When will it finally feel like I'm retired??

[wishing4it]

FIRE'd 2 months ago but it seems like I haven't FIRE'd at all. Of course, we decided to full-time RV so selling our home, storing stuff, selling stuff, giving away even more stuff took alot of time. Moving my FIL to a Nursing Home at the same time we closed on our home was never planned but had to happen. So two moves really. Then a court hearing involving a family matter that never seems to resolve itself, and another house sale that isn't done yet (this house is a nightmare)... Now, trying to apply for Medicaid on behalf of my FIL from afar.

I must be feeling sorry for myself. I think I need someone here to slap me! There is no way I could have handled everything that's come our way in the last 2 months if I wasn't FIRE'd! Anyone else in this boat? Wish I could just slow down.

 

[FreeAtLast]

I retired about 2 months ago and I have also been quite busy with both planned and unexpected events. Things are finally starting to settle down this week so that I can do some of the household projects that I wanted to get around to doing.

 

[sinjin]

I'd say about 6 months. We went thru much of the same but different. Sold house, had to get rid of 35 years of stuff in 29 days, moved into camper, trailed to daughter's house, spent 45 days getting her house ready for sale, brother in intensive care for 2 months, mom wants to go into assisted care but changes mind at last minute... and on and on. I was in despair that all this was going to define my retirement. Things are finally getting smoother, w00t. It will come.

 

[Nuiloa]

What kind of RV?

Just kidding..... look at it this way: once all the carp is out of the way, you'll be living free on the open road. Think of Dr. Seuss' story of "Oh the Places You'll Go!"

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

 

[W2R]

Oh Nuiloa, I love that! If set to music, that could be the ER Anthem. Thanks for reminding us of this great Dr. Seuss poem.

 

[wishing4it]

LOL! I love it too!

Once I wrap up a few more things, we will be on the way to places "opener"!

 

[sheehs1]

Same. Love it Nuiloa!

 

[Dawg52]

Wish I could just slow down.

Me too. My golf schedule is wearing me out.

 

[Moscyn]

Life after FIRE can still be busy esp with the unplanned events. Something happened today which made me realised that I finally feel retired - had lunch with some friends and we had really good food and I casually said, hey, the food will go very well with wine. One of my friends replied - why not - we don't have to go back to work. And so, we ordered wine and four of us finished a bottle during lunch and then went for doffee and dessert and shopping.

 

[REWahoo]

. And so, we ordered wine and four of us finished a bottle during lunch and then went for doffee and dessert and shopping.

Are yew shur yew only had one lil' ol bottle?

 

[powerplay]

What kind of RV?

Just kidding..... look at it this way: once all the carp is out of the way, you'll be living free on the open road. Think of Dr. Seuss' story of "Oh the Places You'll Go!"

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

I love it! Thanks Nuiloa.

 

[Nuiloa]

May as well finish it. I love this poem. I'm having it framed for my RV, which I'll be hitting the road in in 175 days

Part 2

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

 

[Nuiloa]

Part 3

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

 

[rescueme]

As to the op's question? It took me a good two years (of the 4.5+ years I've been retired).

A lot of factors are involved, but you can't expect after wor*ing for possibly decades to suddenly "put on the brakes", IMHO.

 

[scrabbler1]

My biggest adjustment was not when I ERed in 2008 but in 2001 when I switched from working full-time to part-time which included a mostly telecommuting arrangement and one day a week making the lousy trip to New Jersey. That was when I regained control of my personal life along with rearranging my errands to midday and midweek along with all the other flexibilities from working from home.

That took some getting used to but not THAT long!

 

[Koolau]

Oh Nuiloa, I love that! If set to music, that could be the ER Anthem. Thanks for reminding us of this great Dr. Seuss poem.

Uh, I love this sentiment as well - especially as applied to retirement. It's very positive and uplifting. However, I thought our official song was posted (set to music) many years ago. I could not find it using the search function - never could seem to use that tool very well - but IIRC the words go something like this:

This is a song about my old j*b,
And all the good things I recall about it...

