Retirement and next chapter

I’m curious how others here are thinking about the next chapter of life.
I’m planning to semi-retire and, assuming everything stays on track, spend more of my time on the things I’ve always enjoyed but never seemed to have enough time for - hunting, shooting, travel, other personal interests, and most importantly, spending more time with family and the kids, I'm now a regular at all my sons football games.. I also plan to spend more time with extended family abroad.
After decades of work, I’m beginning to think that having the time to actually enjoy those things is worth as much if not more than what money can buy you.

For those who have retired, or are getting close to it, what are your plans?

Did retirement turn out the way you expected? Did you find yourself spending more time hunting and traveling, or did other interests take over?

And for those still working, what does your ideal retirement look like?

Just curious how others here are approaching that next chapter.Cheers
SS

I was forced into retirement in 2010 after losing both my son and my wife within ten months. Never really found a direction after that. Wish I'd been able to stay working a bit longer. Now I'd just be taking a job from someone who does have a family ... and I don't need the money.

Stay active, especially physically. Do a lot of push-outs ... from the dinner table. One thing you may find is more socializing = more inclination to eat and drink with company. I switched to diet pop and the occasional (actually rare) light beer. Meat and vegetables cost more but worth it. Be careful with fatty stuff and high carbs. Also stay active mentally. Pick up some hobbies and stick with them. Again, it may involve spending $$$ but mental health is priceless.

Good luck.

Ontario Hunter said:

I was forced into retirement in 2010 after losing both my son and my wife within ten months. Never really found a direction after that. Wish I'd been able to stay working a bit longer. Now I'd just be taking a job from someone who does have a family ... and I don't need the money.

Stay active, especially physically. Do a lot of push-outs ... from the dinner table. One thing you may find is more socializing = more inclination to eat and drink with company. I switched to diet pop and the occasional (actually rare) light beer. Meat and vegetables cost more but worth it. Be careful with fatty stuff and high carbs. Also stay active mentally. Pick up some hobbies and stick with them. Again, it may involve spending $$$ but mental health is priceless.

Good luck.

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Good thoughts Ontario Hunter.
Sorry to know about your loss. It is indeed hard to come out of such devastating losses in such a short period of time.
I’m happy that you have found a way out, financially stable and have high moral values.

I’m lucky to be able to retire or semi retire at 58. I’m perhaps in one of the best shape of my life. Had a wake up call five years back, that forced me to make changes to my lifestyle, cut down on fried stuff and sweets.
I try to eat in moderation and exercise regularly.
Other than some tiffs with my wife occasionally I’m mentally away from the highly demanding and stressful job I was in.
Time will tell, hunting is in my blood and the blood still flows

Congratulations on your pending retirement! Everyone I know that has retired and is living a rewarding productive life all have one thing in common: they never stop! Whether they retired from a traditional 40 hr workweek type of job, they keep going, finding something they enjoy doing and they don’t stop until they drop!

This could be working and maintaining their property (like me), working part time, volunteer work, always doing something productive, staying active not just physically but mentally. It could have been a big shock to me, retiring from a demanding LE career, previously being the incident commander or tactical commander on various operations/critical incidents making life and death decisions to retiring and the biggest problems were deciding on whether to change brands of dog food or digging up and replacing a broken frost free hydrant on our property!

But I focused on maintaining our properties, clearing brush, cutting wood, etc. which kept (keeps) me busy. This gave me focus and purpose. I also seem to have a rescue operation for dogs thanks to my wife so that keeps me very busy as well!

Now it’s more imperative than ever to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay fit, keep the weight off, healthy diet and don’t be sedentary, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and family. Plus African hunting adventures!

Oh and finally, the older I get, I realize time is the most important commodity, more valuable than anything. Maintaining good relations with my family and no waiting for tomorrow, the time is now so make the best of it!

BJH65 said:

Congratulations on your pending retirement! Everyone I know that has retired and is living a rewarding productive life all have one thing in common: they never stop! Whether they retired from a traditional 40 hr workweek type of job, they keep going, finding something they enjoy doing and they don’t stop until they drop!

This could be working and maintaining their property (like me), working part time, volunteer work, always doing something productive, staying active not just physically but mentally. It could have been a big shock to me, retiring from a demanding LE career, previously being the incident commander or tactical commander on various operations/critical incidents making life and death decisions to retiring and the biggest problems were deciding on whether to change brands of dog food or digging up and replacing a broken frost free hydrant on our property!

