Class of 2022

[Unpaintedhuffhines]

well, the day has finally come. Today is my last day, and we had a farewell Teams meeting since I work with people all over the world. I have to say that it was the most humbling and wonderful thing to have so many people say so many nice things. It makes you realize the impact that you can have on people. Everyone is happy for me, but I know I'll be missed. Makes me feel great.

Turning the page to the next chapter is sometimes difficult, but I am so excited to see what the next chapter is all about. Nervous and excited all at the same time.

 

[Dean56]

well, the day has finally come. Today is my last day, and we had a farewell Teams meeting since I work with people all over the world. I have to say that it was the most humbling and wonderful thing to have so many people say so many nice things. It makes you realize the impact that you can have on people. Everyone is happy for me, but I know I'll be missed. Makes me feel great.

Turning the page to the next chapter is sometimes difficult, but I am so excited to see what the next chapter is all about. Nervous and excited all at the same time.

Congrats!!! And welcome to the club. Today is my 3rd official week of retirement.
Yes, it does give you a nervous feeling thinking about what lies ahead. But, at the same time I'm sure you are excited to start the next chapter of your life.

My boss took me and a small group of coworkers out for dinner just before I retired. It was good to see everybody and listen to their well-wishes. But, I knew it was time to move on from the working world to the retirement phase of my life.

I'm glad I did it. I hope you are too. Enjoy your new life!!!

 

[DD4L]

Congrats!!! And welcome to the club. Today is my 3rd official week of retirement.
Yes, it does give you a nervous feeling thinking about what lies ahead. But, at the same time I'm sure you are excited to start the next chapter of your life.

My boss took me and a small group of coworkers out for dinner just before I retired. It was good to see everybody and listen to their well-wishes. But, I knew it was time to move on from the working world to the retirement phase of my life.

I'm glad I did it. I hope you are too. Enjoy your new life!!!

A big +1 to that!!

Happy 3 week anniversary to both of us!!

A little weird, life has switched into the next chapter very easily. Almost like the previous one never happened….[emoji4]

We sat in empty bars twice this week, one rooftop and one fireside, everyone else was at work and we just sat there enjoying the moment. Obviously not going to make a habit of it… hic [emoji482]

 

[Callitaday2022]

Done! Not yet feeling it, and figure it will sink in within a few days or weeks. Peace out!

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Done! Not yet feeling it, and figure it will sink in within a few days or weeks. Peace out!

Congrats!
For me, I kind of felt it was anti-climatic at first and then it felt like being on vacation. I don't think I really started to settle into it until about 3 months in. It took me that long to shake off work habits and reflexes that had become ingrained in me. Plus there were a lot of accounts and stuff that needed to be migrated.

I just hit the 6 month mark this weekend and work is now truly in the rear view mirror. Still trying to get confortable enjoying and figuring out what I want to do with all the free time though as it's still evolving.

 

[Dean56]

Done! Not yet feeling it, and figure it will sink in within a few days or weeks. Peace out!

It look me a few weeks to feel retired too. It's been about 5 weeks for me and I am just now settling into retirement.
It's starting to feel really good.

 

[Dean56]

I don't think I really started to settle into it until about 3 months in. It took me that long to shake off work habits and reflexes that had become ingrained in me. Plus there were a lot of accounts and stuff that needed to be migrated.

This is what I have been doing for the last couple weeks. Healthcare, pension, cellphone account change (I had a corporate account for 22 years).

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

cellphone account change (I had a corporate account for 22 years).

Same here. A bit of shock going from a corp plan to a regular plan.

 

[Dean56]

Hello all, just checking in to see if we have had any more Class of 2022 retirees?
I am 2 months into retirement and I am enjoying the freedom.


Let's add some names to the Class of 2022 retired list.

 

[ExPatKiwi]

I'm Scared!

I haven't submitted my retirement request yet and I'm down to the wire! To be honest I'm scared as hell.

