With a wimper and not a bang?

[yakers]

I have been plotting my retirement for what seems like a long time now. I have been on this board for 3 ½ years now. And the day is closing in. My agency is in a financial bind and wanting to downsize. There is a buyout offer which requires that I be out by March 3rd. I was waiting for this, I would have gone already. I sent my application in. I did this last year and it was not approved, I was not on the ‘A’ list; this year I am. It has been an interesting year since I last applied. Everyone thought I was out and gone, after a month or two my application was denied and suddenly the office had to figure out how to reintegrate the ‘zombie’ in their presence. So for the last year I have had a very light workload, my BIL refers to my situation as ‘senior year of high school’. In fact it is so easy and I am essentially a consultant that its actually hard to leave. Good people, OK pay, fast internet access. But I still imagine that spending more time with the kids & grand kids and kayaking will be better.

Youngest son is in his first year of college. DW retired from teaching last year, she is itching for me to join her. DS & I will drive Route 66 from LA to Chicago next week, DW joining us half way through. Probably the last family trip of this kind. DS is growing too fast.

Two of my three retirement concerns have been resolved. My wife has made a terrific transition into her retirement. Youngest son has ended up at an affordable state college, he loves it and is doing well there. My third concern is retiring into a recession. Anyone able to help on that? Seems like my timing is just off. Or maybe I’ll get lucky and find we are currently in a recession and when I start withdrawing from my IRA in a year or two it will have passed.

For my wife retirement has been a big change, she no longer has a class full of kids to deal with. But for me it may not be all that big a change. Instead of spending 4 to 6 hours on the computer at work I will do that at home. Instead of meetings I’ll get to spend more time with DW and MIL (in that specific case, maybe I need to stay at work; boring, even painful meetings are better than MIL).

. There is one trip I have planned for literally 40+ years, to drive up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik in the Canadian Northwest Territories and kayak in the arctic. I bought an old Jeep three years ago just for this trip. This July I actually plan to make it there. Then it may dawn on me that I am actually retired.

[REWahoo]

You can call it a whimper, but retirement by whatever means is still a bang to me!

And as to the 'retiring into a recession', none of us have the luxury of knowing what the future holds - other than the inevitable end. Run, don't walk, to the exit and try not to let that big grin damage your facial muscles.

[Purron]

Yakers,

I just retired a week ago. I'm not too concerned about the risk of a recession. We have been through this before and I believe things will get better after the election and when the housing market stabilizes. It sure didn't change my decision to retire!

I love your idea for a trip:

Quote:

Originally Posted by yakers DS & I will drive Route 66 from LA to Chicago next week, DW joining us half way through. Probably the last family trip of this kind. DS is growing too fast.

Here's a little something to get you in the mood:

YouTube - NAT KING COLE ROUTE 66

[TromboneAl]

Congrats on getting the buyout offer. Recession not a problem -- no excuses!

[Rustic23]

Seems to me if you have the cash for the first 5 years, you should be able to wait out any recession.

[dumpster56]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yakers . There is one trip I have planned for literally 40+ years, to drive up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik in the Canadian Northwest Territories and kayak in the arctic. I bought an old Jeep three years ago just for this trip. This July I actually plan to make it there. Then it may dawn on me that I am actually retired.

Sweet my friend , do not look back. Go forward with a spring in your step and hey maybe we run into each other next summer. Alaska here I go!

[megacorp-firee]

Congrats and enjoy ... I don't think you will regret this decision ... the buyout is icing on the cake.

[bbbamI]

Well, I guess I'll quote my mom again when she said, "do the best you can do and you will be satisfied."

There are so many "what ifs" in life. Put that pencil down in March and don't look back. I'm proud of and for you.

[Fireup2020]

Have a blast! Congratulations!

[youbet]

Yakers..... Being retired and kayaking go hand in hand and you're going to love having the time to do as much kayaking as you want. On the day I retired, I got home to find DW paddling up our driveway into the garage, she was that ready. Go for it and don't look back.