How are you feeling, Class of 2018?

[Pellice]

Hey, classmates, I'm curious as to how everyone is feeling, months into FIRE. Has it made a difference? I've been able to increase my cardio. I particularly notice an improvement in skin tone. I did jettison virtually all of my anxiety. I've started a meditation program (I never had a good time for it when I needed it, lol!). Still lacking in strength and flexibility training.

Oh, and I decluttered the basement!

 

[JoeWras]

Feeling pretty good! Finally have a groove. I've settled on 1 day a week of volunteer stuff. 1 day a week of working on the house. 1 day on doing some other active thing. And the rest as it comes.

I'm down 15 lb. However, I overdid the swimming and inflamed the shoulder. Gotta work on a better balance of activity.

DW and I have learned to keep our spaces and are doing good with minimal irritation of each other in our new found time.

I will say the first few months had more detail transition stuff (example: coordinating all the insurance stuff) than I expected. The first few were not as relaxed as expected, but that's behind us now.

 

[WestUniversity]

Loving it so far. Catching up on my project list around the house. Back at the gym 3 days a week. I’ve managed to drop quite a few pounds. Looking at some volunteer opportunities through our church. Time to catch up with DW. I’ve almost finalized all my post MegaCorp tasks. Last thing is getting the lump sum distribution from my pension. Basically doing the things I want to do when I want to do them. Told my wife driving home from the gym last week that I feel better than I have felt in a very long time...

 

[jollystomper]

Words cannot describe my joy for the past 7 months. Have had more opportunity for golfing, and have gotten back into bowling, which I had not done much much I was a teenager. Working on projects around the house - not as fast as I expected, but since I set the deadlines it is all good . More quality time with DW (struck a good balance of together time and alone time) and the rest of the family. more consistent time at the gym. A little more volunteering and looking at some additional volunteering opportunities. The ability to wake up each day and decide my activities with no stress or pressure is wonderfully priceless. Even "surprises" like a sudden repair need are much easier to deal with.

I took a break from IT technology for six months, and am slowly getting back into areas of interest. I thought by now I might desire some level of part time work, and had started to update my website and get it fully online... but I just feel to lazy to do much of that. Several job offers have come my way, but they have wanted full time or long term commitments, and I am just not interested in going back to that.

 

[Col. Klink]

Let's see... just got back from the gym where I go now 5 - 6 times / week. Doing a few posts on ER.org. It's sunny and the high will be around 80 today so I will be hanging out at the pool in a little while. Going kayaking tomorrow. Thinking about hitting a bucket of balls. May play golf. Going to Florida Gators baseball vs. Long Beach State this weekend and will have a refreshing beverage thereafter at the Swamphead Brewery. Yeah, it's not too bad!

 

[Chapter 3]

Only been a couple months but this is awesome! Enjoying my sole commitment of taking better care of myself. Generally golfing three days a week, running four days a week (training for half-marathon), and starting a personal trainer today.

 

[JP.mpls]

I'm circling the airport, and I can see the runway. May 1st notice, and end of May departure planned.
Nice to hear some positive recently retired comments.
Had a beer with 3 former coworkers, now retired, a few weeks back. Everyone of them said get the hell out as soon as you can financially do it.
That is the plan.


Take care, JP

 

[poppydog]

10 months in now for Mrs PD and me. We’re loving every day. It’s great to shopping or run errands when everyone else is at work- this hadn’t occurred to me.

We’ve had several wonderful vacations. Admittedly we’ve gone a bit mad this year but will quieten done soon I’m sure ��

We are currently visiting DD and our wonderful Grandson in the south if England. We’re from Glasgow, Scotland about 450 miles away. There’s another grandchild on the way. As the old joke has it -if I’d known grandkids were so much fun I’d have had them first!

It’s the first of the month today when I pull together all the pension payments from our ex employers and our investment income and we officially “pay” ourselves. It’s wonderful having a pay day for no work!

Talking of vacations, Mrs PD and me are off to Las Vegas in two weeks!

Yes this class of 2018 alumni is doing pretty good!

 

[Jollyquick]

5 months here in Europe. Like many, we lost a lot of weight and significantly simplified our lives. Then we went on back to back vacations, one being a cruise, and promptly put that weight right back on! The biggest difference has really been our mutual happiness level. We both quit last year and are amazed at what a difference that made in our perceived quality of life.