Thinking About Retirement
This month I turned 64. My wife and I have been saving for retirement for most of my working life. Five years ago, I began considering how our portfolio needed to change to accommodate spending for the rest of our lives. That required fundamental changes to managing our savings, spending, and investing. We started living as if we were retired two years ago to simulate how to manage our budget in retirement.
We have proven to ourselves that retirement will be similar to How we live now and what vacations we choose to go on. Most of our holidays are with the family.
I started to think about what I wanted to do with my time after my professional life. Five focuses comprise my list.
- Writing
- Speaking
- Wilderness adventures
- Family travel
- Fitness
I envision my days starting at the same time they do now. Generally, I wake up at 4 AM, read for an hour, get out of bed, shower, make coffee, and straighten the kitchen. After that, it's 6 AM, and I start work. My work day runs 8 hours with a thirty-minute to one-hour lunch. After I complete my workday, I go on a four to five-mile hike (I live in a rural area). That takes sixty to seventy minutes. Then, I do whatever needs to get done around the house, cut the grass, pull weeds, etc.
My post-retirement days will not be very different. I'm going to adhere to the same schedule. The only difference will be what I work on. I'm thinking about two years from now.
Writing
I want to write every morning for three to four hours. I want to write one blog post weekly and spend the rest of the time writing books. I've decided the topic I'll cover will be whatever interests me. Most of them will be non-fiction studies of issues that interest me. Some may be fiction. My goal will be to complete two books per year. I'll determine if I can sustain that output after finishing year one. I'll be a rookie again, learning as I go.
Speaking
My writing has always led to public speaking. I enjoy the interaction, the preparation, and meeting people interested in the same topics I'm interested in. If I can do six talks every year, that would be fine. If I can do twelve per year, even better.
Wilderness Travel
Since I was a young teen, I've spent much time outdoors and in the wilderness, trekking throughout the Lower 48 States and Alaska. A few short treks each year and one more extended trip should keep me motivated and fit. I have a firm commitment for 2043 to hike the AT with another person. I will be 84. If I do that, I would be the oldest person to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. It is a long-term goal. First, I must get to 84 alive; then, I must be fit enough to accomplish a 2,200-mile trek through the mountains.
Family Travel
I want to make any trip that my wife is interested in. Many of those will be visits with our kids who live on the West Coast of the United States. One daughter works in LA, and the other currently lives in Seattle. In the next few months, the Seattle daughter is also moving to LA to get a Ph.D. and do research. So, we will travel to California to visit both children for at least a few years. I have the desire to see the Azores. I want to go back to Alaska. I want to visit Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. There are other places in Europe I'd like to see again. I have spent time all over Europe and Asia during my career, but going with my wife will be different. We will do what we want, different from what a job requires.
Fitness
Nothing matters if one isn't healthy. I enjoy exercise. I usually log between 40 to 50 miles per week hiking with a pack. I stopped going to a health club at the beginning of COVID, and I see no reason to go back. I can do resistance training at home and incorporate that into my day in short bursts. The key to aging well is staying active and fit.
I can't think of any other things I want to do in retirement. Having goals is essential. Travel is fun. Wilderness treks are a challenge and fun. Reading, writing, speaking, learning, teaching, and meeting people passionate about ideas, wilderness trekking, and adventure. Keeping up with our kids will be fun as they are both engaged in exciting careers.
That should keep me busy.