I finally pushed the "Retire" button this morning!

[Slow But Steady]

I've been thinking and talking about retiring for a couple of years. DW actually retired a bit over two years ago, and our money situation was OK for me to retire at that time, but I was still enjoying the work and not quite ready to go.

I'm 62 and my wife is 61, so it's not exactly early retirement by the standards of this board, but it's still a big step. I'm an engineer doing advanced process control work in a big chemical plant. The technical content of the work is still quite interesting, but I find I have less patience with the administrative and other BS content of the job.

My last day will be July 15. I find that I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time, like many of the stories I read here.

By the way, there actually is a "Retire" button on the company's internal web site, but they make it hard to find.

 

[jjquantz]

Congratulations and welcome to the club.

 

[RobbieB]

Good for you!

I was an engineer too, EE working on motion control (automation) out here in N CA. Yeah, talk about job security, how about automation work in hi-tech heaven?

But the Co. kept adding new lines that had nothing to do with what I was good at and I felt like the old dog expected to learn new tricks. Vision systems, RFID's, interface to central control. More like computer networking than motion control. I had the dough and didn't want to learn "new tricks"

But that's the way the world is moving, more automation not less.

 

[steveark]

Me too

I was an engineer as well, but had moved to managing a large plant probably similar to yours. The last two years only having money thrown at me made it worthwhile. When I turned 60, with no decent bonuses or stock awards in sight I gladly left. I still get my tech buzz on consulting two days a week. But the abuse from senior corporate management is blissfully absent in life 2.0, retirement. I recommend part time technical work of some kind, paid or volunteer, I have two paid and a half dozen volunteer gigs and that still gives me lots of play time. Congratulations!

 

[ImThinkin2019]

Another engineer here. Congratulations to you. I hope you post progress info so I know what to look forward to.

I like the personal relationships and the intellectual stimulation I get from the job. The international travel is tiring and I do quite a bit of it. Not sure exactly when I will pull the plug but could be within the next year or two.

Could work part time after that if I want, as a sales engineer. We'll see.

 

[mystang52]

Congrats.

 

[Katiek]

Congrats, enjoy!!

 

[Slow But Steady]

I told one person that I had pushed the button, and several others came by to congratulate me. My target date has been known for a couple months, but it still felt good.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of work I'm trying to finish, getting a new application finished and documented before July. On the other hand, if I don't finish, what are they going to do, fire me?

 

[RobbieB]

That's the same attitude I had -

 

[Terryjm51]

Hey I am in petro-chemicals, south of you in the alvin lake jackson area.
Congrats on retirement, there are so many people retiring THEN they are bringing people back to help consult. We have a huge dcs upgrade going on as I write this.
Again congrats on pulling the trigger. Maybe last year for me STILL trying to figure this stuff out. One good thing I do have vanguard.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[38Chevy454]

Congratulations on the pending retirement. I am an engineer also, it does get frustrating dealing with the non-technical administrative and corporate BS. Since you are an engineer, just let your logical side lead the path in retirement, and you know it will workout successfully.

 

[Prime Number]

Another engineer here - seems like we're in good company
Wishing you the best of success and happiness! Congrats!!

Keep us posted on your journey