Why did you decide to retire when you did?

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, shipper50 said:

Mind if I ask if you have ever been on singles cruise? Last of my family and no one in my life at this time and have been on 2 land vacations alone, but wonder how the cruise would be. Didn't like the single supplement I got charged on the land trips.

No, I haven’t.  There is a forum board on cruise critic for solos

[shipper50]

Thank you😀

[crystalspin]

On 9/25/2022 at 7:52 PM, shipper50 said:

Been on 2 cruises and thinking about a last one this next May to Alaska... Would like to do a bucket trip this one. Single and want a cruise to remember the rest of my life.🙂

If you want a bucket trip, may I suggest the 14-day Alaskan Explorer with HAL?

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/A3G14A/I335.html

[shipper50]

Thank you for the posting. Will look into Hal. I have been on Celebrity and Carnival.  Celebrity was my first and kinda left a bad taste so to speak.

[shipper50]

51 minutes ago, shipper50 said:

Thank you for the posting. Will look into Hol. I have been on Celebrity and Carnival.  Celebrity was my first and kinda left a bad taste so to speak.

 

[aml3679]

2 weeks ago and loving it 

[Mary229]

Today’s the day.  I have now officially closed all of my retail venues.  This woman is done awaiting the next inspiration for my next venture.  Until then it is happy sailing. 

[BamaVol]

In October 2018, hurricane Michael destroyed my home. Four months later, my mother-in-law passed away.  Two months after that, my mother died.  My final year of work was an incredible burden.  I had to manage a multi-million dollar insurance claim (chemical plant damaged by the hurricane), work out of a trailer, deal with my own homeowners claim and still do all my regular job.  My employer rented me an apartment and gave me bonus money left and right to stay on.  I settled my mothers estate, settled the homeowners claim and the business claim.  Realizing life was precious and not knowing what the future held, I knew it was time for a change.  I even had to pay back a $50k retention bonus.  Worth every penny.

[rcrabb1513]

I was laid off in 2017 at 63 years old.  I couldn't see myself looking for a another job and starting over at a different company.  Our finance guy said we were sound financial shape.  At the time I resented being "forced" into retirement but now I don't miss work one bit. 

 

The pandemic put a wrinkle on travel plans but we now we have several cruises as well as land based travel booked for the balance of this year and into next year.

Edited March 10 by rcrabb1513
grammar fixes

[Lutheranchi k]

43 minutes ago, rcrabb1513 said:

I was laid off in 2017 at 63 years old.  I couldn't see myself looking for a another job and starting over at a different company.  Our finance guy said we were sound financial shape.  At the time I resented being "forced" into retirement but now I don't miss work one bit. 

 

The pandemic put a wrinkle on travel plans but we now we have several cruises as well as land based travel booked for the balance of this year and into next year.

My late husband and I took a total of 25 cruises together. Two of those were with kids. I haven’t cruised since 2020. We came back from his bucket list cruise to Panama to see the expansion, on March 13 the day it all shut down. I am so glad we didn’t wait to travel as many do. I’m planning on retiring from my 47 year nursing career in December or January. It depends on if I get the bonus 401K contribution for being employed in January. I was going to retire last year but after he died I just couldn’t lose one more piece of my identity. I’m planning on my retirement cruise either this next summer ( Alaska) or in the fall ( New England Canada) . If I don’t get the bonus and they make me work Christmas Day that will be the last day for me, Lord willing. My dream cruise would be to the Holy Land but with all the unrest right now I might have to wait on that one.

 

 

 

 

[betty em]

I retired February 15 of this year at 66 yrs, 44 of them as a nurse. I am simply tired of all the lip service vs reality at my long time nursing job. I last spent 9 years as a CAPA and CPAN certified preop/postop nurse, then 6 & 1/2 years as a nationally certified adult psych nurse. It got to the point that I felt that the good that I did was completely overshadowed by rules and regs the management made us jump through for the CMS payments for care. I was just tired of doing my best and seeing people discharged before we'd had a chance to actually help them. Our financial guy said we were secure so I turned in my resignation. 

 

However, I'm a very active person and I'm already feeling cooped up, even after increasing my walking from 12,000 steps per day to 20,000, sewing, reading, weaving. I don't know how long I'll be retired but I for sure will not be going back to nursing unless I'm forced to.

[Lutheranchi k]

I just finished my last peer review for evaluations. I am planning on retiring Christmas Day, That way none of the management people will come in to sit and look bored as cake sits drying out on the break room table, I have not shared this with management yet nor my family/ co workers although they know that I’m about ready. Nursing is wonderful but I can’t help but think about all that I have sacrificed over the years. I guess it is fitting that Christmas will be the last work day. I have one last certification renewal one last CPR renewal and no more professional,organization dues. I will keep my license for while but have another year on this one. I too would look else where if I decided to work again. I’ve been  widowed for almost 2 years so retirement will not look like I had planned but it will be ok. I hope I can stay as busy as you have!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Lutheranchi k

[Lutheranchi k]

I

update: Have 8 more shifts to work! I decided to not wait until

 the end of the year. I am so ready!

[Mr. Boston]

1 hour ago, Lutheranchi k said:

I

update: Have 8 more shifts to work! I decided to not wait until

 the end of the year. I am so ready!

