John Denver said it best for me;
"I know I'm working still, just to get another chance to play".
When I reached that level where my retirement income would allow us to do all year long what we did once or twice a year, I retired. We both have great retirements including health benefits and the only thing we didn't plan on was the Federal Government rules on health care changing when we reached 65. Our cost went up a lot.
We bought real estate for fun, second homes. It was all in recreation and vacation areas. We sold it a little at a time when there were really big expenses in our recreation. A two and a half month trip to AK with ten days of flying around the state and taking a tour from Fairbanks to Prudeho Bay and back isn't cheap. Long week ends to visit friends in Hawaii, stuff like that.
It's been 22 years, eleven months and 346 days since I pulled the plug. About eight years ago I had some really bad health issues, three joint replacements and cancer. I kind of gave up on everything I liked doing, except travel and I went downhill fast.
Then I thought, ****, I'm wasting away and becoming a couch potato.
Now I am so busy doing all those things and learning new things, I kick myself for those years when I was inactive.
I'm doing cabinetry, siversmithing, home improvements, rockhounding and active in a variety of old hobbies that I used to love.
Due to the joint replacements the cancer and now stenosis, I don't enjoy flying for long periods, so foreign travel is over but short hops are okay. I cruised for most of my time in the Navy and it isn't fun for me or the DW, we do love the land yacht though.
If your not busy and active, retirement is not the best thing. Some folks like working I did but I love what I doing now even more.
