What Retirement is REALLY Like

--Blogpost written by Bob

I should preface the title with the words "for me".  I've experienced retirement for eight full months now--I could never go back to work because I wouldn't have the time and patience for it.  There are always lots of things for me to do, particularly living on a sailboat.  I keep lists of the things that have to be done and I feel like my list keeps getting longer as I cross things off the list on a regular basis--of course, it is an electronic list and just maybe the electronic gremlins are playing games with me.

Money

Before retirement, it seems like everyone worries about having enough money--after you retire for awhile, you realize there was little more you could do about it and it didn't deserve all the attention and worry.  Sure, I'm adapting to a stricter budget like I should but I don't have an overriding concern about money.  Most of my regular bills involve costs of storing my things (which I am constantly trying to reduce), keeping my electronic devices happy, eating, and health care costs.  

Actually, we haven't emptied the piggy bank yet--simply 
because we can't find it.

I have to add that my spending habits are the biggest change I am facing in retirement.

Weekends & Holidays

I remember when I was working I used to really look forward to sailing on weekends and holidays--they were my getaway from the daily grind.  Now, whatever I have planned for those days is just more crowded and I prefer not to deal with crowded situations.  So, now weekends and holidays are for purely relaxing which is like they were originally intended.

Health

So far, I have not experienced any effects of ill health.  Sure, I take meds for my high cholesterol and high blood sugar but I don't feel like I'm dogged with joint pain or anything like that.  I have a better tan than I have ever had during my work life, even if only providing the appearance of good health.

Sleep

When I used to work, I never really felt fully rested, maybe it was from worry about my business all those years.  Now, my sleep patterns follow the sun.  I go to sleep shortly after the sun goes down and wake up when it rises and I feel fully rested.  (Daylight savings time is really meaningless during retirement.)

Reading

I have the time to do more reading now.  Of course, I'm reading books on my Kindle app on my iPad.  They cost a lot less (than hard copy books), don't take up any physical storage space, and they are easy to dispose of when finished reading.

Getting Older & Looking Funny

This was the hardest thing for me to adapt to.  As my hair got mostly gray I shaved my head.  This made me feel younger but it made me into more of a funny looking old man.  I never imagined myself completely bald, even if it was by choice.  I've retained my (gray) goatee, which I may shave off later this year.  Very few people think I'm as old as I really am--69.  I'm more capable than most people 15 to 20 years younger than me.

Oh yeah, dress shirt and tie...ain't EVER going to happen!

Summary

I'm looking forward to our upcoming cruise.  I just purchased a Go Pro camera to use on our trip--what a neat gadget!  If you are nearing retirement, embrace the idea rather than worry about it!

Thanks for following our blog!