I Quit.

[ER Eddie]

Man, I feel so relaxed. Just making the decision, and knowing the next chapter of my life is starting in two months, is so freeing. It's like that happy feeling of anticipation you get when you're looking forward to a vacation ... except that it's a really long vacation.

[Carpediem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie It's like that happy feeling of anticipation you get when you're looking forward to a vacation ... except that it's a really long vacation.

Or like another poster said, it's like that anticipation you got when you were about to get out of school for the summer.....except you never have to go back and you have your own money to burn.

[Teacher Terry]

Eddie, if you feel that relaxed it’s the right decision.

[Cassius King]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpediem Or like another poster said, it's like that anticipation you got when you were about to get out of school for the summer.....except you never have to go back and you have your own money to burn.

This is exactly how I see it in my mind. Hopefully I can experience it sooner than later!

[scrabbler1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpediem Or like another poster said, it's like that anticipation you got when you were about to get out of school for the summer.....except you never have to go back and you have your own money to burn.

I have sometimes compared my ER to the 7 weeks off I had between my last college final exam and the start of working at my first and only full-time job. Those were 7 fun, freedom-filled weeks, for sure!

[ER Eddie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpediem Or like another poster said, it's like that anticipation you got when you were about to get out of school for the summer.....except you never have to go back and you have your own money to burn.

Yes, that's better, because it captures a little of the childlike or adolescent feeling of adventure that I'm experiencing, too. It's a sense of discovering and exploring a new side of me/life, a new frontier. I can't claim that I'm going "where no man has gone before," but I can at least claim that I'm going where I haven't gone before.

[SnowBound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie Thanks, ivinsfan. My top candidate is east TN. It has the mountains/hiking, southern friendliness, and about the right-sized cities (Chattanooga, Knoxville) I'm looking for, and it's not too far from family. I started a thread on east TN about a year ago, and it got plenty of really good responses. I have yet to make a trip out there and do first-hand scouting, but I plan to do that soon. There may be other states in the mix, too. Colorado, maybe. I know this is a great place to ask questions, so I'll be sure to do that. Cheers.

Congratulations and maybe see you in east TN. Remember CO is fixated on weed. Literally just got back from TN minutes ago. We are looking for land for a retirement home (and garden).

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie Yes, that's better, because it captures a little of the childlike or adolescent feeling of adventure that I'm experiencing, too. It's a sense of discovering and exploring a new side of me/life, a new frontier. I can't claim that I'm going "where no man has gone before," but I can at least claim that I'm going where I haven't gone before.

+1

Very true for us. The best summer vacation ever and you are an adult.

Good choice on possible relocation, both were on our short list. We went west(CO) and I'm glad we did. I spent 3.5 months in Memphis in 1978. Memphis is completely different from the rest of the state, but we couldn't go there.

[ER Eddie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG +1 Very true for us. The best summer vacation ever and you are an adult. Good choice on possible relocation, both were on our short list. We went west(CO) and I'm glad we did. I spent 3.5 months in Memphis in 1978. Memphis is completely different from the rest of the state, but we couldn't go there.

Yeah, I don't hear much good about Memphis. Here's a video I saw a while ago, Top 10 Reasons Not to Move to Tennessee. Memphis is #1:

https://youtu.be/EaGnSnlPW1c?t=466

"Memphis brings down the whole state of Tennessee. Memphis is always on the 'worst of' lists. Whenever you're making a list of cities that suck, Memphis is always toward the top."

I'll probably avoid Memphis. :/

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie Yeah, I don't hear much good about Memphis. Here's a video I saw a while ago, Top 10 Reasons Not to Move to Tennessee. Memphis is #1: https://youtu.be/EaGnSnlPW1c?t=466 "Memphis brings down the whole state of Tennessee. Memphis is always on the 'worst of' lists. Whenever you're making a list of cities that suck, Memphis is always toward the top." I'll probably avoid Memphis. :/

OMG! My belly hurts from laughing. Not sure who the guy is, but he nailed it. I had no idea it was illegal to import skunks but I think I know why.

