of  a person in a air conditioned Unit" of some description taking prescribed time out in a prescribed way from a prescription corporate involved occupation/profession that ticks all the boxes of "success".

Close or not?

 

 

[ChrisP24]

Reading threads like this one, hearing the thoughts of those in the chapter of life called "retirement" that I only recently opened myself.   Learning from them about:

 

- Things they have done, some of which I've also done but most I haven't yet.

- Roads they've traveled, some of which I've also traveled but most of which I haven't yet.

- Choices and decisions they've made and how they've played out, some of which parallel my own path, and some of which don't.  At least not yet.

-  How they look at things, their opinions on a whole range of topics of interest to them, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't, and many of which aren't within my own spere of interest yet.

 

Mostly learning more and more about all of the different ways that this life chapter called retirement can be such a long and joyful (even wondrous) chapter, for any of us, if we keep our perspective and choose to engage in habits, experiences, relationships and open-minded reflection that those retirees who are ahead of us on their own path take time to share here.  Or the happy ones anyway. 

[Tazmo]

On 12/20/2021 at 9:24 PM, 1FinickyOne said:

how does that work for you at Cricket?

I have to use the rules of the Governing body of Cricket. But for my own body and mind, I make the rules 

[rott]

On 1/5/2022 at 7:46 PM, TheScience said:

My ever cheerful wife always taking care of me...12 years ♥️

 

Well, used to look forward to teaching but last two years just dreadful.

 

Our international trips and especially US cut out.

 

We still spend a month here each year (below).

 

Things will change again when I hit 62 SS and stop teaching - enter second retirement.

 

Maybe buy a truck or car and move south.

 

Don't think about covid just go about your life!

By South do you mean Southern Thailand or the Southern States of the USA.? 

[geronimo]

lets' start with the early mornings, the first few bird songs, that first sip of coffee, the lighting of a cigarette, then the realisation that you're living in paradise hits you and that makes you feel good.

Every waking moment is filled with pleasure and after 65 years, I just hope I haven't reached the halfway point yet!

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

3 minutes ago, geronimo said:

lighting of a cigarette

Dude, well done getting to 65.

[geronimo]

9 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Dude, well done getting to 65.

I never said I inhaled ????

[StayinThailand2much]

Will travel a lot outside Thailand soon. Fortunately, borders are opening again.

[SAFETY FIRST]

22 minutes ago, geronimo said:

I never said I inhaled ????

Cool, I hope you've got another 65 years ahead of you 

????