Thinking about retirement?

[Sokel]

For one... John Kay... with heroin as his muse... is still alive at 81 and with the same partner for 60 years. Apparently the adage of "only the good die young" is more lyrical than true.

I generally hate ships, too confined for me.
But there's a special feeling when finally reaching international waters, it kind of makes anything seems funny.
It's a special kind of freedom even if it's mostly imaginary.

 

[Astoneroad]

Retirement was the worst thing i have ever done.
Like the Sarah Winchester legend
"The legend states that Sarah Winchester believed she was haunted by the ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles. If that statement alone doesn’t indicate a shifting in attitudes towards firearms, I’m not sure what does. In this story, Sarah visited a well-known medium in New England who told her that she must continuously build a house, never laying down the hammer, based on the requests of these tormented spirits. From her séance room in the mansion, she was guided by these architects. These directives from beyond the grave have been used to explain many quirks in the house. For example, a stairwell to nowhere and a door that leads outside to a large and deadly drop. In the legend, Sarah believed if she stopped construction, she would die."

As a metaphor it rings true. Once we stop constructing thoughts and connecting dots... we're dead. There are examples of the metaphor actually being built, in real life like the Watts Tower in L.A... or the Florence Cathedral. For me, leaving these in the realm of "thought experiments" is worth the resources of time and energy... no need to leave anything behind in the name of vanity.

 

[Astoneroad]

I generally hate ships, too confined for me.
But there's a special feeling when finally reaching international waters, it kind of makes anything seems funny.
It's a special kind of freedom even if it's mostly imaginary.

I think that all freedom is entirely imaginary. I'm ok with placebos if they bring contentment in the only present moment available. To this end... it doesn't matter if one is working on "P vs. NP"... or trying to find Waldo... if it's worth your moment... it is by definition... worth it.

"International waters" are always available... without the confinement of a ship with faulty plumbing...

 

[Papa]

Took about one day of retirement as a high school teacher to not miss dealing with school administrators. I do miss the kids though. Grandkids are a blast. I started photography way back in my teens and about 10 years before retirement got heavily back into it. Many days spent with camera in hand during walks and absolutely love it. Bird watching trips with friends, cruises with wife it’s all good. Enjoy your time the way you see best.

 

[ahofer]

I am glad none of you gents seem to have extremely expensive parents to take care of. Just got a curveball about mom's health cost. Could have bought KEF Muons but prefer my 86 year old mom living on... zero complaints.
Life never stops throwing you curveballz does it..

My Dad is in memory care at the moment. It is indeed expensive, but he still has some savings.

 

[xanalog]

I think that all freedom is entirely imaginary. I'm ok with placebos if they bring contentment in the only present moment available. To this end... it doesn't matter if one is working on "P vs. NP"... or trying to find Waldo... if it's worth your moment... it is by definition... worth it.
"International waters" are always available... without the confinement of a ship with faulty plumbing...

Wilsonnnnnnn!

 

[Holmz]

If you're looking for an overseas location don't forget the local income tax rate. For many countries and people it's 50% or more. However, Italy has a deal with a flat 7% rate (you still have to pay US taxes) for people living in poorer regions in towns with less than 20000 people. Some are really very nice and real estate prices are far lower there than in most of the US.

^While true^, there is something to say about a lot of civilised countries…

• Not seeing people in tents and crapping all over the sidewalks.
  • Or other scenes like a G-rated refugee camp.

I suppose rural areas like Idaho, Montana, etc. are good, but then the culture of a city is not available.

Italy may be good, and Greece can be.

 

[EJ3]

^While true^, there is something to say about a lot of civilised countries…

• Not seeing people in tents and crapping all over the sidewalks.
  • Or other scenes like a G-rated refugee camp.

I suppose rural areas like Idaho, Montana, etc. are good, but then the culture of a city is not available.

Italy may be good, and Greece can be.

^While true^, there is something to say about a lot of civilised countries…

• Not seeing people in tents and crapping all over the sidewalks.
  • Or other scenes like a G-rated refugee camp.