I hope that you’re planning a nice cruise for your retirement present. The Canada- New England cruise is very nice.

[betty em]

I'm starting to adjust to not going to work, still keeping busy. I a week we go to Miami for our official retirement cruise, have booked a 9-day cruise in a suite and are going to have all those perks plus our Sapphire NCL perks. We're indulging ourselves as much as we can afford for this big mile stone. 

 

Lutheranchi K; I had planned for months to wait till the end of March to retire, but in January, after visiting our son in Virginia, it was just too much to stay any longer, so as soon as we got back from a January cruise, I put in my 2 weeks notice and was gone the day after Valentine's Day. I miss a few of my co-workers but honestly, not many. I miss my (Psych) patients more and wonder what's happened to so & so and if they "made it" or if they've fallen/stumbled again. 

[pris993]

I retired at age 52 the first time because I could (had 30 years in and company was relocating allowing early retirement) and my DH was 15+ years older, retired and we wanted to travel and enjoy life.  I did pick up a second part time job that was flexible enough that we could travel when we wanted.  Retired from 2nd part time job after 20 years in 2020.  With Pandemic did not travel from late 2020 till early 2021.  Have no regrets even though my DH has dementia and we can no longer travel or cruise.  We travelled saw a lot of amazing places over a 30+ year period.  Not putting off travel when we were younger paid off for us.  

[MrSchwump]

Why did I retire when I did? Two reasons: I had enough and I had had enough. 

[mtnhiker]

Some really good stories here and varied responses.  An acquaintance once said that he would retire when he had 3 bad days, he retired a year later.  The mixed delimma I have: I like my job, wife wants me to retire, I want to move out of state (politics in WA are terrible), she wants to stay (son and grandkids).  One of the many things we do agree on is we both like to cruise and being a reasonable distance from Seattle is a +.  We have both been a number of places - me being retired military.  Now I have to balance the income/free time.  I have known people who work till they drop, drop because they lost their purpose (job/career),   do not enjoy retirement because they run out of money.  Balancing all those, it looks like i will retire in ~1 to >3 years.  In the mean time we will be cruising occasionally, going to the beach, and enjoying the mountains.

[SmoothFlying]

18 minutes ago, mtnhiker said:

I want to move out of state (politics in WA are terrible), she wants to stay (son and grandkids). 

Does the old adage come to mind for you ? 'Happy wife, Happy life'. Good luck, in your decision 🙂

 

Mac 

[mtnhiker]

1 hour ago, SmoothFlying said:

Does the old adage come to mind for you ? 'Happy wife, Happy life'. Good luck, in your decision 🙂

 

Mac 

Actually yes 🙂   --So right now it is a compromise/standoff,  She wants to stay here, I will keep working - and being somewhat close to a cruise port/  the mountains and Ocean (although cold) is still OK.  After all if you have everything you want - life would probably be pretty boring.

[CptBoatface]

Washington State has gone nuts. At least those in power. We head out next fall!

[Mary229]

3 hours ago, CptBoatface said:

Washington State has gone nuts. At least those in power. We head out next fall!

It is not better anywhere else.  

[KforKitty]

I did my last day in work a week ago and retired sooner than I originally planned.  There were a number of reasons for this.

• my husband had been retired already for over 2 years
• I had a period of ill health, resulting in surgery, earlier in the year ( now recovered).
• There was a reorganisation in my office which would impact on my role.
• I could afford to do so and was offered a severance package, which means I don’t need to take my pension until the time I originally planned to.

 

Still early days but so far 👍🏻

 

Catherine

 

[aml3679]

My last day of work was October 31st of last year.

 

I was an RN for 30 years.

 

I retired at 62, my retirement age is 68.

 

I have severe arthritis. Psoriatic, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid.

 

I have a hard time standing for long periods of time, I am slightly unstable (currently going to physical therapy), and have a hard time opening jars.  Trying to get into a rheumatologist.  They have the referral, just need the appointment.

 

After working for Comcast for twenty years, my husband got laid off.  That was almost 2 years ago.

 

 I miss the money, but we bought our house for cash, our cars are paid off, plus we have no credit card debt.  Last year, someone paid every homeowner $230,000 for their land.  We invested the money.  We live in a 55+ mobile home park.  Since we no longer own our land, we no longer pay property taxes.

 

We love being retired.  My husband was quite upset when he got laid off, but, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  He was very unhappy at the end of his career.

[shipgeeks]

As one who sometimes agonized over the big decisions of life, I think I got a break when it came to the retirement one(s).

I finally found my calling at 39, when I landed a job as a fitness instructor. I pursued certification, and moved into teaching at a university, where I remained, loving it.  But that was part time.  It paid fairly well, but had no benefits.  So I took a part time office job in medical research, with poor pay but excellent health care and retirement benefits.  I kept it up, and it allowed me to tailor my schedule around my teaching, but my heart wasn't in it.  Still, I was asked to continue from one study to another, so remained into my late 60s. Then a big study concluded, and I knew I was ready.

Teaching only two days a week was wonderful. Then, during spring break week of 2020.....the university ceased to be open.  Summer and fall terms were online only.  I bought a new laptop, did the tutorials for zoom, but decided it was just not appealing to me.  I am truly, fully, retired at age 80.

The nice thing is that we can now cruise when we want to, not just during the three short academic breaks a year.  And we do.