How Did You Feel? - Last Day of Work before Retirement

[BIJ6165]

Retired after 23 years in the Air Force this past May. Began fulltiming June 30th. Started volunteer work in November.

I miss the people I worked with but do not miss the hours spent working.

Really enjoy fulltiming. Traveled from TX to the East coast and really enjoyed the change in climate from the TX heat.

No calendar, no requesting time off, no endless staff meetings and so on.

I keep in contact with coworkers via postcards, calls and FB.

Friends love the postcards.

Relaxed now and Loving Life.

[Dog Folks]

The entire last day I kept thinking: "This is the very last time in my life I will do......." I worked my way into a deep "funk."

I loved my job and my 33 year career and on the last day, really wondered if I did the right thing by selling everything, including the house, and going to full time traveling.

The next day as we prepared, I forgot all about work and was more excited than I have ever been since I was a kid to start the next phase of our life.

Fast forward to today, 7 year later: I can't believe I ever was so maudlin over a job. What the heck was I thinking?

Other than marrying my wife, this has been the smartest move of my entire life!!

[Easy Living]

Paul had retired several years ago after the sale of his company. I retired this year as the head of an insurance brokerage administering fully insured & self-funded plans for companies.

Thoughts on the day - I've trained my staff on how to continue. They will bring their own personalities & processes in, but I've given them the tools. My clients are comfortable with them & will quickly become their clients.

Regrets - none. If you know it's time it's time. Move to the next phase of your life with anticipation.

[chief02]

On the second day of my retirement my DW asked me what I had planned for the day, I said nothing. She said that's what you did yesterday! I promptly aswered "yeah, I'm not done yet.

[ahicks]

On my last day (a Christmas Eve), I was told the division of the company I had been with for 15 years had changed hands. It had been owned by a very large company with excellent benefits, and sold to a former boss (a control freak that I really didn't care for). While being informed of the sale, we were also told there would be some cost saving measures in place when returning after the 1st. This bugged the daylights out of me, so after considering options over Chrismas week, I announced it was time to move on the morning I was to return. That I would be one of the cost savings!

What a shock! Completely unexpected a week earlier, it turned out to be a great move. I was out of the grind, free of the stress, and hired back on (under my terms) as a consultant. This allowed them time to make their transition easier, and myself a chance to "wind down" unfinished business. A graceful exit I've never regretted.

Best of luck to those without definite plans, wondering if it's "that" time! -Al

[LeeRevell]

If I go the full 30 I have seven years to go. But with an idiot criminal (not yet prosecuted) as Florida's governor and his running roughshod over us state employees, and our upper brass having no idea what they are doing, the stress level is rising. If I can find something to do for the final four years til I turn 62, I will bail out at 25 years.
Once I do retire I plan to sell my house and property and do the Fulltime RV thing.
I am so looking forward to it.

[450Donn]

Did not have that chance. Was laid off the last day of January 2009. DW got hers Good Friday same year. So, she being a bit older than me took retirement, and started volunteering at church. Never looked back. I searched for a job until the end of 2011 and finally just said to heck with it. No body wants to hire a 66 year old field service mechanic when for the same price they can hire two college educated people and train them the way they want. So I called it quits and started volunteering at church too. Never looked back and have no regrets. We sold our house last fall and are now full timing until we find a new house someplace.
There is just too much to do to worry about retiring and what to do. Lots of volunteer opportunities out there if you avail yourself of even half of them you could be busy 50-60 hours a week.

[PyrateSilly]

About 5 yrs or so ago I was talking with my doctor about getting a job with the census bureau and she said "NO!!" I said "what?" She replied "You are not allowed to work and should not have been working for a few years now" The next appointment with her both Thom and I tried to see if maybe even doing a part time desk job would be ok. She pulled up my medical file and said "That right there tells me it's not worth my medical lic to clear you to work" Well what can you say to that? So now I almost 47 and taking care of paperwork for Thom and doing things around here.
Thom is still not retired and probably won't be for quite a few years since he is only 48 and enjoy's work. We travel where we need to and want to in the RV and live full time in it.

[99-Am.Star]

Had a great career in the auto industry and an opportunity to retire early, that was in
September of 2005. Missed the people I worked with, bur never looked back. Enjoy every minute of the last 8 years and 3 1/2 months....but who's counting.....Looking back I wonder where I got the time to work......

[GaryKD]

I retired at 57 (2004). Went out at the top of my career. The retirement was totally voluntary, my decision. I stayed an extra 3 months to train my replacement. How did I feel? Absolutely ecstatic. Walked out with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. One of the best days of my life. Never looked back. The first two years of retirement I had more job offers than I ever thought possible. Turned them all down. Retirement is great. Nothing else like it. I look forward to every day.

[taylorgso]

For many, personal identity is wrapped up in our job - it's "who we are!" I retired almost 10 years ago and don't remember how I felt at the time. I was self-employed and had been winding down my business for some time. My wife, however, is an RN - taught nursing in the university system for 30 years, retired from that and went to work as a Home Health Nurse with a local agency. She LOVED that work, but finally retired Sept 13 after some policy changes within the organization upset her. Her whole personal identity seemed to be as an RN, and she thought she was going to miss it. However, we took off the very next day on a 4 week trip out west in our MH. We've stayed busy traveling ever since, and she has not looked back. I'm just thankful that we are RVers - it's given her an outlet for her energy, and the part she thought she would miss the most - the people - has not been a problem. She's meeting people now in a totally different relationship. We've been RVers/campers for 40+ years, but now it's taken on a special meaning for us.

[nforus]

Retired a year ago at 55, the private company I worked for had been bought out by a public company and of course they promised that very little would change, I took a week off, they flew in to town and began making changes. The following Monday I came in, sent a resignation e-mail and walked out the door 15 minutes later. Haven't looked back, we did 15k miles and saw 25 states last summer in the RV!! the fun is just beginning

[davendeb]

Originally Posted by 450Donn

Did not have that chance. Was laid off the last day of January 2009. DW got hers Good Friday same year. So, she being a bit older than me took retirement, and started volunteering at church. Never looked back. I searched for a job until the end of 2011 and finally just said to heck with it. No body wants to hire a 66 year old field service mechanic when for the same price they can hire two college educated people and train them the way they want. So I called it quits and started volunteering at church too.

Bless you for your service.

[b-Bota]

Happy! Happy! Happy! Was totally burned out on a job, that I loved for years. Miss the people, not the job.