I hope you didn’t somehow land on this blog expecting exciting travelogues and other adventures. You might find my retired life rather dull. Deliciously boring (but not bored). This, too, could be yours! For some of us, our work life was intense, and it’s fun to just hang out and be happy cats.
Although we have enough money for the occasional trip, we’re not big travelers anymore. We moved more than 20 times for jobs. We lived in Germany for six years and Cairo for 2.5 years. There are plenty of places we’ve never been, but we were avid tourists back in the day and saw a lot of the U.S. and the world. Still, I expect some sort of adventure in my future.
I was thinking about how much I like my boring life, much as I used to like boring politics, when a couple of former colleagues shared a bit of work news with me. That got me thinking about my old job and questioning my decisions. Did I bail out too early?
The answer is no. While I had a rewarding career and was rather obsessed with my job for many years, toward the end, the workplace and all the nonsense that goes on there didn’t seem worth the trade of time for money. I wanted to live differently.
I pulled the plug at age 62 – not exactly early retirement – and went in search of myself. What sparked intense curiosity? What made me happy? It would have been easier to keep working and never face down my essence. At least you get paid to avoid self-reflection. Just keep slogging along and buying more stuff and taking expensive vacations so you have to keep slogging along.
Since I retired, I’ve learned a lot about what I need and don’t need, mostly from the comfort of my living room. My hair is wild. I have one or two outfits I wash and wear over and over. I’m slowly discovering what gets me up in the morning. Aside from golf and nice long walks, I’m excited about food. We cook almost everything from scratch, and it’s tremendously satisfying. I have intense curiosity about dinner. And possibly sourdough, the next frontier.
I’m keenly interested in crafting techniques I can learn to enhance my obsession with coasters. I love to walk to the library and browse the shelves and think, “What might I want to learn about today?” I rather like the idea of picking some crazy new subject and immersing myself in it. Being an expert at something appeals to me. There’s still time.
Yet, I wonder if I’m wasting my life … that old programming that says produce, produce, produce. These are the same doubts I had when I was working – but now the stress is gone, and I’m doing things that make me happy. All other things being equal, doubt will always be there, but retirement wins.
Retirement can be whatever you want it to be. I prefer mostly uneventful days, but you might seek more action. Find your happy place and go there. As for me, I like to pretend I’m an eccentric Bohemian heiress (perhaps a bit reclusive and frugal) who spends her life dabbling in things that amuse her. And you know what? I look forward to every single day.
This sounds exactly like me!! I know most would find my life terribly boring but it’s exactly what I want it to be. Everyone needs to find what works for them and not worry about what others think. Just today, my husband and I spent an hour wandering through a local hardware store. It was fascinating seeing what’s available and we even picked up a few items we’ve been meaning to get. We went there for a rake and came home with five other things!! The point is, we didn’t feel rushed to find the rake and hurry to the next thing. That’s what I love about retirement. Not everything has to be a mission with a goal; it can simply be enjoying a journey.
That’s so funny. I used to hate hardware stores. Never had the time for it. Now, I can’t wait to go and poke around. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Donna, this post sums up my retirement life. I wouldn’t have guessed that homemaking would get me up in the morning but I’ve reconnected with my home since retirement 6 yrs ago. There was a list of things left undone prior to retirement and guess what? There are still things left undone post retirement! I enjoy meal planning/cooking, baking, gardening in the off-winter months, socializing, volunteering with a local community association. I love not punching the clock. I say yes to invitations instead of no because i have to get to bed so I can get up and go to work. I’m dealing with some care issues with my aged mom and I can’t help but feel gratitude that I have this time at my disposal and don’t have to do these things around a formal work schedule. Like you said, my life may be boring but I’m not bored. I always say that when i think I don’t have anything to do I can always go for a walk or read a good book. Is there a club for Bohemian heiresses?
It’s wonderful, isn’t it? I’m glad you are able to be there for your mother. My sister did that and says it was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. Yes, we need a club for Bohemian heiresses.