UH-OH!

T

Telecaster

Dryer sheet wannabe
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During my working years, we traveled whenever we had the chance. We've been to Europe numerous times, all over the U.S., etc. During my first year of retirement (I'm late 50's), we traveled over 3 months. In November, we were on a long cruise (East Coast to West Coast via Panama Canal), and about halfway thru it, I found myself wishing to be at home!!! Not that the cruise was not enjoyable, I just felt I did not NEED to escape any more...like I had been running away all those working years...and it was no longer necessary!! What was I running from now? Long naps, playing guitar or cruising the internet all night, no commutes, automobile tires and tanks of gas that last forever, shopping at 1AM, and acting like a teenager? It was a confusing feeling! I'm still confused!

We have not traveled since then. I think (hope) the bug may come back, but I'm not sure. Maybe I've crossed some common Rubicon. Has anyone else had this experience? Is there something wrong with me? Surely I'm not the only one.
 
I used to business travel a heck of a lot as well including many trips to Europe. During our first year of ER (last year) we went on a 5 week trip, a 10 week trip and a 4 week trip. At the end of each trip we were really looking forward to getting back home but I think that is not unusual, and reflects how much we love where we live.

If you don't feel like traveling this year then kick back and enjoy yourself. The feeling to get away may come again, or it may not. Just go with the flow and don't do travel just because you think it is expected of you.
 
Growing up, my family traveled and lived all over the world. As an adult, I traveled a lot for work and pleasure. These days, I'm more of a homebody too. Still like an occasional trip though. Fun to be someplace different then lovely to get back home again.
 
telecaster:

From what I hear and read, your experience is not so unique.

While working, many people enjoy traveling just because they are away from the work environment. And then, like you, once they retire they don't feel the big need or desire to travel like they did while working.

You make the case for a smaller nestegg.

Everyone is different though.

regarding long cruises. I had a similar experience on a long cruise, and I haven't yet retired. I figure a week of buffets, inch-of-gold sales, art-auctions, and the Big Bingo spectacular(s) is all I can take.
 
Telecaster said:
I think you hit the nail on the head. I have not been retired long enough to not care about what may be expected of me.
Click to expand...

:LOL: yes, there is "peer" pressure even in retirement.
 
My wife and I traveled quite a bit before we had kids and feel that we got this out of our system. Sad thing is we're only 32 so we have nothing to look forward to when we retire =).

Only place I would love to visit again is Las Vegas. Even though I've been there 20 times, I love going there again and again. I think you should visit Vegas.
 
Alan said:
:LOL: yes, there is "peer" pressure even in retirement.
Click to expand...
Not much for me, as I hardly know any retired people. Only my brother, who is so cheap that his major criterion for a GF is can he live with her for free? One other guy, who is forced to do many things by his wife, hates all these things, but sees no out.

My brother is so cheap that he once was dating a very pretty French professor, about 55, and an OK retired woman an embarrassing amount older than him. They were both nice, and both wanted him to live with them. But the younger, prettier professor wanted him to share expenses, while the older gal was promising to pick up the bill. He didn't even think twice, and now he is living happily ever after with someone halfway old enough to be his mother.

So neither of these examples really affect me much. :)

Ha
 
I still enjoy travelling but I don't have the need for it like I did when I was working . Plus I enjoy different travel than when I was working and living in New Jersey . Then I needed sun & relaxation . Now I enjoy sight seeing different areas and wandering through museums or historical sights .
 
haha said:
Not much for me, as I hardly know any retired people. Only my brother, who is so cheap that his major criterion for a GF is can he live with her for free? One other guy, who is forced to do many things by his wife, hates all these things, but sees no out.

My brother is so cheap that he once was dating a very pretty French professor, about 55, and an OK retired woman an embarrassing amount older than him. They were both nice, and both wanted him to live with them. But the younger, prettier professor wanted him to share expenses, while the older gal was promising to pick up the bill. He didn't even think twice, and now he is living happily ever after with someone halfway old enough to be his mother.

So neither of these examples really affect me much. :)

Ha
Click to expand...
That's so much BS. How much older is embarrasing? You should marry for love and nothing else.
kbst
 
Maybe its the style of travel. When you're working you typically do the ol' run and gun trips, do and see as much as you can fit in. Don't know what your last trip was like, but maybe you just need to shift gears, slow down, travel without a set schedule or destination.

Or maybe you really want to be at home. Home ain't so bad. I know after years of 11 hour days, including my commute, I wanted to just chill at home. Now I feel like my mortgage payment is actually worth it.
 
