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Now that you're retired...

Pat AKA mustski

I can keep a Secret
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Big Bear, California
This is our 3rd year of retirement and, so far, I REALLY like it. We were lucky... last year was our big year of travel abroad with a 4 week fall trip to Europe including a 14 day Mediterranean cruise, then a December Caribbean cruise, and an early March trip to the Alps. We came home March 16 ... so we just made it. With Covid keeping us "down on the farm," we put our next set of plans into effect and bough a house in RENO!!! It is a new build and will be ready in April so we are super excited to join the Tahoe crowd for spring skiing - assuming that Covid is settling down some by then. We plan to travel more and live back and forth between Big Bear and Reno because we really like both places. We will continue to RV because we enjoy checking out new places and it is easier with 2 large dogs to take a house with us. When we retired, I really thought I would miss being involved in theater. I spent 30 years immersed in the theater world as a teacher, a costume designer, and a director. Surprisingly, I haven't missed it. I'm not saying I won't find myself again involved in community theater at some level but, right now, I like being foot loose and fancy free.
 

pchewn

Skiing the powder
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Apr 24, 2017
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2,607
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Beaverton OR USA
This is my 2nd full year of retirement, plus 3 years where I worked in the summer and skied all winter. I created and did the "Oregon Ski Safari" my 1st year. The motto/goal was "Every Area, Every Lift, Every Run".

I'm biking about 2hrs/day, skiing midweek solo, and skiing weekends and holidays with my grandsons. My son, grandsons, and I are building and flying model planes. I would be travelling with my wife who retired this summer, but ..... COVID.

Of course, what makes some of this possible is thankfully I started putting money away a little each week starting in 1980 when I got a "real" job. That and living within our means created a nice retirement account that really helps now. You youngsters take note: save and invest a little each week.

No big goals, I'm winging it.

Archer-foamer2.jpg Glider-A.jpg
 

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Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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@Andy Mink: great looking management team. I've got 3 labs myself, but one chocolate sprinkled between the two black labs. The graying pattern on one of yours is very similar to that on one of mine (9 yo).
Now 66 but between COVID and possible boredom, no current intention of retiring any time soon.
The one with the gray on the left is now 14 ¹/² years old.
 
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Jim Kenney

Jim Kenney

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Right pole is bent, left is straight?

There's probably a good story there.
It's a story we'll have to fill in with our imaginations. That guy in blue was a random older stranger who blew by me on a powder day at Snowbird.
:daffy:
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
10,893
Location
NJ
I am currently in my last full work week of my career, will be going to 2 days a week starting next month as supplemental income to my 401(k) and soc. sec. benefits. I was really looking forward to a cheap senior pass at Camelback since it's 30 minutes from my house. But, the covid virus issues have put a damper on that, and at this point I am just waiting to see how the local areas work things. Travel is not in the cards, maybe not for a few years. Both my kids live at a distance that driving isnt all that practical, so that's going to have to wait as well. Most of my other plans will be house projects and various rebuilding/modifications to the 69 VW I recently acquired. And I recently found out I am deathly allergic to wasp and hornet stings (had a close brush with death from anaphylaxis in August) so I will be starting injections to lessen my sensitivity to them...which is a 5 year program that starts 2X/week
Congrats on your last full week, and easing into retirement by working two days a week is a good idea. When this is all over I look forward to getting out to CB and making some turns with the group that you and I skied with a few years ago.
 

bbinder

Making fresh tracks
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Massachusetts
It is interesting to read all of the positive stories about retirement. As I reached my retirement date (end of 2019), I thought about it a lot and got a fair amount of advice. I noted that when the men of my parents' generation retired, they often found themselves adrift: their job/career seemed to define them and without that anchor they were lost. I have enough outside interests so that I never felt defined by my occupation. Therefore I felt that I could keep myself occupied and felling satisfied in retirement.

The beginning of this year, Marcia and I scratched a long time itch and spent a couple of months in ski country. We packed our stuff, the dog, and the cat into a pickup truck, drove out west, and spent 2 months living in an Airbnb in Salt Lake City. And skiing of course. Our winter was cut short by Covid, and we felt fortunate to get home without any mishaps. My plan all along was to spend a couple of months doing nothing after the winter, so we certainly checked that box... Now the thought is what to do once all of the restrictions of the pandemic ease up. We did have a lot of travel plans for the previous 7 months, and of course that went out the window. We had 3 out of town weddings that we were going to attend (including one to Alaska), a trip to Hungary that was scrapped, and a family trip to South Africa that was delayed for a year. Overall, we feel very fortunate to have a home and do not worry about finances.

