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Retirement and realization

longview

DP Veteran
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As I get close to retirement, it does not seem real, but I was looking at my remaining time and working up my vacation schedule,
and realized that I have already worked my last Friday Ever. For several years I end up in Sept with too much vacation time,
and generally take my normal 4 hour Fridays off until the end of the year.
Going forward I realized I have enough vacation time to only work 4 day weeks until I retire.
I have been working 40+ hours a week for 47 years, it will be odd to not have the obligations of a workplace.
I have to wonder if my hobbies will be enough to keep my interest?
 
My wife retired last month, and I work somewhere with unlimited vacation....which means that you don't take it as much, weird.

Anyway, we had to put our wonderful elderly dowager of a dog down last week, so now its easier to travel. Two trips coming up, one for work back east, I come home for a day, and we go out to Texas for a funeral.

Wife is looking up flights right now for a big trip next year.

I plan on sticking it out 2 more years before retiring, the benefits are so good, and they keep giving me stock. But, I have no idea what to do when I retire, its gonna be lots of travel though.
 
Congrats! That’s a huge milestone! I’m a few years away myself, but looking forward to it.
 
Congratulation! You've worked for 47 years? Wow. You best enjoy the time you have left. I've been retired for a decade and time goes fast. Believe me. If you have enough vacation/sick leave I think it's best for you to 'wind it down' so you don't shock your system. Retirement can be the best time in your life but it'll that some experimentation for you to find a new routine that works for you. As you wind down, now is the time to think about it.
 
Congratulations on your upcoming retirement and your shorter work week in the meantime.
 

I think it's possible your post count here is going to go way up!
 
longview said:
I have to wonder if my hobbies will be enough to keep my interest?
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I'm concerned about this too when I eventually retire. I'm imagining volunteer work as a docent somewhere, or maybe becoming an usher at Wrigley part time will keep me busy enough.

I have no doubt you, however, will never run out of climate denial rabbit holes to go into.

I see you writing a manifesto in your future.
 
No manifesto, but perhaps a whitepaper or two.
 

Enjoy life. You'll find something to pass the time, I'm sure. Congrats on a career, and good luck in your future endeavors.
 

I think that could be quite fulfilling, to be honest. Plus, you would personally continue to grow intellectually and socially. I can also see a sense of satisfaction in mentoring others.

Honestly, it sounds like a nice deal!
 
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Chomsky said:
I think that could be quite fulfilling, to be honest. Plus, you would personally continue to grow intellectually and sociably. I can also see a sense of satisfaction in mentoring others.

Honestly, it sounds like a sweet deal!
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It would put my vast mental catalog of obscure, interesting and trivial Chicago history to use, for sure.
 
Threegoofs said:
It would put my vast mental catalog of obscure, interesting and trivial Chicago history to use, for sure.
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I'm sure there will be an audience for it!

Academia doesn't pay that great (in your case zero), but it's a nice life for the right person. I wouldn't have minded it, as every time I step on a (higher-end) university campus like N.U. or U. of C., I've felt right at home. Intellectual stimulation is a joy for some of us, especially when in the company of other like-minded individuals.
 
longview said:
I have to wonder if my hobbies will be enough to keep my interest?
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Health forced me to retire far too young, about 15 years ago. I had never wanted to retire. I loved my job.
That said, I had always promised myself if I ever did have to retire I would return to school to learn more. Not for any advanced degrees but just for more knowledge.
With the internet, that has become ultra easy. I take all kinds of courses from all different universities.

Still, I fill most my day with glorious music. Steaming allows for cheap untold pleasures.

With all the sports available, on network and streaming platforms on top of it all, I don't have any time for a vacation!

If I could however, I would love to take a long boat ride down a great river (or 2 or 3) of Europe but I am not allowed to fly.

Europe River Cruises | Viking®

A European cruise is perhaps the best way to experience the continent's rich history and diverse cultures. Join us on board an elegant, award-winning ship and explore iconic cities and charming villages. Stroll through ancient vineyards, marvel at UNESCO-listed architecture and savor local...
www.vikingrivercruises.com
 
I was in academia for about a decade - it was great in lots of ways, but working in the private sector has been even more intellectually stimulating in my profession.
 
Threegoofs said:
I was in academia for about a decade - it was great in lots of ways, but working in the private sector has been even more intellectually stimulating in my profession.
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Interesting. My life's been mostly corporate, either as a captive or a consultant, but I've spent several years consulting on several university research projects moving the pure research out to applied research funded by corporate benefactors.

I really enjoyed my experience in university research, compared to the cut-throat corporate for-profit environment. I will admit my university team moved at literally only 20% of the speed of my corporate team, but it was a much more enjoyable environment. The only negative was some pettiness among the researchers, but it paled in comparison to some of the dastardly politics I saw in corporate R & D.
 
I went academic to corporate, but my area is pharmaceutical research and education, and in academia, it moved slowly and has very narrow focus, whereas in industry, it’s much faster moving, often broader focus (although non commercial activities are ignored…which I fought futilely for years).
 

If you're an auto-didactic with a love of learning (many of us are), have you ever heard of the "Great Books" Program?

Essentially, the Great Books are a canon of the foundational thought of Western Civilization. The program came into being at U of C, with several other universities offering undergrad degrees based upon the program.

I was involved with the Junior Great Books program as a kid, and it was a blast. Rather than an instructor, students read the Great Books themselves, and then discuss them in small table groups with a program "facilitator".

Rather than use college textbooks, the students go straight to the classical foundational source texts (English translated) of the subject matter. So to learn elementary Calculus, the students read Newton's Principia. For Geometry, they'd read Euclid's Elements and Aristotle's various treatises.

I was extremely fortunate to attend a really excellent Grammar School, and a pretty good Catholic Prep High School, where the curriculums were strong Liberal Arts College Prep programs. But at my university Undergrad & Grad Levels, I focused specifically on classes for career & employment. Until today, I regret having missed the opportunity to have studied the Classics at the university level during my Undergrad education.

So now later in life where career & career growth have less importance to me, I'm once again becoming drawn to the Liberal Arts, Classics, and The Great Books.

Here's some reference on the Great Books:

Great Books of the Western World - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org
Here's an interesting U of C "adult education" Great Books certificate program in the Classics (that confers alumni status):

Basic Program of Liberal Education

The University of Chicago’s Basic Program provides the opportunity to study foundational texts across Classical and Western traditions of thought. The next opportunity for new students to enter the program will be Autumn 2024.
graham.uchicago.edu
 
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