But I focused on maintaining our properties, clearing brush, cutting wood, etc. which kept (keeps) me busy. This gave me focus and purpose. I also seem to have a rescue operation for dogs thanks to my wife so that keeps me very busy as well!

Now it’s more imperative than ever to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay fit, keep the weight off, healthy diet and don’t be sedentary, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and family. Plus African hunting adventures!

Oh and finally, the older I get, I realize time is the most important commodity, more valuable than anything. Maintaining good relations with my family and no waiting for tomorrow, the time is now so make the best of it!Ve

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Very well enumerated. I plan to do more of what I love doing, more time with family, hobbies, charities, volunteering and of course guns and hunting..Im looking forward to it. Thanks for your service as a LE.

SStomcat said:

I’m curious how others here are thinking about the next chapter of life.
I’m planning to semi-retire and, assuming everything stays on track, spend more of my time on the things I’ve always enjoyed but never seemed to have enough time for - hunting, shooting, travel, other personal interests, and most importantly, spending more time with family and the kids, I'm now a regular at all my sons football games.. I also plan to spend more time with extended family abroad.
After decades of work, I’m beginning to think that having the time to actually enjoy those things is worth as much if not more than what money can buy you.

For those who have retired, or are getting close to it, what are your plans?

Did retirement turn out the way you expected? Did you find yourself spending more time hunting and traveling, or did other interests take over?

And for those still working, what does your ideal retirement look like?

Just curious how others here are approaching that next chapter.Cheers
SS

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I retired about a year ago from surviving a deadly disease. Going through what I did made me develop the attitude, "Nothing is going to take me down!" And I got interested in guns, shooting, and hunting. I bought my first rifle in 50 years. I am interested in a Ruger Safari Magnum (RSM) chambered in .416 Rigby or .458 Lott in shooting-grade condition. Most of my life I have been considered a soft nerd, but no more. I want to get out and hunt - anywhere and everywhere.

I’m 61 years old. I have retired from the Army and I have retired from being a Special Agent with Homeland Security. I currently work as a contractor at the Pentagon. The plan was for the wife and I to go town to Taveras Florida next weekend and put the deposit down for our new construction home in a 55+ community there. It would then take about 9 months to build the house and we move down to Tavares May/June next year. Last month, my wife left me. Just left. I was, and am, totally blindsided. At first I thought that took Florida off the table. But after thinking things through and talking to a bunch of friends, I will be going to Florida as a 62 year old single guy. It hurts. It’s not what the plan wasz my heart has been ripped from my chest. But figure I would be more lonely up here than I will be in a 55+ community in Florida with a Social Events Director that literally has things planned to do every day if I choose. I will downsize the house a tad. I will forego the pool in the back yard (the community center has one anyway), cut back on some options- and make it work.

I retired in 2018. I was 60 at the time and had planned on retiring then.

21 days after I retired I was in South Africa on a retirement trip to myself. I took a group of 13 folks. My wife retired in 2021 and 4 days later we were in Namibia on her retirement trip. Since than have been to Africa in 2022 2024 2025. was in New Zealand and Alaska this spring.

Have both hunting and sightseeing trips abroad planned for 2027 and 2028.

Have spent more time with the kids and grand kids.

Have been able to do some house remolding jobs and get a bunch of projects completed in my small shop.

Both my wife and I are planners and want to enjoy life to the fullest.

Congratulation on you pending retirement. Enjoy your self and forget about the job you retired from. I had friends that couldn't let go of work in their brains and really didn't retire for 2-3 years. A waste of time. Hit the ground running and don't look back. It is good to be proud of the life's work, but to me a waste of time and brain cycles to focus on the past rather than the future.

AZDAVE said:

I retired in 2018. I was 60 at the time and had planned on retiring then.

21 days after I retired I was in South Africa on a retirement trip to myself. I took a group of 13 folks. My wife retired in 2021 and 4 days later we were in Namibia on her retirement trip. Since than have been to Africa in 2022 2024 2025. was in New Zealand and Alaska this spring.

Have both hunting and sightseeing trips abroad planned for 2027 and 2028.

