Greetings from Texas

[BayBum]

Hello All,
Long time lurker! I have benefited from the wisdom to be found here and can hopefully contribute along the road.
About myself: Last megacorp day was 12/31. I'm 53 and on the margin of financial independence. SWR of 4-5 depending on my ability to control expenses. Couldn't pass up the separation package. Hope to find some periodic project work that I find enjoyable. In the meantime I'm trying to get comfortable with uncertainty and looking to share with like minded freedom lovers.
BayBum

 

[Coach]

BayBum, welcome to the forum, and congratulations. I hope you discover great pleasure in this phase of life.

How have you resolved the health insurance issue?

Coach

 

[martyb]

Welcome. There are several of us Texas folks on here. I'm 53, same as you, but not quite retired yet. I have about 23 months to go... I work for uncle sam, so not quite the same as mega corp, but I still have to do some planning. You're in the right place...

 

[BayBum]

Thanks for the welcome Coach. My separation package includes 18 months of health insurance coverage at employee prices. (I retired on the last day that benefit was offered). After that, I will have access to retiree medical. Not cheap, but I think better than market rates.
BayBum

 

[East Texas]

Welcome to the board.

I love retirement. I think it's the best career choice I have ever made (and I've made some great ones!)

(Marty, I passed through your town yesterday on the way to Livingston. I sure am glad they finally finished US59. As you can tell, it's been awhile since I went south out of Lufkin.)

 

[freebird5825]

Welcome and congratulations for getting out of the ratrace.

 

[walkinwood]

Congratulations!

"I'm trying to get comfortable with uncertainty.."

Well put.

All the best.

 

[Rustic23]

Welcome, hope your RE is as much fun as ours has been. East Texas, you also must have passed our place on Lake Livingston.

 

[Martha]

In the meantime I'm trying to get comfortable with uncertainty.
BayBum

I find this to be difficult and finally decided that it was my nature to worry before retirement so why would my nature change just because I was retired?
Acknowledging my nature actually helped.

 

[Htown Harry]

Welcome. Plenty of Texans on the board, including quite a few from the Houston area. See: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/houston-er-org-meeting-9-26-10-a-52112.html#post978117

 

[mickeyd]

looking to share with like minded freedom lovers.

Hey welcome here BayBum.(What bay are you bummin around on?) Nothing fancy, just remember that a loafer is more than a shoe and you'll do fine...

 

[Earl E Retyre]

Welcome, BayBum and congrats from another person living in Texas. Not quite FIREd yet. Enjoy!

 

[heyduke]

just about 70 miles from you and i will retire March 1st...

 

[East Texas]

Welcome, hope your RE is as much fun as ours has been. East Texas, you also must have passed our place on Lake Livingston.

I turned left on 190 and headed east. Our tree order was in and we drove down to pick it up instead of having it shipped.

My dad used to live in Onalaska (I love messing with people's minds when I made that statement. "Your dad lives in Alaska" ). Do they still have fireworks over the lake on the 4th of July?

The traffic around that area is getting worse with each passing year. Pretty soon they're going to move the Houston city limit sign to just north of you.

 

[Rustic23]

we are about 12 miles north east. Having retired out of Houston, we laugh when going through Huntsville and there are more than three or four cars at a light. We say 'Darn, must be go home traffic!'

 

[East Texas]

Why does it seem there is a large Texas population on this board? Is it because a disproportionate number of Texans plan their finances in order to retire early or all the snowbirds retire and come to Texas?

Or maybe more people are moving to Texas because there's nothing quite like a cold beer on a hot Texas day? We need a beer toast emoticon on this board!

 

[East Texas]

We're the same way. We retired out of San Antonio and we complain if we have to wait for more than two cars to get out on the main road. Keep in mind we'd sit for on hour on Loop 410 and think nothing of it.

There's nothing like living out in the country and having a zillion stars so clear and so close you feel as though you can touch them. Or hearing the symphony that comes up from the lake at night. We wouldn't go back to city living for anything.

 

[Katsmeow]

Why does it seem there is a large Texas population on this board? Is it because a disproportionate number of Texans plan their finances in order to retire early or all the snowbirds retire and come to Texas?

Or maybe more people are moving to Texas because there's nothing quite like a cold beer on a hot Texas day? We need a beer toast emoticon on this board!

Lifelong Texas resident here....

 

[BayBum]

Hey welcome here BayBum.(What bay are you bummin around on?) Nothing fancy, just remember that a loafer is more than a shoe and you'll do fine...

I have a bay house near Bastrop Bay. Works well as a dog house when the wife is tired of me.

 

[MBAustin]

Welcome! Also 53, FIREd last October. DH's family is in Houston so we go back & forth a lot. (My family is east coast, I'm an accidental Texan.)

Still not really feeling "retired" - feeling guilty if I sleep past 7:45. Have been told it can take a year to decompress from 30+ years of corporate cr**, at this point I'm believing it.

Enjoy!

 

[martyb]

I lived in Austin between '81 & '86, then in Bastrop from '86 thru '95. Left for awhile, lived in Louisiana for 12 yrs, then went to Wisconsin for a year ('08-09) now...back in Texas, in Lufkin. Wife's family is in Smithville & Georgetown. All of this time spent in Texas, even though I grew up on the east coast in NC. Even though I wasn't born in TX, I feel more Texan than anyplace else. All of my kids are natural born Texans, though (4) and my wife's a real Texan too, so I'm pretty doggone close!

 

[cardude]

Hey! Welcome! I'm in Victoria and retired from the car business back in 2008. DW still works for now. I do a little property management now on our rentals, but it's not much work.

 

[Rustic23]

Maybe it is time for a first ever Texas FIRE Jamboree. Austin is centrally located.

 

[REWahoo]

Maybe it is time for a first ever Texas FIRE Jamboree. Austin is centrally located.

Maybe we can all bunk at Alan's place!

 

[cardude]

Maybe it is time for a first ever Texas FIRE Jamboree. Austin is centrally located.

I'm in! Let's stay down at the San Jose Motel in SOCO.