I feel this is like sky diving when you jump out the plane and hope the parachute will open and will I have a soft landing. I'm in a very well-paying job and I know that retiring early at 58yo it's unlikely I'll ever get anything like it again that pays as well.

All my spreadsheeting and firecalc runs show I'm good to go FIRE. But "my" plan requires me to take a 7 figure pension lump sum and invest it. If I don't do it this year then the lump sum option drops by over $300k and I'll need to work an additional 5 to 7 years to make the annuity option worth it.

Decisions, decisions :? :!:

 

[Unpaintedhuffhines]

I haven't submitted my retirement request yet and I'm down to the wire! To be honest I'm scared as hell.

I feel this is like sky diving when you jump out the plane and hope the parachute will open and will I have a soft landing. I'm in a very well-paying job and I know that retiring early at 58yo it's unlikely I'll ever get anything like it again that pays as well.

All my spreadsheeting and firecalc runs show I'm good to go FIRE. But "my" plan requires me to take a 7 figure pension lump sum and invest it. If I don't do it this year then the lump sum option drops by over $300k and I'll need to work an additional 5 to 7 years to make the annuity option worth it.

Decisions, decisions :? :!:

I know your pain. I was a couple years after you (61) when I pulled the trigger, but I was making very, very good money, plus I ended up leaving about $800K in RSUs on the table. Great job, excellent benefits, and like you, I sincerely doubt I would ever have the ability to land a job that pays that well ever again.

I also ran every spreadsheet, firecalc, Fidelity planner, etc. that I could find. I bumped up my expenses by 50% and I was still more than fine (even after all this recent stock market craziness).

You have a seven-figure lump sum that drops after this year that would require you to work 5-7 more years. I think that is what should scare you. Wanting to work is one thing, but *having* to work is a whole other thing.

I retired in mid-October, and it's been fabulous. No more back-to-back meetings, no more 100+ emails / day, no more of the late night or early morning meetings. I do what I want and when I want. Some days I'm highly productive, and some days I just relax. Honestly, it's awesome.

It's not easy leaving a well-paying job, but in your situation, your decision is: "do I work another month or two, or do I work 5-7 more years?" That would be an easy decision for me.

 

[ecowtent]

Today is the day!

Officially my last day! I had planned to load my boxes and head out, but will be leaving a few hours later than expected. Having a food day in my honor. It doesn't feel real yet.


M

 

[ecowtent]

roady-runner - Jan 2022
dadu007- - Jan 2022
oldmedic - Jan 2022
caninelover - Jan 21 2022 - FIRE'd
tmitchell - Jan 24 2022
Present Aside - Feb 2, 2022 - FIRE’d
Leonardo - Feb 2022
Escapevelocity - Feb 2022
kaudrey - 25 Feb 2022. - FIRE’d
OnTheBeach - 28 Feb 2022
Romer- Feb 2022
Ozinvestor - March 2022
Travis Bickle - March 2022
My Next Chapter - April 1, 2022 - FIRE'd
Pompanobeach - April 2022
fassmac - April 2022
Goingcamping - April 2022
ejw93 - April 2022
YVRRocketSurgery - 15 April 2022 - FIRE'd
GTP2022 - May 2022
Jim59 - 6 May 2022
David3 - May 2022 - FIRE'd
Monterey298sc - May 31, 2022
Panda Bear - June 1, 2022 - FIRE'd
nhcycling - June 2022
plex - June 2022
beernutzbob - June 2022
retire48in2018 - June 2022
Physics Guy - June 2022
Poopycat - June 2022
ImThinkin2019 June 2022
Sean Pizzle - FIRE'd
Mrs & Mr Bustergordon - 30 June
BobMW - 1 July 2022
Obj 2022 - July 7, 2022
Silent Walker - July 2022
WhiskyDave July, 2022
CaliKid - September 2022
BGH1 - September 2022
Unpaintedhuffhines - September 2022
DD4L - September 2022 - FIRE’d
Dean56 - September 2022
firemediceric - October 2022
ecowtent-November 11, 2022
mountainsoft - December 2022
ExPatKiwi - December 2022
mmurphy111 - December 2022
Sam Cro - XX 2022
Dreams of Freedom - XX 2022
Callitaday - XX 2022
dd564 - XX 2022
Chris Texas - XX 2022
Bee4 - Sept 2022
cyber888 - December 2022
Aiming_4_55 - XX 2022

 

[MichaelB]

Officially my last day! I had planned to load my boxes and head out, but will be leaving a few hours later than expected. Having a food day in my honor. It doesn't feel real yet.


