Surprises during the first month

[Bklyn55]

I have been retired a month and have been surprised by a few things. First of all, I can't believe how wonderful retirement is!! I expected to have some anxiety, doubts and sadness, but haven't had any regrets at all. I am sleeping better, less anxious and have already lost weight from walking and not sitting at a desk 8 hours a day. The day goes by really fast. Other events with friends and family are more enjoyable now. Maybe I will get bored or restless over time, but right now, one month in, life is great!!

 

[CaptTom]

Congratulations!

Coming up on one year in, my experience is about the same.

I will say that I started out so busy that I didn't know how I ever found time to w*rk.

I'm still busy, but find that I spend more time "goofing off" (i.e.; reading the ER forum.) The difference is, now I don't feel guilty about it.

 

[Nightcap]

Mazel Tov and Goodonya!

Two years in here, and it just keeps getting better. I'm constantly surprised by a new emotion. The feel of the cool breeze coming through the screen door, the sun gilding the oak tree behind my place, the song of the birds... Joy, I think that's what it's called.

Yesterday, just after refilling the hummingbird feeder, a little ruby-throated hummingbird flew right up to me, hovered to look me in the face, and then zoomed off. That made my whole day.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Time seems to go by so much faster when you are no longer working. At least it does for me.

 

[Ronstar]

You might not have this problem in Brooklyn, but I had to go to quick care multiple times in my first month of retirement to have ticks removed. Other than that, the first month was fine and retirement has stayed fine since.

 

[Bir48die]

Just finished first year last month. Greatest part of the day is drinking coffee and reading the paper/blogs and talking with my wife. It has become the best part of the day to connect with her.

I think my biggest benefit has been working on my impatience. That includes getting in line, traffic, etc. All those things that annoyed us when we were crunched for time. When I start to feel like bitching I just start thinking "what do I care, I'm retired!". I haven't turned into a pushover but this has de-stressed me more than anything. I have also started turning into the 9-3 driver for most of the days.

 

[FI_RElater]

Just finished first year last month. Greatest part of the day is drinking coffee and reading the paper/blogs and talking with my wife. It has become the best part of the day to connect with her.

I think my biggest benefit has been working on my impatience. That includes getting in line, traffic, etc. All those things that annoyed us when we were crunched for time. When I start to feel like bitching I just start thinking "what do I care, I'm retired!". I haven't turned into a pushover but this has de-stressed me more than anything. I have also started turning into the 9-3 driver for most of the days.

With the construction on 26, it's best to not have to drive during the rush hours anyway. Went to the coast a couple of weeks ago, PDX area was heavy traffic especially across the downtown bridges and on 26. ( in central OR, we've got some construction now before the tourist season to repair after the serious winter this year)

 

[Elbata]

I must say, I'm always envious reading this kind of thread. I've had my own business for ~30 years, and for the most part, I wasn't busy. So for me, transitioning was almost imperceptible.

 

[kgtest]

Time seems to go by so much faster when you are no longer working. At least it does for me.

Time flies when you're having fun! Yet another reason to fire early...Work
'aint never fun!

 

[DrRoy]

I'm on month 2. As with you, things are going great and I'm sleeping better. I had lunch with some work friends this week and it's a mess back there! I'm so glad to be gone.

 

[2017ish]

Time flies when you're having fun! Yet another reason to fire early...Work
'aint never fun!

Both DW and I would strongly disagree with this. But, expecting that E.R. will be consistently fun more often than work, and without the biggest tradeoffs of our particular jobs....

 

[Scuba]

Agree that life is even better than expected! Love ER and wish I had done it sooner!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I have to chime in, "Me, too!"

I met with a guy yesterday to get my inherited coin collection appraised. He was very personable and owned a regional coffee company that services businesses. A real go getter, who does coins on the side. I mentioned I was retired early and he responded with the whole "you're too young you must keep busy I had a friend who tried that but went back to work in six months because he was bored" routine.

Yeah, to each his own. I told him I was busier than ever but whatever.

I also met ex coworkers for beers the other day. OH! The politics! Nice to see them but I, too, was so glad to be out of the rat race.

Two months in and it's just getting better.