I was taught how to tell a dead, skinned possum from a dead, skinned cat when we lived in Memphis. Apparently possum tastes better than cat. You didn't want to be the fool who brought cat home for dinner!

[ER Eddie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG OMG! My belly hurts from laughing. Not sure who the guy is, but he nailed it. I had no idea it was illegal to import skunks but I think I know why. I was taught how to tell a dead, skinned possum from a dead, skinned cat when we lived in Memphis. Apparently possum tastes better than cat. You didn't want to be the fool who brought cat home for dinner!

[Out of Steam]

I was in Memphis for a conference about five years ago, and have to agree with the narrator on the city.

[Elliotgb183]

Sorry about your fur friend. I lost my second of 2 Shelties in 2017. Still mourn him and them every day a bit.

[ATX78701]

Congratulations on your decision! At this point you have about 52 days left. I'm still a working drone but eyeing ER Feb 2021 so a tad bit jealous lol.

So sorry about your pup. My dog is my best friend, too, and it will be difficult when he goes. And I agree that an immediate replacement is not the thing to do.

I've seen some posts about Memphis and also cities in eastern Tennessee. I lived in Memphis from 2006 - 2011. I moved to it hoping that it could be an up and coming future Atlanta or Charlotte, but nope...that city has too much baggage on many issues, and the opposing views can't seem to come together. The day I left was a great day for me.

Eastern Tennessee is absolutely gorgeous. And you'll be close to Atlanta for a large city fix, and also close to Asheville, NC for an occasional change of scenery.

Enjoy your new direction and path!

[ychuck46]

Well thought out and rationalized. I applaud you for getting to that point. Took me two years longer along with a surgery due to old sports injuries to convince me to do the same.

[steveark]

I retired at 60 three years ago. I love it. I do still do some side gigs, maybe a day or two a week, for fun. I don't need more money either, but they add to my life. You might consider that, I also do a lot of volunteer work. Congrats!

[SonofCohoes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie I gave my notice today. 60 days. I've had a lot of back-and-forth changes of mind about pulling the plug over the past few years, but last Friday, it became very clear to me that it was time to go. I have 7 or 8 pages of reasons why, and I won't burden you with all of them. Here are some of the main ones: I have more than enough money to retire completely. I told myself a long time ago that I would continue to work as long as I still enjoyed it. I'm not enjoying it. I am being drawn spiritually or emotionally in one direction, and work is pulling me in another, almost the opposite. Work is an impediment to where my heart wants to go. Intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually, it's the right decision. The universe has conspired in several different ways to give me a clear message: It is time to go. People say that you'll know when it's time, and I feel that now; I know it's time. I'm not happy with the direction my company is moving in. Morale is sinking, people are leaving, and work load is increasing. Work lately has felt like a real drain, no fun at all. Tiring. My best friend, a dog, died last week. Her death, along with the changes that followed, was a catalyst for this decision. In ways I can't explain here, it would feel like a betrayal of her if I did not stop working. I'm coming up on 58. I don't know how long I will live. Time > $. There are a lot of things I'd like to do that continuing to work makes more difficult. I gave my boss an official resignation letter and told most of my main colleagues. I'm a little sad, because I like many of the people I work with, and I'm a little anxious about cutting free of work completely. But mostly I feel right about the decision and relieved that I've announced it. My boss asked me if there was anything he could do to get me to stay, and I basically said no. The things I'm unhappy about aren't within his control, and I didn't want to complain about the workplace anyhow; I don't want to end on a sour note. So that's it. After years of compiling pro/con lists and changing my mind a dozen times, I've finally pulled the cord. My time at work is coming to an end.

Take it from someone 10 months in, it doesn’t take long to adjust.