M

Congratulations!

 

[Dean56]

Officially my last day! I had planned to load my boxes and head out, but will be leaving a few hours later than expected. Having a food day in my honor. It doesn't feel real yet.

M

Congrats!!! It took awhile for me to get that true feeling of being retired. For years I heard others talking about going to the grocery store on a Tuesday morning and having the store to yourself. Now I'm experiencing that and it's great!! Sometimes in the late afternoon I'll need to run an errand and before I leave the house I'll look at the clock. If it's around 5pm, I'll put it off until the next day. No sense in getting out in that rush hour traffic if you don't have to. Retirement has been good so far.

 

[Callitaday2022]

Callitaday finished Oct 14, 2022! Staying busy going through 18 yrs of stuff, and hoping to move in about a year. Ski season starting soon!

 

[RxMan]

Best of wishes to all of you in the Class of 2022. I’m probably still 4-6 years out from my freedom day but reading your updates and retirement stories have been great for me to stay motivated and see the big picture.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I haven't submitted my retirement request yet and I'm down to the wire! To be honest I'm scared as hell.

I feel this is like sky diving when you jump out the plane and hope the parachute will open and will I have a soft landing. I'm in a very well-paying job and I know that retiring early at 58yo it's unlikely I'll ever get anything like it again that pays as well.

All my spreadsheeting and firecalc runs show I'm good to go FIRE. But "my" plan requires me to take a 7 figure pension lump sum and invest it. If I don't do it this year then the lump sum option drops by over $300k and I'll need to work an additional 5 to 7 years to make the annuity option worth it.

Decisions, decisions :? :!:

Yeah, it's definitely a scary decision leaving a well paying job and rely on your investments versus just continuing to grow your nestegg. But how much is enough? And how much is freeing 40-60 hours a week worth it to you? Personal decision of course.

Officially my last day! I had planned to load my boxes and head out, but will be leaving a few hours later than expected. Having a food day in my honor. It doesn't feel real yet.


M

Congrats! Yeah, it's a weird feeling that took about 3-6 months for me to normalize.

 

[cnocmmz]

Good time to take the parachute

 

[tmitchell]

Yeah, it's definitely a scary decision leaving a well paying job and rely on your investments versus just continuing to grow your nestegg. But how much is enough? And how much is freeing 40-60 hours a week worth it to you? Personal decision of course.


Congrats! Yeah, it's a weird feeling that took about 3-6 months for me to normalize.

Congrats! It took me 6 months just to feel relaxed, so enjoy the ride

@ExPatKiwi I left a very high paying job as well, and I kept asking myself if I was nuts. But I had to ask myself what "enough" really meant for me and whether earning more was worth it. For me that job was done. I was on rinse & repeat and growing more sick of it by the day. At a certain point it just wasn't about the money anymore. Am I done forever at a tender 55? Still not sure, but I don't regret leaving that particular job. Good luck!

 

[dunkelblau]

After a decade of OMYs my next bus finally arrived, and this time I'm onboard. Terms aren't as sweet as the previous deal, but no way any future offer will beat it, so it's either leave now -- or later with no package.

I'm definitely not eager to go, though. In the past decade my job shifted in the direction that I wanted as part of my stay agreement, and it worked so well that just a few months ago I was thinking about ditching ER entirely. But our business forecasts took an abrupt dive last quarter, so a bunch of us were offered a chance to join an upcoming RIF. For me it was a difficult decision, not so much financially, more about leaving the playground forever.

