Looking for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Retirement. Update/ GOOD NEWS!!!!!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Since Dk has been a big part of my life for the past 6 years, I've decided to reach out to all you dear people who are living the retired life to share some insight into what retirement looks like to you now.
I just turned 60, have a fabulous job, work 3 days, 11 hours per day, work with wonderful staff and new mommies and babies. I make what many would consider very good income. My work days are long and demanding and challenging, both mentally and physically as I probably walk an average of 5-6 miles a day throughout the unit, and am standing a good part of the day as well.

BUT, I am just tired. Tired of the committment, tired of the responsiblity, tired of all the requirements of hospital employment. Tired of being gone 3 whole long days a week. I leave at 6:30am and not home til 6:30 pm and just come home and go to bed because it's such a long mentally draining day. (I am also up everymorning at 4:20 to go to Crossfit at 5:00 before work)
I love, love , love staying home. I have always been a home body and have many hobbies and activities to be as busy as I want to be. First and foremost, I have two amazing grandchildren that I see and have hours and hours of playtime with at least 1-2 times a week, However, I just feel like I am missing out on more with them.
And the finanical loss would be considerate, but it would certainly not send us to the Food Stamp line or buying Purina.
When is it enough? When did you decide and what helped you make up your mind? Does anyone have any regrets or wish they had stayed employed longer? I would very much appreciate your thoughts and feelings about this, as I am just making myself miserable with indecision. Thanks in advance.

update:
After so much great input from everyone here and discussing this with DH and family, we have our sights set for this Oct. I feel such a sense of relief and that sense of dread on the mornings of work is greatly lessened. Still there tho. Find myself wishing it was Oct already. We are preparing financially and it's looking very do-able with some minor adjustments, but nothing earth shattering. I am as frugal as they come, so my spending habits won't change. I always said I'd still be looking for coupons and sales even if I won a HUGE lottery. Just in my blood I guess. Thank you to everyone who replied as your input was valuable and all taken into consideration in this decision. You are all just such a kind and generous group of friends.

GOOD NEWS!!!!! I will be very busy in retirement. We have grandbaby #3 on the way!!!!! Due in Feb. Wanted to share that with my Dk family. thanks

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We made the decision six years ago when we moved back from Florida to Ohio that I would not return to work.  Our reasons were family generated in that my parents are here.  They were early 70's and I wanted to be in place should they ever need us.  I was only 50 at the time and my not working required us to re evaluate our life style and decide what was important and what wasn't.  Then about 3 years in we started looking at DH's income and if we thought we could make it without it.  We did a test for six months and we did fine so he retired about 2.5 years ago.  We aren't sailing around the world on yachts or taking Hawaii vacations like some of our friends, but we are making it just fine.  Most of our time revolves around the Doodles and vacations include them.  I loved doing all of my volunteer Pet Therapy with Sophie until we lost her and now my time is spent training with AnnaBelle.  I have also become a gym rat which I love and DH is much healthier as well.  I think that the lesson that we learned when we really started thinking about retirement is really how many of the things we were buying we really didn't need.  It was actually really depressing when we thought wow, if we had done this years ago think how much money we could have saved :o( ... Health insurance is a beggie, but fortunately DH is retired Military so we don't have to worry too much (and I say that cautiously) about that.  I honestly can think of no reason not to do it.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Thank you Sherri, I appreciate hearing from you as I did know you were retired but did not know how long. Reading about your life through Dk has often made me wonder when I would be able to do some of those things, like volunteering and vacations with the doodles. Investing more time with them. I have always been a gym rat, so I can totally understand that aspect of your life. I am just getting DH into Crossfit with me so health is not an issue here. Insurance may not really be either once I really look into it. I have always been a very "frugal" homemaker and shopper. I may be a paper goods hoarder, but that is honestly my only downfall with shopping. :) ( IF theres a coupon and it;s on sale, I will buy as many paper towels as I can!!!!! )So our spending habits would not change. And in reality, financially we will have enough, with pension and soc sec. I think it's the giving up of this last years income that is making me feel guilty and frivolous. My BF told me this morning.....You DESERVE this NOW!!!!! Hard to wrap my mind around that.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I retired at age 60 from a job that I loved and at the very best and most fulfilling (although stressful) point in my 37 year career with the same company.  My reasoning was that I had no idea exactly how much longer my DH and I would be "around" and there were still so many things that I wanted to do and learn.  I wanted to be more of a help to my daughters.  I wanted to spend more time with the grandkids.  I wanted the time to have devote to dogs....that's when I got the Doods.  I wanted to garden.  I wanted to learn photography and how to paint.  I wanted to learn to play the piano.  I wanted to travel on my terms....it seemed like I was always traveling for my job which had lost its charm.  I wanted to do volunteer work. I've done all of this over the past seven years (except my piano playing is horrendous) and I've loved every single minute of it.  For the first five years I volunteered in the NICU and the Center of our area Hospital....I gave that up last Fall when my husband had surgery and my son was quite ill....I'll get back to it at some point.  I've maintained many of my "work friends" and we get together often.....and they tell me how lucky I am to be retired.  Anyway for me it was the best decision and I'm so happy I did it.  Yes there's a financial impact, but I find I really don't spend money the way we used to.  For one thing we don't go out to eat as much.....I'm home and I enjoy cooking.   I wish you luck with your decision....I think this is such a wonderful time of life.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Jane, I see so many posts of yours and think about doing a lot of those activities as well, Gardening....yes, grandkids.....yes, yes, photography....yes, volunteer work....yes, read, quilt, sew grandkids fun clothes.....yes!!!!

