Do Retirees Get a Vacation?

[daylatedollarshort]

We thought we would downsize and travel, but instead we kept the house and got a dog. We do more day trips these days since those are easier with the dog. We live in a tourist spot with nice weather most of the year so there's usually a lot to do locally. I plan a little something most days. Last night we were at the Chabot Space and Science Museum. We watched the space station orbit overhead on the observation deck and then heard a presentation from an astronomer at SETI on exoplanets.

 

[FreeBear]

Vacation actually seems to have diminished since retirement.

I thought this was happening to us too. We only spent half our travel budget the first two years, for several reasons. We were recovering from the initial FIRE transition and the renovation and sale of a house. Tepid stock market performance at the time, right as I retired, made be a bit nervous.

Now, into our third year, we just went nuts. Spent twice as much as budgeted and have been gone 2 out of the last 6 months. We had a blast!

On the other hand, I doubt we'll go anywhere for almost 6 months. Got to deal with other medical stuff and take some strain off the withdrawal rate.

 

[brett]

Travelling, and preparing for travel, can take a lot of work depending on how you do it.

We typically do a fair amount of independent travel. We arrange everything on own after researching where we want to go.

 

[W2R]

Now that everybody knows we're retired, it seems we're expected to always be around to help family and attend various functions.

Maybe you don't need a vacation - - you might just need to start saying "NO". It can be done without offending anybody, unless they have a huge chip on their shoulders.

We are retired, but don't travel. Every day is a vacation day for us. Or, as one might say, "Every night's a Saturday night, and every day's a Sunday". We do what we want, when we want to do it, and nobody can tell us we can't.

 

[Amethyst]

"We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you."

We do what we want, when we want to do it, and nobody can tell us we can't.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We are retired, but don't travel. Every day is a vacation day for us. Or, as one might say, "Every night's a Saturday night, and every day's a Sunday". We do what we want, when we want to do it, and nobody can tell us we can't.

We get quite a few seat filler tickets for weekday nights when it is harder to fill seats, so our running joke after coming home from some fun club or concert is "We call this Tuesday" or whatever weeknight it is. Every day is a vacation day for us, too.

 

[Sunset]

Interesting. Do you suppose they release cabins in batches, like airline seats? Seems no matter when I book a flight there are always only a few seats available. Even if the plane is half-empty when I board.

I would suspect this if they showed limited availablitiy, a way to keep the price high. However the 3-4 sites I visted, including the cruise ship site itself all showed nothing available or "sold out".
A funny way to try to sell more unless it's simply true.

 

[brett]

We no longer book too far ahead when we travel. Unless of course it is a cruise or an AI.

Typically our winter trips are 8-10 weeks. Prior to leaving we know where we are flying to, when and where were are flying home from. Often the in between is subject to change. We may have a few short hop flights booked but and airport hotels if they are early flights but that is the extent of it. We have done this for the past four winters. This year will be the fifth. The only reservation/plan so far is a flight to Singapore and a flight home from Manilla 8 weeks later. We know we are going to spend time on the Thai islands on Andaman coast and a month in the Philippines. And a little time as possible in Manila.

That is the extent of our planning so far. When we do plan it will be the areas that we want visit. Arranging hotels, etc will be done en route, usually just a few days in advance. Same with local travel. So there is a fair amount of work prior to leaving and certainly while we are there.

 

[Surewhitey]

We explored vs. vacationed. Found some really quiet, sleepy, beach towns within a few hour's drive and went often to these. Traveling back stateside too was our vacation visiting friends & family.

 

[kevdude]

We still have kids in school (ages 15 and 13), so we still call it vacation. We do try to take nice trips during their time off. Our son is in 10th grade and does debate and we will sign him up for a 7-week debate camp next summer. Not sure how that will impact our plans, maybe we'll just spend time in the vicinity/region of the camp. Or we may just say screw him and go on a big trip whilst he's at camp (within the confines our our daughter's activities as well).

 

[Teacher Terry]

when we first retired my younger friends were always asking us to do things for them like take their dogs to the vet, sit at their homes for delivery, etc. I got pretty resentful and then just started to say I was busy.

 

[happy2bretired]

I have to take a vacation from my dog at least once a year. I love her but I need a rest once in a while. [emoji45]

 

[btdt22]

vacation

[vey-key-shuh n, vuh-]

noun

"A period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday"


I consider myself as permanently unemployed and therefore ineligible for vacation

 

[FUEGO]

This weekend we booked a cruise just for me and DW. It's last minute - we leave in 5 days. This is a true vacation - we paid up for nonstop flights that will have us at the port when we need to be there and flying back home a convenient time after we return to the US. While on board we will do very little other than eat, drink, sleep, be entertained, and explore a few islands (or not; the hot tubs are pretty nice).

And we're leaving all the kids at home!

 

[MBAustin]

Good for you, FUEGO! It's good for both parents and kids to have a break from each other occasionally.

I don't call my trips vacations, but my BFF who ER'd before me does - her goal is to plan one per month. Her DH is very involved in significant volunteer roles (board chair, etc.) so they do have to plan around his schedule. Similarly, I have several commitments that limit flexibility in being away, but most months we have something that breaks up the routine.

 

[socca]

Since the pleasure of anticipating going on vacation exceeds that of actually being on vacation, I've decided to just be in an eternal state of anticipation while neglecting to getting around to actually going.

This is why Friday continues to be the best day of the week even though I've been out of the corporate rat race for 10 years. The anticipation of the weekend was almost always more pleasurable than the weekend itself.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Since the pleasure of anticipating going on vacation exceeds that of actually being on vacation, I've decided to just be in an eternal state of anticipation while neglecting to getting around to actually going.

This is why Friday continues to be the best day of the week even though I've been out of the corporate rat race for 10 years. The anticipation of the weekend was almost always more pleasurable than the weekend itself.

It makes no sense for us to plan events more for Friday and Saturday night than any other day of the week these days, but still I feel more bored if we are home Friday but it doesn't seem to matter if we are home on Wednesday. Old habits die hard. I still look forward to the weekends, too. I've given in and always have something planned even if it is just something simple like a dinner out or a movie. Even carryout and Redbox will do in a pinch.

 

[Souschef]

We make our plans for during the week. We just had lunch today at a nice Irish pub that was almost empty.
We saw a great movie at a Wednesday matinee with very few people, then went to dinner across the street at an almost empty restaurant.
That is also the reason we go to Costco during the week.

 

[scrabbler1]

Since retiring 9 years ago, I don't consider any trips vacations. Instead, I just say I am "going out of town." When I was working, a vacation was simply time away from work when I was supposed to be working but took days off from work. It didn't have to include any travel. It was like being retired but just for a few days at a time and it had a definite endpoint. Best part of being retired - no definite endpoint!

 

[akck]

This year, we’ll have traveled 9 times of which only 1 would be considered a vacation. 7 of the trips were visiting our kids and included 4 trips to help one move (getting old house ready to sell plus packing and unpacking 3 months later). The other trip was for a medical issue. Of course, 6 of the trips allow us to see our granddaughter.

So I think you can have vacations in retirement and we need to take more of them. Much of our travel this year felt more like work, but we’d still do them.

 

[kgtest]

My poor mom is getting flown around the country to help out with babysitting and family issues while other's can do international travel. Her time will come....dad has big plans for 2018. Meanwhile dad is back home fixing his house up and my oldest sisters house since she is handyman-less aka divorced.

Mom always kind of enjoyed helping us kids but I think flying across country to babysit is getting a little on her "annoying" side.

Some might say, just pay for a babysitter... to that I say trust no one.

 

[W2R]

"We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you."

What an ear worm!

Playing and enjoying life when retired is SO much more fun than doing the same a kid. Who needs a vacation? Life is free and wonderful, blissful and spontaneous.

OK, I can't resist:

 

[sengsational]

Since the pleasure of anticipating going on vacation exceeds that of actually being on vacation, I've decided to just be in an eternal state of anticipation while neglecting to getting around to actually going.

I hate to admit it, but I've run into instances where sex fits that catagory

 

[FUEGO]

Good for you, FUEGO! It's good for both parents and kids to have a break from each other occasionally.

Definitely. We're already thinking about how nice it'll be to only take care of ourselves and not us + 3 kids.