 

[CaptTom]

I also met ex coworkers for beers the other day. OH! The politics! Nice to see them but I, too, was so glad to be out of the rat race.

I went to a retirement party for a couple of guys from my old department yesterday. Was good to see everybody, especially since a lot of [-]the[/-] us retirees showed up. "We" were all smiles. "They" were regaling us with tales of how much worse MegaCorp has gotten since we left.

Pretty much everyone who can is getting out. It's the young guys with no pension I feel bad for. Then again, they have exactly as much loyalty to MegaCorp as MegaCorp has to them, so I don't expect them to stay any longer than it takes to find a better position elsewhere.

The takeaway from the evening was that everyone agreed "we" made the right decision.

 

[W2R]

I have been retired a month and have been surprised by a few things. First of all, I can't believe how wonderful retirement is!! I expected to have some anxiety, doubts and sadness, but haven't had any regrets at all. I am sleeping better, less anxious and have already lost weight from walking and not sitting at a desk 8 hours a day. The day goes by really fast. Other events with friends and family are more enjoyable now. Maybe I will get bored or restless over time, but right now, one month in, life is great!!

I felt just like that during my first month of retirement. I expected to have at least SOME adjustment problems, but was so happy and everything went really well. What really surprised me was that it just kept getting better.

 

[Retire2017]

I felt just like that during my first month of retirement. I expected to have at least SOME adjustment problems, but was so happy and everything went really well. What really surprised me was that it just kept getting better.

+1

 

[jetpack]

There is nothing like Monday Mornings! So pleasant seeing everyone go back to work and not have a thing to do!

 

[street]

I have one year under my belt and there was some adjustment but I wouldn't go back to a full time job ever again. My time is worth way to much to me now. I do a temp/part time summer gig to stay in shape but that is not going to happen next year. I pretty much come and go when I please but I got the taste of being free and love it!

 

[Charlotte]

I really caught up on sleep that first month (or maybe 2 months). Probably an extra 1 - 1.5 hours a night. It was such a luxury to not have an alarm!

 

[msieweke]

After I retired I started going to bed 2 hours earlier. I never realized that I was putting off bedtime because it meant putting off going to work.

 

[CaptTom]

I really caught up on sleep that first month (or maybe 2 months). Probably an extra 1 - 1.5 hours a night. It was such a luxury to not have an alarm!

After I retired I started going to bed 2 hours earlier. I never realized that I was putting off bedtime because it meant putting off going to work.

Funny thing, that's the one thing that hasn't changed. I never needed an alarm, always woke up at the same time (early by most standards.)

After 36 years of routine, my body just refuses to change that schedule. I get tired when I always did. Various metabolic functions start up at the same time in the morning. I can't usually get back to sleep. So I might as well get out of bed.

That said, it is really nice on those days I do stay up later, and do manage to sleep in a little. I'm practicing. Eventually I hope to be able to get up at a normal hour. It's only been one year

 

[Boss2014]

Congratulations !!!!!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

After 36 years of routine, my body just refuses to change that schedule. I get tired when I always did. Various metabolic functions start up at the same time in the morning. I can't usually get back to sleep. So I might as well get out of bed.

And I thought I was the only one.

 

[Sasset]

I am just over 2 months FIRE'd and I am feeling much of the same. Don't miss work at all. My only stress now is around selling my house, but that is better than work. I am losing weight, sleeping and eating better, getting more exercise and don't need alcohol any more to relax. Now I want to decrease the caffeine and continue to improve my health. It's a journey! Hope your journey to a better life in FIRE continues to go well.

 

[NameRedacted]

I retired beginning of March and it's been about 11 weeks now.

Biggest surprise has been weight gain - I was expecting to lose weight.

For the last 15-20 years I've been about 10-20 lbs overweight. So one of my plans for retirement was to get into shape. The day after I retired I started working out - exercise bike, long walks, weights, eating more fruit and vegetables, getting outside a lot more and yet I'm now 4lbs heavier than when I quit.

I put it down to gaining muscle mass which I expected initially but had thought I'd start to lose some of the fat around the midriff by now.

Other surprise is, I had expected to miss work somewhat, but the reality is I haven't at all. I even found myself failing to remember the names of a couple of major projects I worked on recently when someone asked me what I used to do.