Bold leap into retirement

katejo

HillsideRetired said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

one of the simple feel good factors of retirement , is siting on a plane , car , train on the return journey from that first holiday after retirement  , realising that you dont have to return to work on your return . its priceless 

I recently read a comment from someone already retired for a while. They said that the lost all motivation to travel once they had stopped work completely. I really hope I don't feel that way! 

katejo

german_keeper said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

Well played sir/madam. And the best thing about the new normal is that there is no more Groundhog Day. Every day is now an adventure rather than a chore. 

Don't you still have to do boring housework/Cleaning chores? 

ColdIron

katejo said:

german_keeper said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

Well played sir/madam. And the best thing about the new normal is that there is no more Groundhog Day. Every day is now an adventure rather than a chore. 

Don't you still have to do boring housework/Cleaning chores? 

I dusted once

It came back

Not falling for that again

eastcorkram

katejo said:

HillsideRetired said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

one of the simple feel good factors of retirement , is siting on a plane , car , train on the return journey from that first holiday after retirement  , realising that you dont have to return to work on your return . its priceless 

I recently read a comment from someone already retired for a while. They said that the lost all motivation to travel once they had stopped work completely. I really hope I don't feel that way! 

Nothing changed for me. I had no motivation to travel when I was working, and I have no motivation to travel now I'm retired! 

george_jetson

katejo said:

HillsideRetired said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

one of the simple feel good factors of retirement , is siting on a plane , car , train on the return journey from that first holiday after retirement  , realising that you dont have to return to work on your return . its priceless 

I recently read a comment from someone already retired for a while. They said that the lost all motivation to travel once they had stopped work completely. I really hope I don't feel that way! 

Interesting - I feel exactly the same way. It was the realisation (during Covid) that I didn't really miss (overseas) travelling that made me reassess my priorities and quit work a couple of years earlier than originally intended.

A few reasons for this

Covid made me realise how much there is to see and do on my own doorstep/in the UK that I had previously taken for granted.

I travelled a lot when I was younger - working holidays in USA and Australia, backpacking, package holidays with mates to the Med etc. I just find travelling less "enjoyable" as I get older - visiting Manhattan in my 20s was more "fun" than in my 40s even with more money in my back pocket

Partly related to the above - mass tourism means a lot of destinations are coming to despise tourists - look at the protests in parts of Spain for example.

Now I no longer work I no longer feel the need to go on holiday for a break - every day is a holiday now.

I do still get away - off on a cruise later this year, but if it got cancelled it really wouldn't bother me...

katejo

george_jetson said:

katejo said:

HillsideRetired said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

one of the simple feel good factors of retirement , is siting on a plane , car , train on the return journey from that first holiday after retirement  , realising that you dont have to return to work on your return . its priceless 

I recently read a comment from someone already retired for a while. They said that the lost all motivation to travel once they had stopped work completely. I really hope I don't feel that way! 

Interesting - I feel exactly the same way. It was the realisation (during Covid) that I didn't really miss (overseas) travelling that made me reassess my priorities and quit work a couple of years earlier than originally intended.

A few reasons for this

Covid made me realise how much there is to see and do on my own doorstep/in the UK that I had previously taken for granted.

I travelled a lot when I was younger - working holidays in USA and Australia, backpacking, package holidays with mates to the Med etc. I just find travelling less "enjoyable" as I get older - visiting Manhattan in my 20s was more "fun" than in my 40s even with more money in my back pocket

Partly related to the above - mass tourism means a lot of destinations are coming to despise tourists - look at the protests in parts of Spain for example.

Now I no longer work I no longer feel the need to go on holiday for a break - every day is a holiday now.

I do still get away - off on a cruise later this year, but if it got cancelled it really wouldn't bother me...

I really missed travel and holidays during COVID. I didn't go abroad while there was still a requirement for a negative COVID test to return but I really wanted to. I do UK travel as well but my main trips are abroad. I avoid mass tourism in peak season but will have more freedom to choose once retired 

pterri

george_jetson said:

katejo said:

HillsideRetired said:

arthur_fowler said:

I too finished yesterday! Cracking farewell last night. Off on holiday on Monday and I guess it will really sink in when we get back and the new normal starts.

one of the simple feel good factors of retirement , is siting on a plane , car , train on the return journey from that first holiday after retirement  , realising that you dont have to return to work on your return . its priceless 

I recently read a comment from someone already retired for a while. They said that the lost all motivation to travel once they had stopped work completely. I really hope I don't feel that way! 

Interesting - I feel exactly the same way. It was the realisation (during Covid) that I didn't really miss (overseas) travelling that made me reassess my priorities and quit work a couple of years earlier than originally intended.

A few reasons for this

Covid made me realise how much there is to see and do on my own doorstep/in the UK that I had previously taken for granted.

I travelled a lot when I was younger - working holidays in USA and Australia, backpacking, package holidays with mates to the Med etc. I just find travelling less "enjoyable" as I get older - visiting Manhattan in my 20s was more "fun" than in my 40s even with more money in my back pocket

Partly related to the above - mass tourism means a lot of destinations are coming to despise tourists - look at the protests in parts of Spain for example.

Now I no longer work I no longer feel the need to go on holiday for a break - every day is a holiday now.

I do still get away - off on a cruise later this year, but if it got cancelled it really wouldn't bother me...

I defo want to see more of the uk. I’ve been to Australia three times, NZ, Malaysia, Thailand etc, etc… it can be hard work though if you want to go off the beaten track. Accommodation and eating out can be cheaper abroad though. I’ll be looking up last minute deals in the autum and winter to get some sun, no need to worry about dates now that work is not an issue. 

Smudgeismydog

Really interesting comments, a lot of people have assumed I must have lots of travel booked now I’ve retired, I don’t. Like @george_jetson, I feel like I am on holiday all the time.

Yes, there are some places I’d still like to see, but I don’t feel any rush just yet. I’m still enjoying my new routines, and owning my own time.

I think that travel is hugely important for some people, and that’s great, but not for me. I’m a homebody, and there are so many places I want to explore in the UK, which currently is more appealing. 

Cobbler_tone

We are driving 400 miles tomorrow to get a new puppy. It makes the decision for more UK travel very easy! 

Recently had a lovely week in Madeira but we are always so happy to be home and find the whole airport experience increasingly stressful. 

I find as we get older that all these plans of travelling and moving house move to the back burner.

Storcko14

Contemplating retirement this July, one of the things that has occupied my thoughts, possibly even more than the money side, is the need to keep mentally active, to challenge myself and keep the mind open.  Travel provided that when I was younger and relatively fearless (at least compared the older, more cautious me) and since those days my job usually ensured I was exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking.  I'm not sure I've fully figured out the answer but slow, off the beaten track travel here and abroad will definitely feature.