I suppose rural areas like Idaho, Montana, etc. are good, but then the culture of a city is not available.

Italy may be good, and Greece can be.

I was in Freo/Perth Nov 22, 2004-Jan 1, 2005 (including the Boxing Day Tsunami) staying in a place along the waterfront. That is closer than I like to be to city culture (in spite of having been born in Salzburg, Austria).
But I like it hot & with ocean. So, islands in the Indian Ocean & Western Pacific with 975-200K people suit me just fine.

 

[Chrispy]

^While true^, there is something to say about a lot of civilised countries…

• Not seeing people in tents and crapping all over the sidewalks.
  • Or other scenes like a G-rated refugee camp.

I suppose rural areas like Idaho, Montana, etc. are good, but then the culture of a city is not available.

Italy may be good, and Greece can be.

I've lived in rural areas for most of the last 25 years, don't miss "culture" of a city, we have a good local scene, but can get to a reasonably sized one about 45 miles away (Eugene, OR).

 

[Doodski]

I've lived in rural areas for most of the last 25 years, don't miss "culture" of a city, we have a good local scene, but can get to a reasonably sized one about 45 miles away (Eugene, OR).

I'm from the country side in the mountains. I live in a city of a million downtown. Some days I really am frustrated and sick and tired of all the drugs, mentally ill wandering around homeless. I envy you being out in the mountains all comfy and secure with no hassles like what I see all the time.

 

[Chrispy]

I'm from the country side in the mountains. I live in a city of a million downtown. Some days I really am frustrated and sick and tired of all the drugs, mentally ill wandering around homeless. I envy you being out in the mountains all comfy and secure with no hassles like what I see all the time.

Oh it's not devoid of humanity. We have thieves, meth heads, homeless and people who try to camp permanently in old crappy rv's, too. We also have for now at least a large national forest surrounding us for a long ways with lots of beauty too.

 

[DWPress]

Sorry to come in late on this discussion, thank you all for being such productive members of society!

I'm an artist who lucked on to a shack on a trout stream in the upper midwest in the middle of nothing at 22 and then got even more lucky making a success out of it. I've always joked that I retired at age 22, plenty of lean years in the beginning just fine at 57. Then about 8 years ago I hooked up with a lovely woman with a home in France but living here so we're back and forth a couple times a year for our work usually. @Ken1951 - I'll just be missing you, fly into Marseille on Oct 1st, have a great trip in my neighborhoods!

For any younger readers on this thread - if you don't like what you're doing, quit doing it. You only live once, live passionately, enjoy it. Don't wait to learn a hobby, do it now. Find a way to make it support you.

As a creative type who's lived outside the system for the most part, there's never going to be a retirement. I'll just keep getting better at what I do until I'm dead if my luck continues to hold out. I'll have no choice because I don't have any real retirement savings and certainly not the best health insurance lol - you certainly get out of the "system" what you put into it.

 

[Vuki]

For any younger readers on this thread - if you don't like what you're doing, quit doing it. You only live once, live passionately, enjoy it. Don't wait to learn a hobby, do it now. Find a way to make it support you.

There would be proctologists deficit.

 

[JeffS7444]

Our culture over-glorifies academic achievement, grind culture, and certain professions, but if you somehow manage to amass greater net worth than your peers, they might suspect that you've cheated. And I imagine that some of the smartest people built fortunes in low-status but highly lucrative industries like self-storage and sanitation, but they had to figure this stuff without the help of "experts".

 

[xanalog]

...not the best health insurance lol...

That is one of the biggest hurdles. Both in preparation for and during retirement; not taxes, not location, not boredom, nor loneliness!
...and not just insurance but equally important is health coverage with local facilities.

An old SoCal buddy wanted to live around Yosemite. In preparation for his retirement years, he bought a nice house in an old gold-miner town.
The lack of nearby competitive physicians groups (Medicare Advantage) and the nearest hospital being more than 35 miles away, were things he had never considered before he started living in his beautiful mountain 'hide-out'.

OT: He was also not prepared for the brutal winters of Calaveras County; having grown-up in sunny southern California.

