Yen

Yesterday was my last day of work. After 25 years at a place that I love, working with people I love, doing work that I love (most of the time), I'm being laid off. Actually, my project is making cuts and I am one of them --- many more will come. Those cuts were not expected, and I don't believe I'm a victim of any unfair treatment. I was treated very fairly by all and am VERY thankful that I am in a position to retire, though I wasn't planning to leave this soon.

Fortunately for me, I just this year turned 55 and I am eligible for retirement. Officially, I'm on paid leave for 60 days after which my employment will terminate and I'll be officially retired on January 1.

I have several projects that will keep me busy until the end of the year, but my first priority is to idle down the pace and get accustomed to a non-schedule and not having to rush about to get everything done on the weekends. After the first of the year, I'll look into volunteering opportunities. I'll have a lot more time to give to my mom when she needs me, or just to spend the day with her.

On Tuesday, Hubby will have hernia repair surgery (open surgery). I don't know what to expect but I've read he'll have quite a bit of pain at first, to keep the ice pack ready, eat lots of fiber, and don't do any lifting for a while. His surgeon happens to be a cyclist and understands the desire to return to the bike as soon as possible.

I'm hoping that my elbow and shoulder will heal now that I won't have to thrash it around getting ready to leave on the vanpool by 5:30 each morning.

So, what did you retirees do in your first days of retirement? How long did it take to adjust to your new schedule, er... non-schedule?

Nightshade

The adjustment to "not working" is a very personal event. It took me three years to get myself to relax and just enjoy the flow of life.

The key was to give myself permission to do nothing and not feel guilty about it. Once "I" understood that principal my life is sweeter than I could have guessed.

I tell people that I get up in the morning with a full schedule of nothing to do and if I hurry I just might get half of it done!

stapfam

65 next January and due to a change in legislation- I do not have to retire at that time. I will have a few small pensions to enable me to live but Capital went in 2008 when My "Safe " shares in Banks and Insurance disapeared. I have to work on for a while but I do not want to.

I will have no debts- house paid for and no looming Bills to cause a problem. Cut back to a one car family that I no longer drive and looking for N+1 to enable me to use a bike for transport. Will have to stay within financial means and that is already being prepared for. But roll on the end of April 2012 and I can stop work to enable me to do all the things I need to do whenever I want to.

donheff

I pulled out at 56 and didn't need five minutes to adjust. Why don't you visit the early retirement forums and poke around there to see what folks have to say. It is a very friendly group with lots of good advice on finances, health, life after retirement, etc.

DnvrFox

It was a bit before I could admit to myself that I was "retired" - I couldn't even say the word.

But, OTOH, I have so many interests, activities and still have family demands on my time that I guess I haven't really "retired." I happen to like keeping quite busy, and I will fill the void with projects and activities - mostly "thinking type things" as I am terrible at any kind of manual work, and hate traditional "hobbies" and the like.

i.e., local, state and national advocacy, legislative position papers, managing a couple of listservs and websites, my music group which keeps awfully busy with concerts (15 in the next 3 months, plus a new CD), bicycling, swimming, weight lifting/resistance training, walking, some traveling, etc.

Knowing you, you will be very busy and loving it.

Allegheny Jet

Congrats on retirement Yen!

I retired 2 and 1/2 years ago with 30 years of public service in Ohio. I went into my Supt's office to tell her that I was retiring in 3 months to give fair warning. After a conversation regarding how young I was and what I intended to do after retirement she made me an offer to return to my job but to work only 3 days a week. I was able to negotiate away duties and responsibilities that I did not like and have flexibility of establishing my own schedule. My wife is a retired school teacher and we make the best of our 4 day weekends.

Road Fan

Yen, I am totally envious and also sympathetic about separation from a project, place, and people that one loves. Been through it a few times. You're getting a Warne notice at least, congrats about that.

In my last layoff, it took me about 4 months to accept where I was and what it meant.

Good to see you on the Forum again!