The long term plan from here is in flux. Volunteering always sounds good, but at this point I find it difficult to commit to any kind of schedule. I did feel a certain amount of melancholy leaving my career. After 40 years of doing something fairly well, there is a certain amount of sadness that any knowledge or skill that I have is being put out to pasture. I enjoy mentoring younger veterinarians, but have had no opportunities despite offering my services. Fortunately there are enough friends, family, and friends of family that ask me for advice so that I feel that I am exercising some of my brain. Of course, I always make sure that anybody asking for my opinion may be getting what they are paying for...

My enemy is inertia. I like to read and can find my self sitting for hours. I like to have projects, and have taken the opportunity to learn some small new skills. Marcia and I go to the gym, I take short, slow runs, we go for drives (including some high speed drives on a track). The kids are healthy and doing well. Marcia and I are healthy and well. Basically life is good.
 

Bill Miles

Old Man Groomer Zoomer
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Nov 16, 2015
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Hailey, Idaho
Been retired for 18-1/2 years (took early retirement at 55).

First thing I did was move from Wichita, Ks to the Sun Valley area.

Haven't regretted it a bit.

From shortly before I retired to now, a number of my co-workers have keeled over dead, most while still working. No sense working until you die if there is any choice.
 

Posaune

sliding
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Mar 26, 2016
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Bellingham, WA
As an addition to my first post in this thread, I've got to agree with @Bill Miles on this one, no sense working yourself to death. I retired from teaching at 54, 12 years ago, and while I did some part time work with a Christmas tree farm which I've now left behind me, I've had time to delve into the things that really move me. Being a musician I've expanded the amount of things I'm involved in. I play in the local symphony, a big band (swing music), and a small ensemble that is pretty eclectic in the stuff we perform. I also direct another big band. Since I'm involved in music, which is generally a night time and weekend activity, it gives me weekdays during ski season to hit the slopes, around 40 to 50 days per season. I can't think of a better life for me.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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Joined
Dec 22, 2015
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10,893
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NJ
It is interesting to read all of the positive stories about retirement. As I reached my retirement date (end of 2019), I thought about it a lot and got a fair amount of advice. I noted that when the men of my parents' generation retired, they often found themselves adrift: their job/career seemed to define them and without that anchor they were lost. I have enough outside interests so that I never felt defined by my occupation. Therefore I felt that I could keep myself occupied and felling satisfied in retirement.

The beginning of this year, Marcia and I scratched a long time itch and spent a couple of months in ski country. We packed our stuff, the dog, and the cat into a pickup truck, drove out west, and spent 2 months living in an Airbnb in Salt Lake City. And skiing of course. Our winter was cut short by Covid, and we felt fortunate to get home without any mishaps. My plan all along was to spend a couple of months doing nothing after the winter, so we certainly checked that box... Now the thought is what to do once all of the restrictions of the pandemic ease up. We did have a lot of travel plans for the previous 7 months, and of course that went out the window. We had 3 out of town weddings that we were going to attend (including one to Alaska), a trip to Hungary that was scrapped, and a family trip to South Africa that was delayed for a year. Overall, we feel very fortunate to have a home and do not worry about finances.

The long term plan from here is in flux. Volunteering always sounds good, but at this point I find it difficult to commit to any kind of schedule. I did feel a certain amount of melancholy leaving my career. After 40 years of doing something fairly well, there is a certain amount of sadness that any knowledge or skill that I have is being put out to pasture. I enjoy mentoring younger veterinarians, but have had no opportunities despite offering my services. Fortunately there are enough friends, family, and friends of family that ask me for advice so that I feel that I am exercising some of my brain. Of course, I always make sure that anybody asking for my opinion may be getting what they are paying for...

My enemy is inertia. I like to read and can find my self sitting for hours. I like to have projects, and have taken the opportunity to learn some small new skills. Marcia and I go to the gym, I take short, slow runs, we go for drives (including some high speed drives on a track). The kids are healthy and doing well. Marcia and I are healthy and well. Basically life is good.
After 48 years of the working world and even though I have a lot of things to do in retirement it was still an adjustment. Especially since I also moved to the new home in a 55 plus community. Several adjustments at once can be interesting to say the least. Covid-19 did also put a damper on some travel plans and we can't wait for this to be over. My best guess is 6 to 9 months from now but who knows.
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
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Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
I retired 10 years ago at age 62 and while I formerly worked mostly seasonally, so skied lots, I now have not missed a opening day in 10 years.
When I retired I found a small mom and pop truck camper manufacturer and had them build me a winter capable truck camper and then wouldn't you know it Vail goes out and starts the season pass wars. :ogbiggrin: At the time the Cdn dollar was worth more than the US dollar so the $16K US camper only cost me $15K CDN, but then the Canadian government wanted $1K in duty/taxes when I brought the camper back to Canada.

