Finally got full membership

[braumeister]

I retired at 55 (12 years ago) and have been enjoying it to the fullest ever since.

DW, OTOH, had no interest at all in doing the same because she enjoyed the social aspects of w*rk so much.

Finally, after making the magic age of 65, she decided to do it and retired at the end of July. It has been the most wonderful experience to watch her over the course of the last five days as she begins to discover the delights of real retirement.

We had our celebration a little early with a major Alaska vacation in June, but from here on out we will be doing all the travel we have wanted to do for years.

Of course, I haven't had any trouble doing a good bit of travel on my own while she was still w*rking, but my solo travel tends toward the "camping in a tent" variety. When we travel together, it tends to be a little more civilized.

Basically, there is now a new freedom in our lives that just feels so damn GOOD!!!

 

[ERhoosier]

Congrats!!!

 

[powerplay]

Yeah! Enjoy your travels.

 

[grasshopper]

You have already had too much fun in Alaska. Ms G this morning made me look at another rescue dog, to add to the 3 we have. Pets and critters, just add to the expense of leaving the ranch for travel.

 

[ohyes]

Basically, there is now a new freedom in our lives that just feels so damn GOOD!!!

Congratulations to you and your wife!

 

[rodi]

Congrats to your wife (and you for your new improved retirement).

 

[brewer12345]

Congrats and enjoy!

 

[chilkoot]

Still more Congratulations!

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Hooray for you and your wife. Go enjoy yourselves.

 

[scrinch]

Let the real fun begin!

 

[jclarksnakes]

Congratulations. My DW retired the end of my and we also went to Alaska in june.

 

[FIREd]

Congratulations! I really wish DW would retire so that we could do more stuff together. But she keeps getting presented with interesting projects and tempting professional opportunities. Plus I am not certain that she is mentally ready to enjoy retirement... So I'll have to wait a while longer for my full membership.

 

[Major Tom]

That is fantastic news. Congratulations on full dual membership in the club!

You mentioned that your solo travel was a little lower down the scale in comfort terms. Do you think that the years when she was working perhaps allowed you to travel in the way you wanted to, and "get it out of your system", so you can travel with her in greater comfort and not wish you were doing it in a tent? I always try to look at the benefits of an given situation, so the other part of my question is whether you think there were any advantages to having had this period of solo ER before DW retired as well?

 

[NW-Bound]

I retired at 55 (12 years ago) and have been enjoying it to the fullest ever since...
Finally, after making the magic age of 65, she decided to do it and retired at the end of July...

Lucky you! My wife got to retire 5 or 6 years before I did. Someone had to make sure some income still came in to support 2 kids in college (and that someone also wanted a 2nd home and other toys).

 

[MichaelB]

parabéns

 

[braumeister]

You mentioned that your solo travel was a little lower down the scale in comfort terms. Do you think that the years when she was working perhaps allowed you to travel in the way you wanted to, and "get it out of your system", so you can travel with her in greater comfort and not wish you were doing it in a tent?

I never saw it as two different styles of travel. If I feel like wandering the wilds of Maine, that calls for a tent, a kayak, and solitude. I've enjoyed that sort of stuff since I was a kid, and have no problem with doing it solo.

But I also love spending a week in a European city with DW, staying in a decent hotel and eating in restaurants. Either way, the accommodations are appropriate to the location.

One thing that is probably unusual is that DW and I have frequently taken vacations on our own to do what interests one but not necessarily the other. For example, she spends a couple of weeks every summer in Georgia at a retreat learning new techniques of jewelry making. It's in the middle of nowhere and I would be bored silly.

By the same token, I spend a week in Denver every year judging the Great American Beer Festival. DW has no interest in beer and would be equally bored silly.

Those are just two examples, but you get the idea. We love being together sometimes, and being on our own other times. This system will continue, but now we'll be able to take more trips together, in addition to whatever solo adventures we may plan.

 

[Gumby]

Great news, Braumeister! When the young wife and I retire together in a little under 5 years, the first thing we plan to do is take the Great Big Gumby and Pokey Road Trip. I figure we'll spend about a month driving across the country and back, never going on an interstate highway.

 

[NW-Bound]

Between tent camping and hotel rooms, I chose a small 26' motor home as the middle ground.

Well, actually I have never tent camped in my life, so an RV is no compromise for myself. Heh heh heh...

And I travel slowly. In the last trip, it took us 1 month to go from Phoenix to New Orleans and back. When you linger around, and take your time, even 1 month for that trip felt rushed. For example, on the way to New Orleans, we drove through Dallas and did not do much there. And on the way back I did not have time to revisit San Antonio for example. It would have been nicer to take 2 months, but I had to go back for a medical reason.

 

[HFWR]

Between tent camping and hotel rooms, I chose a small 26' motor home as the middle ground.

Well, actually I have never tent camped in my life, so an RV is no compromise for myself. Heh heh heh...

And I travel slowly. In the last trip, it took us 1 month to go from Phoenix to New Orleans and back. When you linger around, and take your time, even 1 month for that trip felt rushed. For example, on the way to New Orleans, we drove through Dallas and did not do much there. And on the way back I did not have time to revisit San Antonio for example. It would have been nicer to take 2 months, but I had to go back for a medical reason.

Not really that much to do in Dallas anyway...

"Most cities have soul, but Dallas but have been at the bank when they passed it around..."

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