Have spent more time with the kids and grand kids.

Have been able to do some house remolding jobs and get a bunch of projects completed in my small shop.

Both my wife and I are planners and want to enjoy life to the fullest.

Congratulation on you pending retirement. Enjoy your self and forget about the job you retired from. I had friends that couldn't let go of work in their brains and really didn't retire for 2-3 years. A waste of time. Hit the ground running and don't look back. It is good to be proud of the life's work, but to me a waste of time and brain cycles to focus on the past rather than the future.

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Azdave, some words of wisdom there. My wife took some time off to complete her master’s and pick up a few certifications, and she has now returned to work. That should keep her occupied for the next many years!

Looks like I’ll have to find plenty of hobbies to keep myself occupied in retirement and have a trip booked for Africa next July.

oldmanrookie said:

I retired about a year ago from surviving a deadly disease. Going through what I did made me develop the attitude, "Nothing is going to take me down!" And I got interested in guns, shooting, and hunting. I bought my first rifle in 50 years. I am interested in a Ruger Safari Magnum (RSM) chambered in .416 Rigby or .458 Lott in shooting-grade condition. Most of my life I have been considered a soft nerd, but no more. I want to get out and hunt - anywhere and everywhere.

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Good to know. I live not too far from you and used to go there quite frequently before my daughter graduated from UT. I really love Austin.
As you probably know, the Ruger RSM is considered one of the best-value rifles out there. That’s not just my opinion, George at Champlin Arms has said the same. They do come up for sale fairly regularly, so you should be able to snag one at a good price if you keep an eye out.

Between the pandemic years, some particularly demanding IT projects, a heart attack that landed me in an intensive care unit and taking care of my elderly mother for a couple of years before she passed away, the last five years kind of wore me out (I'm not complaining...I lead a charmed life). I was ready to retire! There's nothing like spending four days in an ICU staring at the ceiling listening to machines beep to help re-prioritize your goals (although I don't advise this as a course of action).



I've always kind of viewed my life as a series of phases: My childhood, my teenage years, college, marriage, raising kids, divorced, etc. A lot of my peers have followed a similar trajectory. But whenever I get to a significant milestone, I always take the time to reevaluate my situation and decide if it's a good point to change trajectory & do a major reset. I did that when I got divorced. I did it again when I retired last month.

I put everything I had into storage. I gave one car to my brother. I gave the other one to my son. And I moved onto a sailboat at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay. Everything I need to survive fits inside of a 31' Island Packet. My life has gotten very minimal & austere. No tv. No car. I don't stream anything. I don't subscribe to anything. I have no social media presence. If I didn't post on here on AH, there would be very little proof that I exist.



My main goal is not to set any goals. Next spring I'll throw the lines after I finish some boat upgrades & see where the oceans breezes, my mood & whimsy take me. I've been an avid photographer since I was young so I'll bring my large-format 4x5" camera with me & see if I can get some nice B&W photos of my travels. Yesterday I bought a Trak 2.0 foldable kayak to store in the forward v-berth for exploration as I gunkhole my way off the grid. At this moment, I'm a nomadic tumbleweed without a fixed address (kind of like a Jack Reacher without the rugged good looks or the ability to win a fist fight).



This could turn into a grand adventure or a total disaster if I run into the first reef I encounter. If that happens, then I'll get a camper van & start hitting national parks. There's a lot of hiking I haven't done yet...



To put it simply, the plan is to just keep moving.

Ontario hunter is right eat right and be active. Having something to do is key. I retired at 58 uears old. I walk 6 to 10 miles a week and go to the gym 2 times a week. Play guitar, learning spanish and hunt and fish. Enjoy it while you can it can change over night. Since I ( 8 years now) have retired about 20 of the people I worked with for 32 years are no longer with us. Many younger than me. So if you always wanted to go see someplace or go do some adventure, plan it and go!

mitch4570 said:

Ontario hunter is right eat right and be active. Having something to do is key. I retired at 58 uears old. I walk 6 to 10 miles a week and go to the gym 2 times a week. Play guitar, learning spanish and hunt and fish. Enjoy it while you can it can change over night. Since I ( 8 years now) have retired about 20 of the people I worked with for 32 years are no longer with us. Many younger than me. So if you always wanted to go see someplace or go do some adventure, plan it and go!