So I've joined the Class of 2022 to give retirement another go, we'll see if it sticks this time.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

So I've joined the Class of 2022 to give retirement another go, we'll see if it sticks this time.

Congrats and good luck!

My situation was kind of the opposite. My business unit was struggling to transform itself from legacy to newer technologies over the past 5-10 years and let a lot of people go during that period. I was hoping to get offered a package during the 6 months leading up to my personal target date this past April. I heard a broad voluntary offering was being contemplated but it got pulled as our unit was starting to turn the corner.

 

[Jim59]

Hello all, just checking in to see if we have had any more Class of 2022 retirees?
I am 2 months into retirement and I am enjoying the freedom.

Let's add some names to the Class of 2022 retired list.

Well, it’s been over 6 months since I retired on the 5 May, 1 day earlier than planned.

I have been far too busy to come on to forums as a result of my new found vocational freedom.

I took the family to Portugal for a week, rekindling old memories when the children were young. This time they had their partners along.

I was the Procurement/ Technical, Quality and Programme Manager for our new road in our cul-de-sac.

Last two months I have been on the Caminos Frances to Santiago de Compostela and Fisterra in Spain. A wonderful life experience, meeting a lot of your country folks. Early planning for the Camino Portuguese fro Lisbon to Santiago in April next year.

Slowing down now for Christmas, although a long weekend in Amsterdam is booked for December.

I have enjoyed this journey, reading all your stories on the way to freedom.

Good luck with all your plans

PS I have not given work one thought, seriously.

roady-runner - Jan 2022
dadu007- - Jan 2022
oldmedic - Jan 2022
caninelover - Jan 21 2022 - FIRE'd
tmitchell - Jan 24 2022
Present Aside - Feb 2, 2022 - FIRE’d
Leonardo - Feb 2022
Escapevelocity - Feb 2022
kaudrey - 25 Feb 2022. - FIRE’d
OnTheBeach - 28 Feb 2022
Romer- Feb 2022
Ozinvestor - March 2022
Travis Bickle - March 2022
My Next Chapter - April 1, 2022 - FIRE'd
Pompanobeach - April 2022
fassmac - April 2022
Goingcamping - April 2022
ejw93 - April 2022
YVRRocketSurgery - 15 April 2022 - FIRE'd
GTP2022 - May 2022 - FIRE’d
Jim59 - 5 May 2022
David3 - May 2022 - FIRE'd
Monterey298sc - May 31, 2022
Panda Bear - June 1, 2022 - FIRE'd
nhcycling - June 2022
plex - June 2022
beernutzbob - June 2022
retire48in2018 - June 2022
Physics Guy - June 2022
Poopycat - June 2022
ImThinkin2019 June 2022
Sean Pizzle - FIRE'd
Mrs & Mr Bustergordon - 30 June
BobMW - 1 July 2022
Obj 2022 - July 7, 2022
Silent Walker - July 2022
WhiskyDave July, 2022
CaliKid - September 2022
BGH1 - September 2022
Unpaintedhuffhines - September 2022
DD4L - September 2022 - FIRE’d
Dean56 - September 2022
firemediceric - October 2022
ecowtent-November 11, 2022
mountainsoft - December 2022
ExPatKiwi - December 2022
mmurphy111 - December 2022
Sam Cro - XX 2022
Dreams of Freedom - XX 2022
Callitaday - XX 2022
dd564 - XX 2022
Chris Texas - XX 2022
Bee4 - Sept 2022
cyber888 - December 2022
Aiming_4_55 - XX 2022

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Last two months I have been on the Caminos Frances to Santiago de Compostela and Fisterra in Spain. A wonderful life experience, meeting a lot of your country folks. Early planning for the Camino Portuguese fro Lisbon to Santiago in April next year.

Jealous! These El Camino walks are on my list.

 

[tmitchell]

Jealous! These El Camino walks are on my list.

I made my final decision to quit my job while walking the Camino. Amazing experience. Before doing it I’d read how it changed people’s lives and I didn’t really believe it. But it did change mine after all!