(Music fades out)

But, back to wishing4it's original request: Here ya go! Sort of a do-it-yourself slap in the face

But seriously (why start now). I think wishing4it will get through most of the early retirement busy-ness and suddenly wake up one morning with the liberating realization that "Hey, I'm retired!" I assure you it will be a wonderful moment.

 

[W2R]

Uh, I love this sentiment as well - especially as applied to retirement.

I thought so as well.

 

[Chuckanut]

Wine at lunch! You folks really know how to make a guy feel like dashing through the next seven months!

Retire 9/1/2012 but last work day is about 6/21.

 

[yakers]

I knew I was retired when I went on a looong road trip I have been thinking about for 40 years. Never could have done it while working:

Driving to the Arctic

 

[Nords]

I knew I was retired when I went on a looong road trip I have been thinking about for 40 years. Never could have done it while working:
Driving to the Arctic

I got paid to do that for the Navy, and I bet it's a lot more fun doing it on your own...

 

[Retire Soon]

It's a lot like quitting smoking. At first you will think about tobacco almost everyday. Eventually, you only think about it once in a while. In the final stages of being free, you'll very rarely ever think about w*rk again.

 

[thoreau]

WHEN YOU GET STABILIZED YOU'LL FEEL RETIRED. Until we sold our house and moved, we were in limbo. Now that we have moved, my wife is not subbing part time at the school that she started 16 years ago, and we've gotten out lives together in new ways here, AND we're not going somewhere to be gainfully employed, we know that we are retired.

 

[thoreau]

It's a lot like quitting smoking. At first you will think about tobacco almost everyday. Eventually, you only think about it once in a while. In the final stages of being free, you'll very rarely ever think about w*rk again.

I guess after only 6 months I'm in the final stage. I don't think much about what I did before at all, except as if it was another life. I'm no longer that person. Altho....

For more than 25 years in my work place at Xmas, I hung up a sign with an "L", with one of those NO crosses over it. It means NO-L or Noel! I sent it to the head bosses secretary who used to work for me. She now has it posted in the Head bosses office. Everyone remembers me at Xmas now, since I was the only one who ever poted the sign at Xmas.

 

[W2R]

FIRE'd 2 months ago but it seems like I haven't FIRE'd at all. Of course, we decided to full-time RV so selling our home, storing stuff, selling stuff, giving away even more stuff took alot of time. Moving my FIL to a Nursing Home at the same time we closed on our home was never planned but had to happen. So two moves really. Then a court hearing involving a family matter that never seems to resolve itself, and another house sale that isn't done yet (this house is a nightmare)... Now, trying to apply for Medicaid on behalf of my FIL from afar.

I must be feeling sorry for myself. I think I need someone here to slap me! There is no way I could have handled everything that's come our way in the last 2 months if I wasn't FIRE'd! Anyone else in this boat? Wish I could just slow down.

I agree with one of Thoreau's posts above. The reason you don't feel retired, is that you really haven't retired yet - - you just traded one job for another that consists of all the tasks in your first paragraph.

You will feel retired when you can allow yourself to awaken and realize that you have nothing pressing that you must do, and that you can do as you like all day long. As for me, I felt like I was retired very quickly. The day after my last day of work I got up, and wondered what I would do with all my time during that day. I decided to go to the gym in the morning, and then after that I came home, showered, and went clothes shopping later on at the shopping center across the street from my former workplace. It was a great first day of retirement.

 

[Moscyn]

I guess after only 6 months I'm in the final stage. I don't think much about what I did before at all, except as if it was another life. I'm no longer that person. Altho....
QUOTE]

Whilst I feel retired (been retired for more than a year), I still think of my working life as very much mine (not another life). It is just that I have moved on to another stage of my life and what I developed and learned in my working life contributes a lot to what I am and sometimes, what I do and don't do now.