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TimLoon · 10-28-2014, 07:04 PM

Wife and I are in our mid fifties. We have both had moderately successful jobs since 21, married 34 years, 3 children, 5 granddaughters and are at a crossroad. Have watched all of our friends retire, some have died too early and now I may be facing unemployment after working without a hiccup in my adult life. If my employment does get interrupted and I go on unemployment, I have asked my wife to request a leave of absence and let's hit the road for 6 months seeing the US. I could probably find another position in my field but feel that if we do not do this now, we may never get the chance again. We have a MH suitable for this trip and the savings to make it happen. Have an adult son that would take up residence in our stick built and maintain in our absence.
Would love to hear from other folks that have faced this decision and how you made your choice.

Mr_D · 10-28-2014, 07:14 PM

Tim:
Do it if you can!!
We planned on retiring at 62, but my parents got worse and I needed to stay and take care of some of their needs. Wife was one week from putting in for her retirement when her daughter died, leaving us with two grandkids to raise. The oldest has now left but the youngest just started high school (14, 15 in Dec). Then my parents died. And for the last three years my wife has been in the ER, ICU and recovery 14 times. Still no real diagnosis but they are watching closely for cancer and testing for possible transplant.
Naturally all that has curtailed our retirement/travel plans! We do get out of town to a favorite campground a few times but even that is a problem since it's off the beaten path with no cell service so she started vomiting blood again and I had to drive her 50 miles to the hospital. Right now she's 18 days out from another surgery, just another hernia this time. Next month it's an endoscopy, colonoscopy, blood testing for the possible transplant, and then an ultrasound to check on a spot on her liver. Oh yes in 2011 they did a colonoscopy and removed three growths, two benign and the third was precancerous.
Now we wish we had gone full time as we originally planned!

G.G. · 10-28-2014, 08:12 PM

Well, I can't give you first-hand experience, but I'll say this, "What the heck are you waiting for?" Sounds to me like you have the perfect situation - if unemployment happens, that is. Go for it if it won't put you in a financial bind.

ChileRick · 10-28-2014, 08:23 PM

We live in an "age restricted" community. We moved here 10 years ago at ages 53 and 54, too young to live here, but we snuck in. In those 10 years we've lost more friends/family in their 50's and 60's than you can count on two hands. We did some traveling 4 years ago, then Pop passed away, leaving mom in our care. Now we get away when we can, but not the way we'd planned. The friends we have made here, now in their 70's, some in their 80's all say the same thing."Do everything you can while you are young and healthy enough to enjoy it". No one knows how much time they have before they are too old or too ill to do the things they always dreamed about doing. Don't wait, follow your dreams if/while you can.

KIX · 10-28-2014, 08:37 PM

I agree with th others......go while you're able. Financially able is one thing but physically able is very important.
Having worked all your life you will have an adjustment period that can last for quite awhile. I certainly did. We "worked" in CGs on the front desk three days a week in exchange for a site and utilities. It helped me ease into retirement.........that was 18 years ago. Now we just go and enjoy. Good luck to you......

Rcandvicki · 10-28-2014, 08:44 PM

Don't put off till tomorrow, what you can do today. Tomorrow may never come.

pdanders2 · 10-28-2014, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rcandvicki

Don't put off till tomorrow, what you can do today. Tomorrow may never come.

Total Agreement. I delayed some plans thinking there will always be time. Starting to work on bucket list in December.

Bullitt · 10-29-2014, 05:46 AM

A man once said...

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimLoon

... if we do not do this now, we may never get the chance again.

.
.

missourijan · 10-29-2014, 01:39 PM

We went fulltime after quitting (not retiring) from our stressful jobs. Just couldn't take it anymore. We were 55 & 48. We sold the house (no more mowing, weeding, shoveling snow, painting, etc) and took off without a real plan. We have a LOT less $$ but have made it work and that was 8 1/2 years ago. We have been able to spend quality time with family members that we only had quick visits with for years and years. Family members have passed away and we were able to spend extended time with their families instead of rushing back to work. Trust me, you will regret it if you don't do this. We have seen a lot of the US and much more to see. We are still restricted by finances but that's ok, we volunteer as park hosts and DH works for 6 months then we travel for 6 months. Do it, do it, do it.

Air Baron · 10-29-2014, 02:33 PM

Why not rent your house and let your son look after it? The extra income will make your life on the road much less stressfull...and delay the urge to go back to work. If you decide to exit fulltiming, you still have your house. We waited until our mid-sixties, social security and medicare. We missed out on seeing the country because we were too busy working and raising 2 sons. That is why we are now burning up the roads, trying to make up for lost time. In 28 months we have gone on 3 long trips, travelled 22,000 miles, been in 35 different states and stayed in 75 different campgrounds or rv parks. We will be heading out again next spring for a 4 month trip. Sure, it takes courage to make big decisions. It also takes effort and determination to head out on an adventure. If you want to do this and don't, you will regret it for the rest of your lives. Just do it. Nobody, when they are sick and tired and ready to leave this world, will say something like "I wish I had worked a little longer."

poppopc · 10-29-2014, 02:37 PM

Retired 7-1-11. Sold house 6-1-11.
Don't miss the house. Follow the thermometer.
Stay out of the snow and heat.
Try to adhere to a 3-3-3 life style.
Travel less than 300 miles.
Arrive before 3PM.
Sstay at least three days.
Will do this either we get tired of this lifestyle!
Or kill one another.

nothermark · 10-29-2014, 04:13 PM

It is not just dieing that screws up your plans. I retired at 66 and had both hips replaced. My back country camping buddy had a major heart attack, SO's parents throttled our plans for the last couple of years around those incidents. If you have a good reason to take a work break I'd say take advantage of it while you can.

TimLoon · 10-29-2014, 04:33 PM

Folks, All good advice. My wife was the baby daughter of the family and we became the caregivers of her parents until they passed on. Difficult time for us trying to raise a family and care for elderly parents. I lost my father two years ago and Mom is now in Assisted Living with Alzheimer's, soon she won't even know me. Dementia runs strong in both my wife's family and mine at an early age. No doubt that if my job situation goes belly up in the next few months this transition will probably happen.

Wbonsell · 10-30-2014, 04:32 PM

Tim....as others have said, just go do it while you can. My wife is retiring in two weeks and we are ready to head off hopefully by December 1. After a two week mini vacation in August, we came back home to our condo, immediately got back into our lifestyle and asked each other could we go out in a motor home for an extended time. The answer was a unequivocal yes! So off we go shortly.

I am not sure what state you are in but seems to me that in order to obtain the unemployment benefits you have earned, you must actively seek employment via a job search log, or fulfill that requirement by taking job training classes, etc. Not sure you can just take off for 6 months and have a UI check just hit your bank each week. My brother was laid off by a local city and he had a heck of a time getting benefits and has had to jump through some serious hoops to keep his check coming. Regardless of the UI thing, my wife and I just decided that after 38 years of marriage, kids and now grand kids it was time for us to finally do things for us. Our children are grown and raising families. Life is short and this is not a dress rehearsal. You only get to do it once. We are going out for 6 months with the hope that it will morph into a seriously long term adventure.