 

[Chrispy]

That is one of the biggest hurdles. Both in preparation for and during retirement; not taxes, not location, not boredom, nor loneliness!
...and not just insurance but equally important is health coverage with local facilities.

An old SoCal buddy wanted to live around Yosemite. In preparation for his retirement years, he bought a nice house in an old gold-miner town.
The lack of nearby competitive physicians groups (Medicare Advantage) and the nearest hospital being more than 35 miles away, were things he had never considered before he started living in his beautiful mountain 'hide-out'.

OT: He was also not prepared for the brutal winters of Calaveras County; having grown-up in sunny southern California.

Yeah in our little rural town medical access is quite limited, most often served just by a nurse practitioner.....45 miles or so to most other medical care. Am relatively healthy for the most part, nor am I a hypochondriac, so doesn't mean a lot to me.

 

[EJ3]

That is one of the biggest hurdles. Both in preparation for and during retirement; not taxes, not location, not boredom, nor loneliness!
...and not just insurance but equally important is health coverage with local facilities.

An old SoCal buddy wanted to live around Yosemite. In preparation for his retirement years, he bought a nice house in an old gold-miner town.
The lack of nearby competitive physicians groups (Medicare Advantage) and the nearest hospital being more than 35 miles away, were things he had never considered before he started living in his beautiful mountain 'hide-out'.

OT: He was also not prepared for the brutal winters of Calaveras County; having grown-up in sunny southern California.

My plans intentionally don't include nearby competitive physicians groups nearby. I flat out do not want to live that close to a major metropolitan area.
But I do not ever intend to be in snow, either.
(I used to snow ski & was once in -6 F & 27" of snow). Even though I was born in the Alps, I'll pass on that.
Small to medium Islands in the Indian Ocean or Western Pacific with populations from 975 to 200,000, + or - 15 degrees from the equator (64 F-94 F) are much better in my mind.
I lived on them for 17 years & hope to get back to them before the last part of my retirement.

 

[JeffS7444]

Maybe it's the late summer heat dampening my enthusiasm, but my recent ideas for spending more and living larger have been pretty underwhelming.

I wonder how I'd like a Technics SL1200G, and whether I'd care about the extra-deluxe touches versus one of the cheaper variants once the novelty was gone. Maybe the even cheaper and lower-tech U-Turn Orbit would please me?

My younger self would have really wanted a fancy car, but my current self can't overlook TCO for something likely to be driven only rarely. And if I felt I needed to choose restaurants based on my ability to keep an eye on the car while seated at my table, that would be kind of lame.

Discovered that there's a new high-end audio dealer a stone's throw away from my place! But my time spent frequenting ASR and Hydrogen Audio have removed most of the high-end mystique. Got my first look at a current Luxman integrated amplifier and though it was pretty, but that was one of the few items I could relate to.

 

[DWPress]

..and not just insurance but equally important is health coverage with local facilities.

I'm on track for potential French citizenship (my partner and her children are) which somewhat helps the long term picture. We already do all our dental in Europe at significant savings. Avignon is close enough to Marseille for major medical stuff, about as far as I'd have to go where I live now.

Both of us still have living parents (her mom still drives to MI from NY to get to the lake house at 89!) so of course we think about these things. Our houses will go to the children in the end (death), should be enough to set them up with something in the future.

 

[EJ3]

I'm from the country side in the mountains. I live in a city of a million downtown. Some days I really am frustrated and sick and tired of all the drugs, mentally ill wandering around homeless. I envy you being out in the mountains all comfy and secure with no hassles like what I see all the time.

Saipan & Guam are mountainous (with beaches and triple canopy jungle) & have great off roading for those sorts of activities. Guam even has a dragstrip (with a HARD 155 MPH speed limit).
And an island about 75 miles away (take a plane, I like boats, but not that much) has great wilderness & a good hunting season for deer (they outnumber the human residents [by a lot]).
But you will have to be able to put up with scenes like this when you sit down in your local (not a chain) pizza joint where the pizza's are done in outdoor ovens: