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wheel interested · 09-11-2007, 12:28 PM

Well let me share the good news with you...

Friday is my husband's last day at work!!!!!!

Brad and I and our dogs Baron and Orie and the kitten that only just found us weeks ago, Kee Kee, will be heading out for our fall vacation without the restriction of a return date.

YIPEE!!!! It is like we have been training for this much of our adult life. Airstream and tow vehicle ready to roll and a bit of experience under our belt and we are ready to roll! I am very excited that at long last we can travel as we have always looked forward to. When someday becomes today...it's HUGE!!

Who is retired out there? What did you do right away and what are you doing now? Did you take trip of a lifetime or decide to snowbird? What has this freedom meant in your lives? I suppose this puts us back in a different pool of newbies.

Wish us luck!

CanoeStream · 09-11-2007, 12:38 PM

Good luck 2AN FRO! Congrats on the new developments. I retired Labor Day weekend a year ago and only now feel like I'm getting my feet under me. We went north boondockin' and trout fishing with very good friends right after. Then Susie took us to Tuscany and sent me to Alaska fishing earlier this summer -- y'need workers to do that for you.

What has changed? I don't think our dogs wouldn't accept being left alone for 8 hours again.

I don't need to say, "Have Fun!"

tin sista · 09-11-2007, 12:45 PM

Congratulations Carol and Brad!! Have fun travelling!!

Best of luck!!

Safari-Rick · 09-11-2007, 12:51 PM

Retired from the Navy in 1990 and was scared as heck! Unfortunately, I still had to work so I started a second career. and NOW have just 4 years to go. Even though I'm not "fully" retired, I sure is nice and like you, my other half and I can hardly wait for the day to come!

So, Happy trails to you from Safari-Rick in Southern California.

SilverCabin · 09-11-2007, 01:28 PM

Friday is my last workday too. This is my second retirement; the first was from the Air Force 22 years ago.

We'll be heading your way for a month on September 26. We have lots of long trips planned for the next three years. See you on the road.

Randy

maxandgeorgia · 09-11-2007, 02:48 PM

Carol, congratulations to your hubby and you! In the words of Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the places you'll go!" I'm retired, but hubby isn't, so we're still in the date-to-be-back stage, but I'm champing at the bit to be where we can head out with no set return date. . .where you are now

Wow!!!!!!!!! Best wishes, and where will this River of No Return take you this September? ~G

ScottW · 09-11-2007, 03:03 PM

Congratulations!!! I retired from the USAF in 1991 and will retire from my current aviation employer next May...8 1/2 months to go...but who is counting!!! Can't wait to join all or you fully retired folks! Enjoy.

Minnie's Mate · 09-11-2007, 03:11 PM

Congratulations to your husband (and to you!). Does this mean you'll both be at the Can Opener in January? You can introduce him to all us that missed him last time. Sounds like you should be just about finished with the fall vacation by then and ready to head south for the winter. Now you can show him all the places you've been going and checking out for him!

GreggH · 09-11-2007, 04:13 PM

Congrats.
We retired 7 years ago. We have been spending 6-8 months per year traveling and the rest home in Tn. This year we're trying something different, volunteering for the National Parks. We accepted a position as Archeaological Field Assistants starting in Nov at the NPS Southeast Region Archeaology Center in Tallahassee. We will do field work at various National Parks in the Southeast until March. Then in the summer of '08 we are signed up for the WBCCI Alyeska Caravan, a 65 day caravan through BC, Yukon and Alaska. Check out Volunteer.gov for opportunities if interested. Retirement has been great, have not missed working (in the sense of making a living) at all. We'd recommend traveling as much as possible and when you're ready to slow down find something to keep life interesting. Good luck and enjoy your time.
GreggH

JerryMcMunn · 09-11-2007, 05:38 PM

No, I'm not retired but rather trying to figure out how to work for 2-4 weeks at a time from the AS parked somewhere in the woods. See the thread "Working from your Airstream" in "Our Community"

Davydd · 09-11-2007, 05:45 PM

Brad will love it. I retired at the end of June. It came almost on the spur of the moment on the first day we headed out in May for a B camper van trip. The first thing that sprung in my mind on the road was that I really didn't have to work anymore if I didn't want to. So my decision came about 1-1/2 years earlier than I was thinking just before I got behind the wheel. 10,000 miles later on the road I am enjoying it.