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Well said, that is one of the reason I chose to go this way..

odonata said:

Between the pandemic years, some particularly demanding IT projects, a heart attack that landed me in an intensive care unit and taking care of my elderly mother for a couple of years before she passed away, the last five years kind of wore me out (I'm not complaining...I lead a charmed life). I was ready to retire! There's nothing like spending four days in an ICU staring at the ceiling listening to machines beep to help re-prioritize your goals (although I don't advise this as a course of action).

I've always kind of viewed my life as a series of phases: My childhood, my teenage years, college, marriage, raising kids, divorced, etc. A lot of my peers have followed a similar trajectory. But whenever I get to a significant milestone, I always take the time to reevaluate my situation and decide if it's a good point to change trajectory & do a major reset. I did that when I got divorced. I did it again when I retired last month.

I put everything I had into storage. I gave one car to my brother. I gave the other one to my son. And I moved onto a sailboat at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay. Everything I need to survive fits inside of a 31' Island Packet. My life has gotten very minimal & austere. No tv. No car. I don't stream anything. I don't subscribe to anything. I have no social media presence. If I didn't post on here on AH, there would be very little proof that I exist.

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My main goal is not to set any goals. Next spring I'll throw the lines after I finish some boat upgrades & see where the oceans breezes, my mood & whimsy take me. I've been an avid photographer since I was young so I'll bring my large-format 4x5" camera with me & see if I can get some nice B&W photos of my travels. Yesterday I bought a Trak 2.0 foldable kayak to store in the forward v-berth for exploration as I gunkhole my way off the grid. At this moment, I'm a nomadic tumbleweed without a fixed address (kind of like a Jack Reacher without the rugged good looks or the ability to win a fist fight).

This could turn into a grand adventure or a total disaster if I run into the first reef I encounter. If that happens, then I'll get a camper van & start hitting national parks. There's a lot of hiking I haven't done yet...

To put it simply, the plan is to just keep moving.

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Very interesting and well written. Is that Bryce Canyon and which camera are you shooting with. I love photography, havent been able to do it as much, I use a Leica.
You have a exciting plan. Hope all goes well!

SStomcat said:

Is that Bryce Canyon and which camera are you shooting with. I love photography, havent been able to do it as much, I use a Leica.

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That is Bryce Canyon on the Fairyland Loop Trail.

I retired full time 20 years ago and semi retired 11 years ago. Cut, loaded, hauled and unloaded these donuts this morning. Forecast to be in the 60s next week so splitting on tap then. My father always said, if you don't use it, you lose it. For me, there aren't enough hours in the week. Pay attention to your health, eat right, get enough sleep and maintain regular PSP, eye and dentist visits.

I consider myself very lucky in life. Left school at 16 to help my father’s diamond drilling business. Moved on to hydro line construction and attended night school which helped to land a job in a small electrical utility that turned into a 32 year career. I retired in 2017 as the Director of Operations at the age of 52.
The only advice I give on retirement is, if you can afford to, do it.
I am busier now than ever, hunting, fishing, trail riding (SxS and ATV), volunteering, etc. My wife and I split our time between Ontario and Arizona, we prefer to fish from a boat rather than through the ice.

SStomcat said:

...and which camera are you shooting with.

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Oops! I need to learn to read better. I overlooked that question.

I'm shooting with a ToyoView 45AII Field Camera & a Nikkor SW 75mm f/4.5 on TMAX 400. I develop it in XTOL 1:1.

I retired the first time at 49. I’ve retired twice more since. I take care of the farm, shoot a lot, and travel extensively with my bride of 43 years. Life is good.

I retired full-time Jan 1st after 40 years as a Cancer, Trauma and General Surgeon. 63,000+ surgeries and almost 40,000 endoscopies it was time. I thought not having the 100 hour weeks would be hard to adapt to. Made a vow to spend 200 days a year hunting, shooting, fishing and reloading. So far, I'm ahead of schedule, 20 days in Feb in Uganda and 24days in Sept in Tanzania. And yes, I count a day whether I spend 2 hrs in the AM looking for elk or the whole afternoon shooting prairie dogs, or 16hr days beating the bush in Africa after Buffalo. Even the whole day in the reloading room adds a day.
Makes it feel like I never work.