My Retirement Story

Subtitled: You'll Know When You are Ready...

Written by Wendy,
Retirement-Online.com

As the owner of retirement-online.com, I retired from County government in 2010. I worked 37 years with this one employer, the last 25 years as the Retirement Manager -- yikes!

When I retire -- WHO am I?   

I have struggled with my vision of retirement for 4.5 years... despite the fact that retirement has been my  occupation for the past twenty-five years. Isn't that odd? I help others retire, and yet, couldn't seem to get myself out that door.

So middle of April, 2010, I am driving down Cass Avenue into Mount Clemens, MI towards the County Building. On both sides of the road, flowering trees are abundant. Just took my breath away -- and I knew I couldn't work another summer.

Mind you -- that in itself is funny. I am not really a summer person, I don't do outdoors much as I get overheated easily, and burn like crazy. Suddenly, I knew I was not spending another sunshiney summer in that office. 

Suddenly, for no reason at all, I was "ready".

Retirees have told me for many years: "you'll know when you are ready". I always asked how they knew it was time and I always got the same answer. That never made any sense, at all, to me. All these very different people with the same answer. But guess what?

When I was ready, I KNEW I WAS READY!

In fact, I was driving to work, and just suddenly thought, I'm going in and giving my notice. One month and I'm gone.

Then I thought... WHY one month? Why not two weeks? That's all that's normally required, why do *I* think I need to give one month notice? Just like that... I went in and retired.

You WILL know when you are ready!

For 37 years, that job was me, my identity. I've now found my former job does NOT define me. I am so much more!

Read more of my Life After Retirement story.