Today is my first day of retirement!

[Dixie19]

So, yesterday I happily ended a long career in HR, mostly as a Benefits Manager. I decided to pull the plug because I just didn't like all the regulations and government monitoring taking over my field. Like I've seen others state, I began to feel my skills not keeping up, and no longer had the ambition to compete. I knew better things awaited me with retirement so close. I had begun having stress 24/7, often waking me from a dead sleep. I'm 53, and DH who is a few years older, recently retired after 29 years as a police officer. He will be working a few more years at his second govt. career to earn an additional, smaller pension. He's pretty stressed too, and has done way more than his share over the years on the home front, so I plan to pick up a lot of that for him and get him to his retirement.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Congratulations!

 

[dtbach]

It's a beautiful thing ER.

 

[gauss]

Welcome to the pool. The water is fine in here.

-gauss

 

[Dixie19]

I'm not going to miss getting up at 4:45 and working 12 hour days. But I know there'll be an adjustment period to having control over how I spend my time and how to slow it down. I'm guessing I can dig around and find previous discussions here.

 

[Tailgate]

congrats!!!

 

[memejipakid]

Congratulations!

 

[MRG]

Congratulations, 365 days ago was my first day. Enjoy.
MRG

 

[Jager]

Congrats, Dixie! Keep us posted on how the transition to the good life goes...

 

[Mo Money]

Good for you. I am aiming for middle of 2015 at age 53. Good luck with the adjustment.

Funny, I, too wake up due to job stress -- about 2 nights a week. I can't seem to shake it. I am hoping it disappears once I'm ER'ed.

 

[heeyy_joe]

Well done. I guess you understood your retirement benefits from work well enough.

 

[Walt34]

Congratulations, you're gonna love it!

 

[Quantum Sufficit]

Congrats! Take time and ease into your well deserved retirement.

 

[walkinwood]

Congratulations!

 

[fh2000]

I had begun having stress 24/7, often waking me from a dead sleep.

Congratulations!. I am right behind you. My plan is to quit this year after we send our DS to college. I go to bed and fall asleep around 11:00PM, but I often wake up around 4:00AM. It is 5 hours of sleep most days, plus some dozing off time later while watching TV.

I also wonder, is this because of anxiety of ER anticipation, or I am simply getting older (am 58)?

 

[travelover]

Welcome and congratulations. Ease in to it and let the adjustment take place at its own pace.

 

[woodguy00]

Enjoy!

 

[Newventurer]

Yippie!!! You made it! Congratulations!

Did your spouse not working change your retirement date in any way? I am retired and spouse has not and I wonder what the dynamics are that others experience in that situation.

Best wishes on your new season.

 

[WannabeRetired]

Congrats! Were your co-workers shocked at you retiring so early?

 

[Midpack]

Congratulations on your new job, enjoying retirement!

Make the most of it.

 

[38Chevy454]

Congratulations and enjoy your time. You being home more will make the time with your husband more valuable since you can enjoy that time vs doing chores and other things that working interfered with.

 

[Dreamer]

Congratulations! I retired at 53 from my career job in 2006. I went back to work at a part-time low stress job in 03/10 and my DH retired in 05/10. I probably will stop working about a year from now, when I should have my 40 quarters of coverage. It will be nice to not have a schedule again!

 

[crtreedude]

Congrats on your retirement! Regarding those who don't sleep well, just this last year I learned about melatonin - it seems that for some of us, our body start producing less and less - and I was down to about 4.5 hours a night, couldn't sleep more than that. Now, I tend to get 8 hours easily.

Doesn't do much at all for my wife, so it definitely doesn't work for everyone. Not trying to push a cure, just saying something that worked for me.

 

[LitGal]

Congratulations, Dixie! And welcome to the forum.

May you find this season of life to be a "whole new world" of freedom, time for rediscovered hobbies, and leisure to enjoy friends and family.

And may this forum be as helpful and inspiring to you as it has been for so many of us.

Enjoy!

 

[Tyrobi]

Very nice, congrats!