Beverly

Congratulations Jen

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my retirement and I've loved every minute of it. I knew I wanted to have a small part-time job after retirement so I became a receptionist for Weight Watchers and still do a couple meetings each week.

I spent the first few months completing projects around the house and finally getting the rest of my much needed yard work done. I know you're an avid gardener and I'm sure there are many projects you can think of to do in your garden.

Just enjoy your time off and don't worry about a schedule. After 3 years I find I don't have the time to do everything so I just picked the ones I like best

jackb

It took me no time to adjust to retirement. Not having a job is the condition I was born for. Now I can do what I like when I like. There is more to life than a career, though I had an interesting and satisfying one. I tell my friends who are not yet retired that one's working years are only one stage of life, like childhood or adolescence. Once it's over, a new stage begins. I would suggest that not everyone is suited to retirement, but for those who are, there is nothing quite like it. Good luck and I hope you will discover many interesting ways to spend your time.

gtragitt

I will say best wishes instead of congratulations. If you were retiring completely on your terms, I would say congratulations. I also hope that you will not be without health insurance until you are eligible for Medicare.

I became eligible for FICA a few months ago. I can say ---- it, but still enjoy working. It is a good feeling to have the freedom to do what you want. You have freedom. I hope you will be able to do what you want without constraints.

Louis

I retired in 1994 at age 52. We had full retirement benefits and pension after 30 years service so I jumped ship at 30 years.

I was born to retire. The only needed adjustment was the relief from a high (for me) pressure job, although I still have nightmares after 17 years.

After loafing for two years, I took a part time job as a Historic Interpreter at a living history museum; but that was more of a hobby for me than a job. I stayed four years until the petty infighting among the educated but child-like staff finally drove me away. In late 1999 I went into full retirement mode.

Congratulations on you "new life".

Yen

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the interesting and varied responses. I can see that retirement means different things to different people. Thank you for the good wishes.

I'm still in denial... it all happened so fast. Last night I was full of emotion and somewhat teary. I got up this morning, said a prayer, and got into the day. I found myself doing a little of this and that, just puttering around. I don't mind relaxing but I like being active and involved in a variety of things. My husband was also laid off years ago, and I'm amazed how many others I know have said "Me too". I used to think it was something that only happened to people I hear about on the news, LOL.

John E

Layoffs have been rampant over the past few years, and lots of good people have been impacted. As a society, we built an entire economy on the quicksand of unsustainable debt, granting high-leverage mortgages to unqualified buyers, then repackaging the resulting junk derivatives as AAA investment-grade bonds. It took years to get into this bipartisan screw-up, and it will take many years to dig our way slowly out of the hole.

I have been self-employed for almost 3 years; the first half of 2009 was dismal, w/ 3 paid days of work @$500/day, but I have been working steadily (and then some) ever since. I hope to keep finding work until I turn 70 -- given my family history and lifestyle, not to mention today's low returns on money, I am in danger of outliving my money if I retire right now.

overthehillmedi

Don't think of it as a retirement from work, think of it as a promotion to being the cheif exectitive in charge of diddley squat. After a while you'll wonder when you found time to work.

John_V 

Congrats on your retirement. Been there, done that and it's great. I retired at age 60 and had no problem getting used to doing nothing thanks to my 25 years as a Paramedic. We worked 24 hours on and 48 hours off with 5 days off every three weeks (in order to cut down on the overtime). It works out to working two days a week.

Four years ago, after being retired for almost a year, Coca-Cola made me an offer I couldn't refuse so I went back to work as a consultant but it turned into a full time position. The good news is that October 28th is my last day and I will be go back to doing nothing until the wife retires either in December or in June.

Retirement is really great and it allows you to leave out the question "When can I find the time to go bike riding?" Enjoy your retirement.

bikegeek57

Congratulations Yen. Nice to have the options you have in hand. Will be a while yet for us but am looking forward to the big day. What everyone above said.... sounds like you are in for a great adventure.

