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Two years in...How do you find the time?
01-13-2012, 02:43 PM
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#1
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 294
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Two years in...How do you find the time?
After retiring from the Chicago area to Upstate South Carolina, I am finding my time is at a premium. So much to do, so little time. At one time I thought I would be sitting on the porch watching birds, hoping, I wouldn't get bored. Was I wrong. Enjoying every minute!!
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01-13-2012, 03:52 PM
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#2
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,585
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Hi Brdofpray, welcome to the forum. So, your time is at a premium, eh? Feels good, doesn't it?
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01-13-2012, 04:40 PM
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#3
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 384
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Congrats! I hope to be retiring to South Carolina in a few years as well.
Enjoy the outdoors, it's absolutely beautiful in that part of the country.
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01-13-2012, 04:58 PM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 294
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When we settled in the upstate, we did not realize that there are over 80 + waterfalls in this area. We are trying to find them all. Life is very good!
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01-13-2012, 08:31 PM
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#5
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Portland
Posts: 2,038
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What are you doing that is keeping you so busy? It sounds like you are doing a lot of hiking.
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01-14-2012, 05:26 AM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: midwestern city
Posts: 4,061
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I have never been to SC but have heard many good things about it. Enjoy, Brdofpray.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brdofpray
Enjoying every minute!!
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__________________
Very conservative with investments. Not ER'd yet, 48 years old. Please do not take anything I write or imply as legal, financial or medical advice directed to you. Contact your own financial advisor, healthcare provider, or attorney for financial, medical and legal advice.
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01-14-2012, 07:34 AM
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#7
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 294
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The upstate is right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Beautiful mountain and lake views. There is a 77 mile trail connecting two state parks through this entire area. I am involved in a volunteer group that manages this trail, when DW and I aren't hiking on it. I took a South Carolina Master Naturalist course last fall, now I am leading bird hikes, and general nature hikes for various groups. There is work on our new house, I couldn't say no to our Home Owners Association (long story), and keeping up with many new friends with similar interests.
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01-14-2012, 10:41 AM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brdofpray
The upstate is right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Beautiful mountain and lake views. There is a 77 mile trail connecting two state parks through this entire area. I am involved in a volunteer group that manages this trail, when DW and I aren't hiking on it. I took a South Carolina Master Naturalist course last fall, now I am leading bird hikes, and general nature hikes for various groups. There is work on our new house, I couldn't say no to our Home Owners Association (long story), and keeping up with many new friends with similar interests.
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Sounds like our retirement. If you like the out-of-doors, there is always a lot to get involved in and you meet a lot of people with similar interests. Who was ever worried about losing a "social network" when leaving work? I wasn't. If you go out and do the things you enjoy, you plug into a whole other social network and it's so refreshing to make connections with people which aren't work related.
Audrey
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
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01-14-2012, 10:50 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brdofpray
After retiring from the Chicago area to Upstate South Carolina, I am finding my time is at a premium. So much to do, so little time. At one time I thought I would be sitting on the porch watching birds, hoping, I wouldn't get bored. Was I wrong. Enjoying every minute!!
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But.... but.... but.... what about all those folks who warned you, "what are you going to do with all that idle time?"
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
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01-14-2012, 11:18 AM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Cooksburg,PA
Posts: 1,873
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brdofpray
The upstate is right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Beautiful mountain and lake views. There is a 77 mile trail connecting two state parks through this entire area. I am involved in a volunteer group that manages this trail, when DW and I aren't hiking on it. I took a South Carolina Master Naturalist course last fall, now I am leading bird hikes, and general nature hikes for various groups. There is work on our new house, I couldn't say no to our Home Owners Association (long story), and keeping up with many new friends with similar interests.
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The Master Naturalist program sounds right up my alley. I wonder if they do that near me?
__________________
Free to canoe
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01-25-2012, 07:22 PM
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#11
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
Sounds like our retirement. If you like the out-of-doors, there is always a lot to get involved in and you meet a lot of people with similar interests. Who was ever worried about losing a "social network" when leaving work? I wasn't. If you go out and do the things you enjoy, you plug into a whole other social network and it's so refreshing to make connections with people which aren't work related.
