My story is a little different from the others. I was very happy in the teaching profession. I actually enjoyed my job.
As I came closer to the age of 55, I realized that life is not forever. We need to be thankful for each day, as our life can come to an end in a heartbeat.
I asked myself the following question, "If you only had a year to live, would you spend it teaching." The answer was a definitive no. The next question is, "So then why am I working?"
Working made no sense. My wife and I were financially independent, so why why not spend each day doing something we enjoy more?
We both turned in our notice in the Spring of 2006 and have enjoyed our stress free lives ever since. As much as I loved teaching, traveling is much more enjoyable.
I now look forward to weekdays, when kids are in school and everybody is at work and the roads are less crowded. We can now choose the ideal time when we want to go somewhere and not be overwhelmed with crowds. When we see drivers rushing to get to work on time, we feel sorry for them.
Some may ask, "Well don't you get bored?" My standard rebuttal is, "I don't know when I ever had time for work before."
I can still vividly an incident that took place as we drove down Cape Cod in the afternoon a year ago this month. We stopped for a sandwich at a deli and decided to make a picnic out of our lunch and eat in a park. While we were enjoying our lunch, a school bus stopped and dropped off some noisy children. As they got off the bus, I was thankful that I was now able to spend my time traveling instead of being confined to a classroom. This incident has always served to validate my decision for early retirement.
I wish you many years of freedom, contentment and happiness, DangerMouse!
