To Go or Not To Go
This week my vacation is a staycation. It would be great to be going somewhere
like the beach, the mountains or New York City, but I chose to stay home and
catch up on some overdue projects and a couple of doctor appointments.
I've also referred to this week as retirement practice. Several friends I've made in my neighborhood over the past four years are retired. I've been watching how they live in their retirement and I'm visualizing that kind of life for myself some day. Retirement is not something I paid much attention to until a year or two ago but every day that distant, fuzzy idea attains a closer, sharper status in my head.
I'll always do some kind of work but I can see a day when I don't have the all-consuming job I now have. Like many boomers, I am unprepared financially for living without a job. At some point in a relatively few years I'll be eligible for Social Security and can draw from a union pension and a 401k. All of that combined might be enough to live on but I don't really know.
Today has been an interesting start to my week at home. My neighborhood is relatively quiet on Monday's. My stops included a physical therapist and an orthopedic supply store. Side note: the PT is an old friend I hadn't seen in fifteen years and the store is right next door to my wine hangout. I also stopped at Starbucks during a time in the morning significantly less hectic than my usual pre-work time.
During my lunch break I channel surfed past Soap operas, old tv shows, political talk shows and the last few minutes of a Jason Bourne movie. I hope this doesn't become a habit this week or in some future retirement.
Tonight I'll avoid trick-or-treaters by having dinner and drinks away from my apartment. I might wear the only Halloween clothes I own, an orange pumpkin sweatshirt.
I must admit that I don't miss work a bit today. It's been on my mind a little but I'm trying so stay disconnected and make this a true vacation, even though I'm not traveling.
In the spirit of retirement practice, I might visualize a work-from-home-part-time schedule, just to see what that would look like and feel like.
More later. Time to start on a home project.
I've also referred to this week as retirement practice. Several friends I've made in my neighborhood over the past four years are retired. I've been watching how they live in their retirement and I'm visualizing that kind of life for myself some day. Retirement is not something I paid much attention to until a year or two ago but every day that distant, fuzzy idea attains a closer, sharper status in my head.
I'll always do some kind of work but I can see a day when I don't have the all-consuming job I now have. Like many boomers, I am unprepared financially for living without a job. At some point in a relatively few years I'll be eligible for Social Security and can draw from a union pension and a 401k. All of that combined might be enough to live on but I don't really know.
Today has been an interesting start to my week at home. My neighborhood is relatively quiet on Monday's. My stops included a physical therapist and an orthopedic supply store. Side note: the PT is an old friend I hadn't seen in fifteen years and the store is right next door to my wine hangout. I also stopped at Starbucks during a time in the morning significantly less hectic than my usual pre-work time.
During my lunch break I channel surfed past Soap operas, old tv shows, political talk shows and the last few minutes of a Jason Bourne movie. I hope this doesn't become a habit this week or in some future retirement.
Tonight I'll avoid trick-or-treaters by having dinner and drinks away from my apartment. I might wear the only Halloween clothes I own, an orange pumpkin sweatshirt.
I must admit that I don't miss work a bit today. It's been on my mind a little but I'm trying so stay disconnected and make this a true vacation, even though I'm not traveling.
In the spirit of retirement practice, I might visualize a work-from-home-part-time schedule, just to see what that would look like and feel like.
More later. Time to start on a home project.
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