Phil85207

Good for you, Keep positive, and looking on the bright side. It feels like a slap in the face to be let go but for each door that closes, one opens. Good luck with your new found freedom. Your gonna love it. I had my own business for 30 + years and I was more than ready to retire when the time came and was able to plan for it which of course makes it easier. When it happens all of a sudden it has to be a shock. It will take a little time to get over it but I think from reading your posts, you are a positive kind of gal and will be great with it. God bless.

Altamont

I just retired Dec 1 of last year at 55. Had an intense police job, lots of night calls and call outs, etc. Made a decision to totaly flip the switch to "off". No hanging out with former colleagues, no cop talk. Happiest day of my life when i turned in the Blackberry. It "helped" that i had a major shoulder surgery the first day of retirement, it took me out of circulation. The shoulder surgery (rotator cuff, labrum, biceps tendon, and A/C joint repair, all in one) was a huge success, by the way, as was my elbow surgery two years ago.

Make sure you treat yourself and do what you want to do, as much as you can. If its a nice day, put off that chore til a rainy day and go ride, or sit in the sun and read a book. Now that you dont have to go to work, spend more time every day stretching, exercising, training, riding, birdwatching, kayaking, taking pictures, hiking, or whatever you want to do that day. And get that elbow fixed, if it still hurts after all this time. If you have had it fixed before, you'd be pain free by now!

Good luck in retirement.

rck

Other than needing a few months to learn how not to twitch when the phone rang(I had a job that required a lot of being on call beyond the "normal" hours of work, plus 1.

Philipaparker

Congratulations. I personally can't think of not working so retirement isn't something I think about.

gcottay

A few hints from a recent retiree:

• Schedule what's important to you, including down time. Use it or lose it is all too true.
• Take the opportunity to expand your riding time and route variety.
• Get/create a job or jobs being very picky about the quality of the work, workplace and flex schedule. Volunteering counts but beware of the trivial.
• Stay socially involved with younger people.

Yumadons

Same thing happened to my husband almost 3 years ago at 57. We took it as a sign that it was time to retire and decided not to look for another job.

Don did just what you're doing. 1) Use the off time to fix any medical problems while you can still afford it. Don got a new hip the first year and double knee replacements the next year. 2) Volunteer. We've always been heavily involved in greyhound rescue but now Don uses our RV and dog trailer for multi-day pet hauls to WA, OR, ID, & Canada. We can also keep large groups of dogs at our house when needed. Every Thursday he hauls 20-30 dogs from our local humane society to rescue groups in Phoenix. 3) Golf 4) Enjoy MY time off - now when I'm off a few days, we always go somewhere in the RV,even if it's just out to the desert 4) I fanaggled 2 months off every summer so now we can bike tour! Did the first
half of the TramsAm this summer. Next year, the next half

I'm betting it won't take you any time at all to get used to it - in a good way!

Suzanne
Yuma, AZ

k7baixo

My wife's job is moving to Chicago at the end of the year. She can apply for and will likely get an offer from there. My job is steady here but I've applied for a job in Dallas. Otherwise, I'm locking in here until I retire.

We live way below our means and our only significant bill is my wife's mother's bills in Brazil. I make more than my wife and the Dallas job is my dream job - there's no relo package offered but we'll negotiate something if I'm lucky enough to get an offer.

We'll see what happens - I've told my wife she's welcome to "retire" but she's been working full-time since she was 13 and is within four classes of her masters. "Slowing down" are two English words that she doesn't understand! She recently was certified as a "Casa" volunteer and I can easily see her devoting her passion to helping children in Phoenix.

Yen

Well, after only 3 days I can already understand the popular retiree exclamation "I'm so busy I don't know how I had time to work!". Hubby's birthday Monday, followed by out-patient hernia repair surgery yesterday (he's doing very well --- wow, what a difference 24 hours makes), chores around the house, errands to run, watering/weeding the garden.............. the list never ends. I imagined not doing much the first couple of weeks, just concentrate on idling down... I guess that's not going to happen until after the holidays, LOL.

Red Rider

^^^^^

This.

I hope Mr. Yen's surgery goes well, and you'll find healing, peace and contentment in your future. Oh, and lots of cycling.