Thanks to all who helped provide great insights on retirement when I had to make a decision in December. All that information was most beneficial in helping to fully process both the mental and financial aspects of this adjustment. My employer of 42 years has accepted my offer to retire and provided me a last working day of March 31!!! The date is a little longer than my colleagues which is a mixed bag. It reflects a unique role I've been privileged to have in our organization and necessary for a smoother transition of duties but after making the decision I'm already ready for the next chapter!! It also means I'll have to be on good behavior for another month so I can retire with the nice package they've offered......Ha!

I'm truly blessed and am very excited about the future. My employer has bridged my medical to Medicare so no worries there. They are also providing other financial incentives which bridges me for a while. Financially I've been extremely fortunate so no worries there either, at least for now.

So what's planned???

More riding to find roads I haven't ridden before.
Updating my 20+ year old home to sell when the time is right-lots of interior and exterior projects!
Joining a local golf course where I can walk and play with other retirees, it is very close by my house.
I'm already a President of a nonprofit so maybe more focus on that.
I have already laid out a cross country bike ride that I hope to do August/September, my wife will be my support and we can go our own pace!!!!

My 94+ year old Mom passed away this week, I'm the estate executor so handling all that. She had 94 incredible years, had no regrets and went quickly and peacefully. Her heart literally wore out. I hope I can say the same at 94+!!!

But the circle of life continues. One of my daughters let us know that she is expecting and we are looking forward to our first grandchild this summer. So another item will be to learn how to be a terrific Grandpa!!! (It did push out my XC bike ride!!)

2016 looks to be a big year of changes in our household but it's all good. If you can't tell I'm really excited and I have no concerns about being bored!! Looking forward to what's next!!!!

Congratulations, you've earned it! I made the same decision over the Christmas holidays and sent my letter with a planned date of June 30th. I've asked people in the past how will I know when it is time to retire. They just told me"you'll know". That feeling came over me and I can't wait. Enjoy your dotage!

my condolences & congratulations. that does make it easier to accept the loss, but still here's wishing you and your family strength right now and nothing but the best memories. may God bless your daughter and the family's next member

Congrats on the retirement, Congrats on the Grand baby....Sorry about Mom.

Damn. What an affirming, positive post! I love your plans ... what you have in mind is exactly what I would like to do. Well, except the golf ... I'm a complete duffer. Congrats!

Sorry about your Mom. Mine is 89, and getting more frail every year. But she too has led a full life and has no regrets.

One of the reasons people live to 90+ years old is because they keep looking forward instead of living in the past. My bet is that your Mom was doing that right up until the end. And based on your plans, I'd say she taught you well.

Congrats on the grandkid!! They are an awesome invention. I have one so far, shown here at Thanksgiving with his mom and dad, and he is almost 10 months old now. (When my boys were growing up I always warned them that both of their grandfathers had gone bald in their 20s. The elder one obviously got the memo.)

Instead of retiring, I am working part time in academia.

Congrats on your retirement. You'll soon learn that you will never be bored or "not busy".

Congrats are in order! Everyday is Saturday. Go ride a triple century and not care about personal schedules.

I'll add my name to the list of just retired (three so far on this thread)! I'm letting the administration know that this academic year is my last when I meet with them in a few hours. Going to build a greeenhouse and grow orchids, ride my bike, and spend more time on the water kayaking. Will try to fit learning new maths in on the side.

I retired after 40 yrs of medicine in 2013. Partly inadvertent and unplanned but the wife caught a virus that wiped out her platelets and stability, fell and developed a
subdural hematoma and lost the ability to talk, walk and feed herself. Was dicey for about 3 weeks but she subsequently recovered about 98% of her prior high
level functioning. My previous job went from full time to part time and I was looking forward to about halftime work but the wife's illness made me reconsider and
after reviewing my finances I decided I could probably get along without earned income. I now cycle 4 days per week, hit 6900 miles in 2014 and 8850 in 2015.
Doubt I will keep that pace for more than a few years but it is nice. Caught up on deferred maintenance around house and yard. There is
still not enough time in the day to do all that I want, but no longer even think about part time work. Which reminds me I need to fix the flat tire on my alternate
bike in the garage...

congrats on retirement. We are thinking about it. I have been eligible for sometime. I have worked long enough to consider myself semi retired at work . I have a water front office. I get to watch the sunrise on the Chesapeake bay, and have a huge bald eagle that sits in a tree just out side my office. I take a hour or hour and a half or lunch and either bike or run. Not a bad gig!! I may decide to go within the next two years, but at he moment, I like what I'm doing. Finance advisor said we are good to go. His words were, if you like what you're doing keep working, if not call the and tell them to start the paper work! That was good to hear!

Great post, and dittoes to all the above comments. I recall your previous thread about a cross country trip.

Since that post, I’ve been sending out feelers for an 8th Annual Fifty-Plus Forum Ride in Boston in September:

Congratulations. I'm hearing glowing reviews on retirement from everyone I know who's taken that step, including my wife. Hopefully I'll be able to afford it soon but the stock market is not cooperating.

One of my coworkers recently retired at age 60, to spend more time with his two small grandkids. They call him back about one or two days per week, so, at least at UC San Diego, "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." Grandparenting is indeed a great reason to retire -- best wishes on that phase of your life.

Congratulations on being smart enough to not "die in the harness." I'm surprised and a bit saddened by the number of my colleagues and close friends who never got to spend the time between work and death. For most of them finances wasn't a consideration. The latest went in for some routine back surgery and never left the hospital.

You are in exactly the place I was two years ago. I don't have to leave now, just too good of an opportunity not too. I know your time will come.

Jim-I'm hoping you can navigate me in Boston!!!

Congratulations on retiring. I hope to join you sometime this year. I had an opportunity to take a voluntary lay-off last year, but after talking to my tax guy, I figured that I would be better off just working through some part of 2016. I really like your attitude.

Sorry to hear about your mother. My 90+ year old mother-in-law just passed away a week ago so I know your pain. She was still driving until about a month ago and had passed her driving test a couple months before that. Same problem, the heart had just worn out. She had a great attitude. At one point they called the family together at the hospital as they didn't think she was going to make it through the night. The next morning my brother-in-law goes to see her and she is on the phone telling people that she was surprised to still be here. She had been very involved in her church and her faith has been strong; it really showed as the days wore on.

Good luck with your retirement.

John

Congratulations! It sounds like you are prepared to be as successful in retirement as you have been in employment. Enjoy it.

Just for fun, do something unplanned once in a while. Just let it happen.

I retired in December... I am not paying attention to the stock market otherwise I would kill myself... just enjoying the time and freedom and praying everything will be OK.

Condolences for your loss Joe, it sounds like you mother was a wonderful lady and had a full life. And, congratulations on setting a retirement date, and especially on the newly expected first granddaughter!!!

Bill

My orchids are blooming right now ,, what beautiful flowers,,,,,,, ,,I have two in pots,,,,,,,Congartulations I just Made one year of retirement in December,,,,

...now pehaps the time is right for a long drive and the price of diesel is down.

Very well said and yes, not too long ago Mom said she was going to live to be 100!! Even at 90+ she was still setting goals for herself that meant she needed to focus on the future----not what was in the mirror. I've decided that for my retirement there is absolutely no need to look back. Play the cards that are dealt and make the very best of them. Everything I've been working for the last 40+ years is right in front of me so now I just have to put all that in motion and make sure it's a very enjoyable journey.

I saw this today on another forum - "As the old saying goes, retirement happens at the intersection of I've had enough with I have enough".