Baby boomer retirement goals...

I am getting ready to retire this year, after over 30 years in nursing. It's been a rewarding work experience, but now I am ready for a rest.

One thing in my plans is to go to Vegas for New Years Eve, something hubby and I have always wanted to do.
The other is to take a cross country trip, seeing many casinos along the way - like Sionow did a few years ago. We may end up combining both next winter.

Anyone else out there planning retirement, and what do you most look forward to doing/seeing/accomplishing??

When I retire - I hope to travel quite a bit also, including a "drive" to Las Vegas and hitting Yellowstone on the way back. A trip back to Scotland is on my bucket-list also. I've been many places in the world on business and I likes Scotland so much, I went twice with the family. There is no place on earth I would rather be than Scotland in late June or early July!

My wife and I both retired two years ago. We retired relatively early at age 55. We wanted to get out when we were both healthy enough to do it. Anyway having said that the best advice I can give you is don't put anything off. If you want to do it, go do it.

Another thing is don't let peer pressure make you feel guilty for doing whatever it is you want to do. I have had several people come up to me and say are you doing a lot of traveling and then they almost look at us like we are crazy when we say we really don't like to travel all that much. We took six trips our first year of retirement, Vegas, two cruises, Niagara Falls and a couple of trips right here in Florida. Quite frankly IMHO air travel sucks. What works for us is waking up in the morning and doing whatever we want to do that day. It might be staying in bed until 2 PM or working in the yard or just finding some interesting place right here in Florida that would make a nice overnight trip. We have discovered several great get aways within a two hour drive.

What I am trying to say is after 30 years in nursing you deserve to do whatever it is that is going to make you happy. We have become such a driven society that people seem to always have to be doing something productive or else they feel guilty or are made to feel guilty. I say screw that I busted my ass for 35 years I deserve to be slug if that is what I want to do, as long as I pay my own way, along the way.

Retirement is like a marriage and you will find there is a honeymoon period where you will have to find out what works for you and don't let everyone's preconceived ideas of what retirement is all about affect how you and your husband enjoy yours.

Last but not least I can't begin to tell you how much my wife and I have enjoyed the last two years. We constantly look at each other and laugh and blurt out how is that retirement working out for you.

I have found "retirement" to be busier physically and much less mental pressure and stress than when working. (IBM and the military.)

I now have time to immediately repair broken things (and feel like doing it now that I am not tired after work).

I find myself helping friends move, and repair broken things (sewer, fence, HVAC,
electrical etc.) I feel like this is giving back. Service to others.

I am finding more time for writing.

It would be nice if the wife could find another HR gig, she was a Benefits Director for large companies in the Dallas area. She's been looking for three years.

We are currently able to travel at the drop of a hat and enjoy that.

The only thing about aging is that the body is not what it once was.

I used to be able to hear a twig snap in the forest (Vietnam), wake at the slightest noise until about 3 years ago, now I sleep like a rock. I think the hearing is dropping off some.

Some other things have slowed me down somewhat. I can now say the military is for the younger generation!!

I am thankful for friends, family, and a great country to live in.

I'm retiring this May...yea! Over 40 years in nursing, 34 as a nurse manager.

What I look forward to the most is toasting the first big snow/ice day with a cup of hot chocolate, and crawling back into bed.

I figure I won't have as much money to throw at the casinos, so more gambling trips isn't big in my dreams. But I will appreciate being able to go WHEN I want to go, not when work dictates.

Some years ago somebody wrote up in our newspaper a great 'bucket list' of sites right here in my own state that we've never visited. I plan to work through that list.

Mostly, when family or friends call, I'll be so happy to say "Yes!" rather than "sorry no, I have to work."

I know a goal of ours right now, and it's a lofty one at that because of health issues is to retire on a boat. First doing the "great loop" in the first year and who knows, keep going around a few more times. There's actually something like 25,000 of navigable waterways on this side of the country.

A simple map of it. As you can see there's a few different paths to take and it takes roughly a year to go around once. Of course this can vary greatly depending if you want to speed around, or take a nice leisurely pace.



Some of the many more navigable waterways



I started researching and reading up on it a few years ago and this is something we really want to do..at least once. We know the realities of wanting abandon ship after the first year(hopefully not) but there is a plan B and that's to sell the boat and switch to a land yacht(RV). At that point it would then turn into touring the land "loop" which isn't so much a loop but a route that visits all the national parks. It's more of an O with an X in it kinda map and of course I can't find it right now, but keeps you in the north during the warm times and heading back south when the temps drop, oh yea, that's a big time goal whatever we do, warm in the winter!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_loop

Ah well, it's still a good ways away and we'll see what comes along.

We are in the planning stages at the moment. I would love to see all the national parks. We are tossing around the idea of buying an RV or a pull trailer and heading to all different areas of the USA. Another thought is a new truck with a truck camper on it. We currently are campers with a pop up which we will sell in the spring, as it's getting harder on my husband to do a full set up each time we camp - our pop up is a huge one, very over-sized, not able to be pushed into a site by my husband and me.

I am loving all the comments and positive support you are giving me. It's terrific to hear of everyone's retirement plans/wishes. I hope they all come true for all of you. They will happen if you choose to make them happen. I am hoping to hear from more people!!

DonDiego recommends Mr. and Mrs. jatki99 take the Welland Canal route between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie as opposed to the Niagara River route.

I can tell you what I did when I retired. And it is definitely NOT for everyone.
We had a child.
Since I'm so young looking and handsome I rarely get the "what a lovely grandchild" line but you can see the question in the eyes of people we meet.

Honestly, retirement is what you make of it. Like previous post have said. Do what you want, you deserve it.

I had not planned on retirement for another two years; however, my employer just sent me a bombshell e-mail last week informing employees of some major changes to our retirement benefit package effective as of Jan 1, 2015. If I retire at the end of the year, I'll be eligible for the current package; wait, and I will have to take the new package which does not look that great at first glance. I can't image myself not working 50 plus hours a week. This sudden jolt of reality has me a little unnerved. If I do retire early I definitely will do some traveling. First thing is to take a two week canoe trip in the Canadian Northwest Territories; a trip I've been wanting to experience for the past 40 years.

Glasses can affect yoiur vision; especially when they have been emptied several times....
You should always respect age; especially if it's bottled.....

Spring Break 2000 !!!