Let’s revisit an important retirement living topic. How’s it going? Great expectations

Observations on life, Retirement Leave a comment

Go to main Forum page » A lively discussion awaits.

AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/08/2025

I hear about this topic on YouTube retirement videos. It has also been a topic on HD from time to time. We all know about the process of preparing financially for retirement, but it seems that for many people facing a retirement lifestyle is equally challenging.

Honestly, I can’t relate. I never thought about what retirement living would be like. I had no expectations. Perhaps taking phased retirement for 18 months was a factor, but even when I decided on doing that it wasn’t with a plan to prepare for retirement, it was purely a financial move – collecting a pension, Social Security and half my pay simultaneously. Admittedly it gave me a taste of more free time and a loss of work related status. 

It may be retiring at 67 was a factor as opposed to taking the leap at 55 or even 60, when the retirement years might be longer. Still, I have been fully retired over 15 years with no disappointments or regrets. 

I done know what day it is, I’m having fun doing not much.

Why did I retire? I liked my job, that’s not it. I felt I had accomplished all I could. The senior leadership changed and in the process the company culture changed. At a meeting with the CEO about an incentive compensation issue he whipped out a flip chart and started writing formulas. It could have been Sudoku as far as I was concerned. That was it. 

Perhaps I just have a dull personality. The older I get, the more mellow I seem to be.  I am happy doing nothing if that happens. Connie maintains a pocket calendar with everything she (we) will be doing. There are two main activities. Family events and doctors visits. I write in “golf” twice a week. When there is a open date, I’m happy. 

I’m equally happy traveling, even a road trip. I look forward to the five hour drive to Cape Cod, even driving to Florida in the winter. 

SO, FOR THOSE RETIRED, how was the transition? Are you all settled into a comfortable retired life routine? Do you seriously miss any part of your pre-retirement life? FOR THOSE NOT YET RETIRED, what are your expectations?

Leave a Reply