My broker then advised me to invest in US dollars and I opened a US bank account that now when the CDN dollar is way below the US dollar, allows me to travel to the US on extended trips in the truck camper at a very reasonable price. In fact I don't believe that I have missed a national Gathering starting in 2012.

In summers I travel in the camper to a few blues festivals but the best summer activity is my dog Tia and I are members of the Pacific Animal Therapy Society. We visit old folks and extended care homes and she loves it.
 

Fuller

Semi Local
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Joined
Feb 18, 2016
Posts
1,522
Location
Whitefish or Florida
It's all about your health and what you need in order to thrive after 60. Skiing, biking and swimming keeps me busy year 'round. Aside from the occasional 7k bicycle I'm quite frugal and don't need a whole lot of income to keep the house running. I just want to be enjoying the outdoors when I'm in my 80's in some form or fashion. Perhaps I'll get to the point of volunteering in some way but right now I'm having too much fun and I'm kinda selfish with my time.
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
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Thread Starter
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Jim Kenney

Jim Kenney

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I can relate to parts of almost every post in this thread. Lots of interesting input! I've been fully retired for almost two years. I think the social distancing required in 2020 has made the transition to retirement even more stark from past work and social connections.

I'm glad I'm retired because my job didn't lend itself to remote work and I would still be going to a large office frequently. Yet, it's been frustrating to endure 2020 when we're not really free to roam about as usual. But no way can I complain. No sickness and I was able to spilt the year between east and west living situations including mountain and shore time.

Being around my wife 24/7 has been an adjustment, even after 40 years of marriage. She's always been the boss of our domestic situation and has the experience running household stuff. I'm super glad to have her during this crazy year and realize I need to keep working to up my game in the areas of listening and compromising. My wife upped her culinary/cooking game this year in a huge way!

My wife and family are my source of purpose at this point. Grateful for my career as a defense worker, but work was always just a means to an end and I don't miss it. I do have a small amount of guilt about overdosing on "me time". Hopefully I can improve on useful/charitable volunteer stuff in the future. I have one volunteer pursuit involving skiing that I hope to get a shot at after we get by the craziness of 2020. I generally try to stay physically active, but the fall seems to be the time I am most likely to turn into a couch potato. All smart retirees have to make fitness and health a priority.

I hope to get in about 50 days of skiing this winter, but realize that is all subject to change. Will start slowly and hopefully ski into late season.
 
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SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Nov 17, 2015
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823
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Wyoming
Closing in on retirement, but always keeping an ear to the ground at work for some kind of 'package'. Officially I'm still 5 years from being 66.9 years old, the social security target age. However, the company I work for just stated they'll let you start drawing their retirement, even while I'm working. Since the crossover where I'd start loosing money is well into my 80's (unlike social security), I'll start that in a few months as I turn 62.

As far as what I'd like to do, several things come to mind. More skiing of course, more than the 15 days a year I've been averaging. Draw more on you SKiTalkers for some company. Maybe a long road trip where I'd get to bag all the MTC or IKON resorts in the neighborhood. Travel with the wife, making our yearly trip to Maui, and way more time in the motorhome with the dog dry camping in the boonies. We're still in flux as to where we'd like to move to. I've got a building lot in Star Valley Ranch in WY, but that might end up on the market as we may want to live closer to airports and hospitals. Strange how your thinking changes between age 50 and 60.
 
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Jim Kenney

Jim Kenney

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Resurrecting this thread.

More thoughts on:
where, when, and how has being retired affected your skiing?

For me it's been pretty dramatic. I spent over 40 years primarily skiing small resorts in the Mid-Atlantic US. While there were a few years in my 20s when I skied 40-50 days, I usually averaged about 10-20 each winter over the decades. I was lucky if I escaped the Mid-A one week per winter to ski New England or US West.

In early 2015 I went from full time to half time working hours (semi-retired) and started doing 2 or 3 one-week or longer western trips per winter. This coincided with my adult son (avid skier) moving to Utah in 2015 and most of my skiing being redirected from the Mid-A to Utah and CO. In early 2019 I fully retired and started doing 3 or 4 month stays in Utah with my average ski days per winter increasing to 40 or 50. I might have been tempted to ski even more, but my non-skiing wife accompanies me and I take quite a few days off to be with her.

I was never a super strong skier, but it's possible there has been a slight uptick since retirement. This is basically because of more slope time, but also skiing in the Rockies instead of the Mid-A tends to force you to raise your game or fall by the wayside.
O:)

Perhaps the best thing about skiing while retired is that I'm now in the position to mostly ski partial days. I don't have to ski bell to bell to feel like I'm getting the most out of my precious few ski days. I can ski when I feel like it, rather than ski because it's the only chance I can. A quality over quantity thing. 40 half days is definitely more fun than 20 full days when age 65+
:-P
 

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