[almost there]

Soon, it will be just a job. Something you had to do to make money to live and retire. Its easy for some to get caught up in it. And keep looking back.
Folks that leave the work force either wake up feeling unimportant, like they are not making a difference in the world. Small and humble....
Or like me. Wake up and every day is a Saturday.
Most end up in one of the two camps.
But some just cant see it. lol lol

Hope you make it into the Saturday camp.

[roenie64]

Congratulations! It is a great decision.
Perhaps you will find something better that you enjoy, besides work!!

[ER Eddie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elliotgb183 Sorry about your fur friend. I lost my second of 2 Shelties in 2017. Still mourn him and them every day a bit.

Thanks, Elliot. I've been gratified by how many people "get" it. I've stopped expecting everyone to, though. Some haven't had the experience of getting really close to an animal, so I occasionally get the "it's just a dog" type attitude. I was shopping for t-shirts this morning and laughed at one that said, "Tell me it's 'just a dog' and I'll tell you you're 'just an idiot,'" but it was a little too hostile/provocative for me to buy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATX78701 Congratulations on your decision! At this point you have about 52 days left. I'm still a working drone but eyeing ER Feb 2021 so a tad bit jealous lol.

Thank you! I cheated a little when I said I gave 60 day notice. Technically, it was 66 or thereabouts. June 28th will be my last day. At this point, it's 58 days. Tick tock.

Good luck on your own countdown. I imagine Feb. 2021 feels like a long ways off. Hopefully the work is not too much drudgery for you.

Quote:

So sorry about your pup. My dog is my best friend, too, and it will be difficult when he goes. And I agree that an immediate replacement is not the thing to do.

Thank you. Part of what I'd like to experiment with when I retire is volunteering at animal shelters. I'm going to investigate whether I'd be a good foster parent and whether I'd want to do that. I'm sure I'll end up adopting again.

Quote:

I've seen some posts about Memphis and also cities in eastern Tennessee. I lived in Memphis from 2006 - 2011. I moved to it hoping that it could be an up and coming future Atlanta or Charlotte, but nope...that city has too much baggage on many issues, and the opposing views can't seem to come together. The day I left was a great day for me. Eastern Tennessee is absolutely gorgeous. And you'll be close to Atlanta for a large city fix, and also close to Asheville, NC for an occasional change of scenery. Enjoy your new direction and path!

Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ychuck46 Well thought out and rationalized. I applaud you for getting to that point. Took me two years longer along with a surgery due to old sports injuries to convince me to do the same.

I did a lot of pro/con lists and went back and forth about my decisions many times, over the past few years. It was nice how everything suddenly slid into place and it became crystal clear that it was time to go.

It's exciting, but it's also a little anxiety-provoking at times. I guess that's natural when you're making big changes like this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveark I retired at 60 three years ago. I love it. I do still do some side gigs, maybe a day or two a week, for fun. I don't need more money either, but they add to my life. You might consider that, I also do a lot of volunteer work. Congrats!

Yes, I may think about something like that in a couple of years. My plan right now is to spend at least a year or two completely retired and see how that feels. Then, if I can't find enough to do with myself, I may poke around looking for work. I've always (well almost always) enjoyed some form of productive work. I'm not sure whether that will be paid work, volunteer work, inner work, garden work, or what...

Quote:

Originally Posted by SonofCohoes Take it from someone 10 months in, it doesn’t take long to adjust.

Sounds good. I hope to make a smooth transition. I've certainly spent a lot of time reading, thinking, and preparing for it, so I think I'm in pretty good shape. There are still plenty of unknowns, but that's okay. I like the image of having a flashlight shining a beam a few feet ahead of you, and that much of your path being illuminated -- just enough to know where to step next -- but the rest remains a mystery. A tapestry unfolding (I'm mixing my metaphors, sorry.)

I hope to recapture some of that sense of mystery, freedom, and adventure that I used to feel in my younger days.

Thanks, everybody.