Audrey
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Audrey do you ever miss your old social network?
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01-25-2012, 07:35 PM
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#12
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,585
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Popster
Audrey do you ever miss your old social network?
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I'm not Audrey but I can answer. All my old social network wanted to talk about was work and job. I always told my kids they should associate with people that shared similar goals. When I started doing the same, the old network quickly became the ex-network.
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01-25-2012, 07:51 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Popster
Audrey do you ever miss your old social network?
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Uh - no. (actually, I didn't even need to think that long)
But, actually, I had already built a social network outside of work, and I minimized socializing with co-workers anyway. So when I retired, I still had my personal social network until I left town 5 years later (by which time I had already started building a new one).
Audrey
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
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01-25-2012, 07:51 PM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 294
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From my perspective, between the new neighborhood activities, and my Upstate Naturalist group, I have a stronger connection to the people here than I had after 30 years in my working life. When I first FIRED, I felt my life was more relaxed. I had more time to get to know people without the hassle of a busy work life and the schedule that brings. My activities with others were not just regulated to weekends, but could happen at anytime through out the week.
My original post that started this thread, was actually a cautionary one. Be selective in what you get involved in. I jumped in with both feet, and after two years, I am finding my schedule starting to really fill up. While this is great on one hand, it also can defeat the purpose of FIREing, and taking a different path.
I will work on that.
__________________
Don't sweat the small stuff! And realize, it is all small stuff!
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01-25-2012, 08:18 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,007
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The nice thing about being FIREd is that you can slow down anytime you want to. Or even change everything completely if you wish.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
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01-25-2012, 08:34 PM
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#16
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brdofpray
My original post that started this thread, was actually a cautionary one. Be selective in what you get involved in. I jumped in with both feet, and after two years, I am finding my schedule starting to really fill up. While this is great on one hand, it also can defeat the purpose of FIREing, and taking a different path.
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I second that.
I've never understood the "But... but... but what will I do all day?!?" syndrome. I've never understood "losing your contact network" or becoming an isolated hermit rusting on the porch swing.
Before you get involved in something, think about your exit strategy.
I volunteered for a non-profit right after I retired. Within a year I was trapped in Treasurer. I stuck it out for three years, and I enjoyed doing the books & tax returns, but after that I firmly resigned. 10 months later the President "fired" my relief and begged me to get them through the end of the year. After a second round I was able to pull free.
Then I thought it'd be cool to write a book, and it was, but again I don't really have an exit strategy. I seem to have found an outlet for my writing, though, and I'll keep that going for another year or five to see where it leads.
But this ER stuff can suck every moment out of your life if you're not mindful of your time management.
__________________
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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01-25-2012, 08:57 PM
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#17
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,054
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I'm one of those who volunteered for 3 months over the winter during the first year I retired.
A year later and I really did not want to be tied down again, but found it hard to turn down the requests. However, I decided that the last thing I needed was to be committed to a part time schedule, and having to skip some of the other new activities I had come to enjoy doing. I have no regrets at backing out after only one year, life is too short.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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01-25-2012, 11:09 PM
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#18
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Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 32
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I like this thread cause I daydream more time with people and venturing about.
If you find all those waterfalls and still want more venture further up into NC. We have some nice ones too My favorite overlook is the craggy dome.
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01-26-2012, 07:54 AM
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#19
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Belmont
Posts: 160
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Hey, I'll be a "neighbor" by late March; we're moving to Belmont, NC - west of Charlotte and semi-retiring. My wife and I are both professionals and can work part time or project schedules for a while.
__________________
Work is the curse of the partying class!
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01-26-2012, 09:00 AM
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#20
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
Uh - no. (actually, I didn't even need to think that long)
But, actually, I had already built a social network outside of work, and I minimized socializing with co-workers anyway. So when I retired, I still had my personal social network until I left town 5 years later (by which time I had already started building a new one).
Audrey
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It sounds like you transitioned yourself gradually - building an existing group of people outside of work before retiring. This is something I never thought of. Thanks for this advice. I should do what you did before taking the plunge.
Right now, my days are work work work, and I maintain a "career driven" facade just to blend in. No one knows about my disenchantment with what I do, and my desire to retire.
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