"I think this is such a wonderful time of life". Yes! Thank you friend.

[DonMarie and Picco]

I'm working PT from my home for a consulting firm on an as-needed basis and I really can't wait to fully quit!  I do very minimal volunteer work but would like to do more. I'm in a dog-friends hiking group and most of them are retired and hike 2+ days a week. I'd love to join them more!

[cheryl & oliver]

Well I was a nurse for 30 yrs. I worked Ob-Gyn for 25 yrs, and when we moved to Florida 30 yrs ago, I worked in the first walk in center in Palm Bch County.  I did that for 5 yrs, also crazy hrs. with lots of demands.  I then did Urology for a two man practice for 5 yrs.  By that time I was ready to retire, lol, and I did...sure we miss the money, I won't deny that, but I now have time to do things I want, i swim, I play Mah Jong, I don't have to get up early most mornings if I choose not to, and I can go and play with my grandchildren, or have lunch with friends, or just stay home, (my Favorite) which seems strange to some people, but when you have worked like we have, staying home to read a book, whatever is a treat...I love it.  I loved my job, and I am not sorry that I did work all those years, but I LOVE being "retired."...Just one persons opinion of course...My advice, go with your heart...

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Thank you Cheryl, it sounds like you don't miss the work of nursing at all though, and that is what I need to hear as well. The money part is what's holding me back, but I sure don't see me lasting until 62, (Dec.2015) either, so WTH? What difference is one more year of salary going to make at this point? Because when it comes down to it, Im probably always going to miss the money. But I would miss my grandchildrens growing up a whole lot more!

[Valarie]

Sue,  I just retired in February after 31 years in health care.  For the last 4 years I was the administrator of a 285 bed veterans facility.    I struggled with the decision.  Money was not really a big issue because as someone else noted, we have lived financially conservative and our lifestyle has not changed significantly as yet.  I struggled because I got so much satisfaction from my job.  I enjoyed the veterans and the staff.  But around the clock demands, extreme responsibility and stress was my life.  I wanted to be a better wife, daughter and friend.  Even so I cried when I walked out of my office on my final day of work.  It was heart wrenching.  But after 3+ months I feel like myself again.  I smile more, I laugh more, I visit my family more.  I have time to do special things for my husband and friends.  And of course I have a lot more time with Sophie my sweet doodle.  I am working on some home projects now.  The first couple of months I really just "sat still".  It was amazing to get up in the daylight, not have a schedule, not have a cell phone attached to me.  The quiet was wonderful.  I have room in my mind for daydreaming and planning projects.  I am starting to add some things into my schedule, like yoga classes and volunteering at the local animal shelter.  I loved working but I really am surprised by how much I enjoy directing my own time.  It really is amazing.  I'm a newby but I recommend it whole heartedly.  Best of luck...

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Looking at every ones remarks here made me think about just a couple weeks ago the manager at the gym told me they were looking for someone to work Monday nights.  It is just 3 hours a week from 4-7 pm.  I can't even tell you how many reasons I thought of very quickly about why I couldn't do it because of all it would interfere with.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

A testament to how full your life is!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Sue ~ I applaud you and all the other nurses out there for what you do or have done! Nursing is a wonderful profession.  It sounds like you are burning out.  If you can make it financially, I would go for it.  Otherwise consider cutting back one more day.  Medicare is just around the corner, but I certainly can understand your concern about health care in the interim.  We worked through the same issue.

My husband and I retired 7 years ago.  He was 65 (CFO) and I was 59 (law field)  and I was so tired of commuting to downtown Seattle!  My social circle was the office because by the time I did a 1 hr commute each way, and then hit the gym, there was little time for much else.  With our children all grown and living in the Seattle or Portland areas, we decided to sell our home and move east of the Cascades to the Washington wine country where there is 300 plus days of sunshine and the cost of living is somewhat less than the big city.  We built a lovely new home (all on one level) on a half acre lot with a beautiful view of the Columbia River and I am hoping we can stay here for the duration.  Our community is approximately 300,000 people and we are within a 3 hour drive to any one of the children.  For the first time in my adult life, I have had time to enjoy the community, attend various classes, become a Master Gardener and learn to play bridge. We have met a wonderful network of friends (women and men of all professions) that have also made the leap to retirement (some finding it easier than others)! My husband and I wake up every morning so thankful we were able to retire when we did. It is in my DH's DNA to never second guess anything, so once we discussed it and thought  the time was right to retire, we set the plan in motion.  There was no looking back!  We love the fact we can spend more time together enjoying life while we are both still healthy and able.  We still each have own interests.  However, that being said, I did put my foot down to having our desks in the same office! LOL I have my desk and laptop in our bedroom by a window with a view of the river and I love my alone time there.  Above all, it gave us time for a second family - our two beautiful doods!  Life is so sweet!  

You will know when it is time.  Goodness, if you find six months down the road, it is not what you thought or you regret it, I would assume with your experience, you could find a job in your a field without a problem.  I agree with Gail - it is so great to be out of the "rat race"!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Thank you Linda, I think you hit the nail on the head....burnout. It's very high actually in the Lactation Consultant community. You have definitely settled in nicely to retirement and are enjoying it. I know I would be as active and have no trouble filling my days. And another key is enjoying it while healthy and able. So true what you said too about being able to go back if I had to. Somehow I don't see me wanting to do that. I'd love to be more like your husband and never second guess myself, but I think if it worked out financially, I would have no reason to second guess myself.