I love to travel and I love to stay home. You just gotta go with what feels right. I am leaving tomorrow for Denver and LA on the 16th then maybe to Florida in April. But I will miss my grand children when I am gone.
 
Telecaster said:
Has anyone else had this experience? Is there something wrong with me? Surely I'm not the only one.
Click to expand...

Nope, there's nothing wrong with you. For many years my "escape" was radio control model airplanes. The concentration required to build and fly a contest-winning airplane is intense and drives everything else out of mind, which is in retrospect why I did it.

Most people who have flown full-size and R/C airplanes, as I have, will tell you that R/C is harder because mentally you have to be much farther "ahead of the airplane".

When I retired and moved to WV one of the attractions of the house was it has a large unfinished basement area that would be the "workshop of my dreams". But guess what? I put together most of the shop, built one airplane (that has never flown) and then pretty much lost interest. I am now almost done divesting myself of the R/C gear. Then too, there is the possibility that I plateaued with it and had gone as far as I could.

Why did this happen? I think that the need for the escape that R/C provided is no longer there. We don't deal with the insane Washington, DC area traffic and I'm not dealing with nutcases and the criminal justice system, and I'm not dealing with a glacial procurement system at the same time as working in a fast-moving field. I loved the work, but trying to get it done in the face of the obstacles thrown in my path was so frustrating that when the numbers for retirement worked I bailed.

I've heard of many people changing directions after retirement. Recently I've renewed an interest in photography, and astonishingly for me, found my self looking at the Arts curriculum at a nearby college. I say "astonishingly" because as far as artwork goes this is a guy who never progressed beyond stick figures and can't draw a straight line without a ruler.

So interests do change.
 
MasterBlaster said:
telecaster:
regarding long cruises. I had a similar experience on a long cruise, and I haven't yet retired. I figure a week of buffets, inch-of-gold sales, art-auctions, and the Big Bingo spectacular(s) is all I can take.
Click to expand...

Yup - my husband and I thought of doing an around-the-world cruise, but when we go on a cruise and have a 'at-sea-only' day, we yearn for the port call - while at sea, it's like you are trapped on a marketing and sales nightmare gone insane :)
 
deserat said:
Yup - my husband and I thought of doing an around-the-world cruise, but when we go on a cruise and have a 'at-sea-only' day, we yearn for the port call - while at sea, it's like you are trapped on a marketing and sales nightmare gone insane :)
Click to expand...

And yet you meet people on cruises, who have done (and plan to do more of) these really long cruises and thrive on them. I do enjoy a good cruise to a warm spot but the longer ones are, for me, just too long.

I keep joking with the wife, that maybe we should sell the house and the cars and move onto a cruise ship. The annual full-time cost of cruising isn't that bad especially when you look at the income that could be derived from the home equity and the other foregone housing/car/food/utility expenses.

Everyone is different. Find what works for you.
 
I totally understand. I FIREd in the spring of 2007.
In 2009, I went on a Grand Mediterranean cruise during the H1N1 situation. I had a great time, but it was a little strange wondering if my dream vacation was going to end up badly (contract H1N1, be quarantined in port, not allowed to return to US, etc.).
Last year I went to FL three times, to places I had been on w*rk travel and couldn't really explore, or just didn't get to enjoy when I was there in 1979 w*rking my tail off to be able to afford my college room and board.
This year, I will be doing local trips within the Northeast US.
Next year? Who knows? Mr B wants to go to Portugal, his father's birthplace. No arm twist needed for me. ;)
If we can budget and save up for it in a year, we will go.

Take it as the mood suits you. :flowers:
 
Walt34 said:
When I retired and moved to WV one of the attractions of the house was it has a large unfinished basement area that would be the "workshop of my dreams". But guess what? I put together most of the shop, built one airplane (that has never flown) and then pretty much lost interest....Why did this happen? I think that the need for the escape that R/C provided is no longer there.
Click to expand...

This is very interesting, and actually a little humorous, especially the part about the "dream basement.":) In addition to my current lack of desire for travel, I also live in what I thought for years was a "boring" town. When working, I dreamed of the day I would leave here. Now, I'm not so sure I need too, or even want to! Lest anyone mistake this for some kind of depressive episode, I should point out that I have so many projects going in photography, art, music, reading, whatnot...there are not enough hours in the day. I just think it so odd that a lifetime pattern of travel could change overnight. But enough people have commented to indicate that their new lack of need for "escape" is a big factor.
 
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