There is one thing I haven't cured yet - the anxiety at the end of the trip and thinking I will have to go to work the next day. I am still not used to the open ended schedule. So, I quit wearing my watch. I'm also finding a lot of the work routine habits are disappearing. I'm less acutely aware of the news. The weather is more important now. I fill the gas tank of the car less frequently. My clothing wardrobe has been pared down and the AmVets are getting a bonanza donation. Where I worked, Target Stores HQ in downtown Minneapolis as an architect, we had to adhere to a dress code of suit, sportcoat and or tie, or wear the store uniform of red shirt and khaki trou if you wanted to dress casual. So on our first camping trip after retirement we had this little ceremony at Temperance River State Park on the Minnesota North Shore - the retirement burn.

ps. I am not getting all those things I thought I would get around to once I retired. There just isn't enough time.

sd90mac · 09-11-2007, 05:58 PM

Congratulations to Carol and Brad!!!!

Way to go, now get out there and have some fun, you deserve it!!

Marie

silver 67 · 09-11-2007, 07:09 PM

We have to wait 17 more months and 19 days.....

The favorite saying of hubby now is "I'll do that when I retire", when I ask about cleaning out the shop or repairing something. We'll see how that goes.

We plan to spend summers in Minnesota and winters in New Mexico and stop by and check the house in between. Oh, and also make a side trip or caravan or two......

Enjoy the journey and stop in if your this way. We'll take you out for KC BBQ.

wheel interested · 09-11-2007, 07:15 PM

Thank you for all your good wishes. Your comments and experiences are all so interesting and helpful. There is so much to think about and it feels real good to be in great company here and feel the support and learn more about each other.

Randy that is a coincidence! Congratulations to you and Pat and our best to you as you start your long adventures on the road too.

G as soon as we are set to go, within the next week or so, we are planning on going back to the great lakes areas, in particular Ludington and Traverse City, Taquamenon Falls, and Whitefish Point, Michigan and then onto the other side of Lake Michigan to Penninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. We have a fondness for the lake shores.

Well Tom, you did it! I read Brad your post and he said well then let's do it, yeah? yeah! Yeah!

Signed up for Topsails this evening. I love the panhandle, and we may go onto Texas and New Mexico from there.

Greg that is something we will check out. Brad and I are interested in working at a National Park. We have lots to learn and check into but that would be idyllic. We'll check that site for opportunities. Your caravan sounds fantastic!!

Jerry we need to read your thread. We like that idea.

David I am all smiles looking at your picture and hearing of your ceremony. I can just feel the emancipation.

Here's to the disappearance of work routine habits.

Beth that sounds an awful lot like what I have been hearing around here. We'll see what gets done then, hmmm?

Thanks for the invitation, sounds yummy!

**moosetags** · 09-11-2007, 07:47 PM

The Best Is Yet To Come

dudebb · 09-11-2007, 07:59 PM

Retired?? No, but I may as well be since I'm in the real estate and mortgage business!! Oh well, more time to work on the Airstream.

Goin camping · 09-11-2007, 11:01 PM

I retired on a Friday in april of 2006 From the Superior Court. Started my second career two days later. I'm just waiting for my wife to retire so I can retire again.

CaddyGrn · 09-12-2007, 12:12 AM

Happy Retirement!

My hubby and I have been retired about 5 years. The time goes by sooooo quickly! I am clueless how I ever had time to go to work. So much to do, so little time! We travel some, have a victorian home where we continually have projects, still trying to find time to work on the second airstream, fit in some camping and rallies now and then, visit with family, entertain, and write! This only takes care of a few of the things we have to do!

It is wonderful to be able to devote each day to what you want to do!

It doesn't get any better! Enjoy!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

safari57 · 09-12-2007, 04:05 AM

Enjoy the rest of your lives - get out and do all those crazy things you haven't had the time to do. Stop and smell the roses all over the country(s) you are traveling through.

And of course we'll expect pictures

.

Barry

yukionna · 09-12-2007, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaddyGrn

Happy Retirement!

My hubby and I have been retired about 5 years. The time goes by sooooo quickly! I am clueless how I ever had time to go to work. So much to do, so little time! We travel some, have a victorian home where we continually have projects, still trying to find time to work on the second airstream, fit in some camping and rallies now and then, visit with family, entertain, and write! This only takes care of a few of the things we have to do!

It is wonderful to be able to devote each day to what you want to do!

It doesn't get any better! Enjoy!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

Nice!

I can't wait to get to that place!