At age 55, I gave 10 weeks' notice some three weeks ago. This was so my employer could advertise for a replacement, allow some time for that replacement to give his/her notice, and spend two weeks or so getting some training from me before I move on. Funny thing is, my employer offered me another job with similar pay--but I already decided I wanted to have a "soft retirement" as the
Bogleheads call it. Meaning, I do want to take A LOT of time off, indefinitely. Maybe down the road I'll take on some contract work, volunteer, get a Christmas seasonal job doing something completely out of character, or go back to work full-time for a few months or up to a year--whatever suits my fancy at the time.
I am just not interested anymore in going to work each and every day. I have spent the past 38 years getting up every day to go to college, study in the evening, get up and go to law school every morning, study in the evening, then get and go to work every day since--with only a six-week break some 20 years ago. Enough already! It is time that I reward myself for a job-well-done--studying and working hard, and gradually building a respected reputation in my field of work (from what folks tell me).
I want to just take it easy for awhile. Read a bunch of books I have accumulated over the years. Practice guitar and the piano. Write some stuff I have been itchin' to write. Do some research on other hobbies I have. And get back into some semblance of shape--by going swimming at a local outdoor pool my city offers, running, and working out, and losing these 40 pounds I have gained being miserable at my desk over these past few years.
My last day at work is May 28--seven weeks away! It sorta feels like I'm ending a prison sentence. I am literally counting the days; 46 remaining! Short-timers syndrome.
So far, the people I have told about my impending retirement have been nothing but supportive--some even envious. One guy who I informed that I was going on Soft Retirement immediately commented to the effect: "That's means your financial plan worked. Well done!" others agreed with my comment that life is too short. I thought that at least one person would ask why I am leaving such a high-paying job during the Great Recession. (It also helps that I rode out the stock-market roller-coaster over the past couple of years, losing on paper some 30%, but staying the course to now have a sufficient nest-egg to sit back for awhile.)
So, in anticipation of my Soft Retirement, and while my insurance lasts, I have been visiting my dentist to have some work that I put off completed. (I think I'll go the $55/month COBRA route for a few months after I leave, then pay-as-I-go later on for dental expenses.) I also visited an optometrist to get an up-to-date prescription. And I have applied for high-deductible individual health insurance, and am awaiting the verdict there. (My employer-related COBRA would be about $500/month vs. a hoped-for $250/month premium for individual insurance.) And a week ago I adjusted my car insurance, got renter's insurance, and an umbrella insurance policy for $1.5 million liability. I'm getting my ducks in a row.
What else should I consider doing as I approach D-Day?
