I'm not retired yet from my second profession, but I am from my first with the Navy. I took a year off.

I'd recommend devoting the summer to treating myself to something recreational and fun as a reward for your years of service. While doing that, I'd work on finalizing what comes next. This can be a challenge--the immortal: "What do I want to be when I grow up dilemma?"

Great teachers are priceless. If teaching still interests you, I'd look for opportunities to do so outside of the system that caused you to be in this position; perhaps a local Community College, VOTEC school, or instructor for a local industry. I'd also look into doing consulting work in your field as a private contractor where you could set your own pace and work load to suit your desires.

If you don't need to work for income volunteer your services--again, on your terms.

Congratulations, good luck and enjoy!

Guy Babin

Bruce: First of all, congratulations. I have the greatest amount of respect for teachers. My daughter and son in law and most of my wife's family were all in the teaching profession.

I retired as of 1-1-12, and I am finishing up my senior year of college. I graduate on May 20th. My normal day consist of getting up at 5am, driving to New Berlin, making my elderly mother breakfast and getting her ready for the day.

I then go to school and I am usually out by 2 or 3pm. On two days a week I volunteer at a local hospital, 4 hours per day, taking new patients to their rooms after being admitted.

After that, I go home eat dinner, and then do my homework. I then drive back to New Berlin and make sure my mom is ok and get her ready for bed. Right now my days are busier than when I was working. Once I graduate, I intend to take some computer and photography courses, and hopefully start to shoot some again.

Take care of yourself, Steve Balistreri

Congratulations on the retirement. I seem to recall that you weren't quite ready, but others made the decision for you and you seem to refer to that in the OP.

I retired 4 1/2 years ago, but keep busy. I think that's the key to both enjoyment of the retired life and to longevity.

There's so many stories of guys who retired, sat around, slept in, were bored and then died not long after.

I have some health problems, but I never (well, almost never) sleep in, am up before my wife is ready to leave for work, am out of the house often before she is, and I keep busy with something all day. Except, I should mention, those afternoons when my recliner is calling my name for a nap-maybe once every two weeks.

I shoot trap every day the Dollar is open and rifle or pistol and sporting clays when it isn't. Then I have to reload, restock the car for the next day, make supper for my wife, play with the dog---well, it's a never-ending chore.

Welcome to it.

Bob

Muskrat boy, yes and I hope you and 221 keep working your asses off to support me.

Bruce, muskrat boy did cause me to bring up something however, don't buy an I Pad and carry it all over the house with you like I do.

When I am working on my hotrod, loading shells, working on a model plane or train. I sometimes stop for a few seconds and scan this site.

It can be a bad habit. I read the paper on it and spend more time on it than I watch TV.

Shoot all day and reload all night. HMB

Hi Bruce, I have been retired now 4.5 years. I decided to do no planning and just do what I felt like it each day for a year then look back and make a new plan. Well guess what. I like getting up and then deciding what the day is gonna be so I continued it. I never know from day to day with the exception of my normal things I do every day. I go to the gym at 5:00 am, return and fix a nice breakfast, go to the VA Hospital for an hour to help out with breakfast for the Vets, then my day is open for whatever.You are going to be surprised how fast time flies by. You will look back in six months and say, why did I not do this a long time ago??

I was at the trap club from when they opened to when they closed. I also went to the close state shoots and to the Grand.

Then there was this manager. I do not miss mowing the grounds or doing the maintenance and odd jobs.

I started collecting computer stuff, bought another Harley, go to trade days or swap meets and enjoy antique malls. Started collecting some folk art also.

Cleaning up around the house now. I need space for more stuff. Just got finished with giving some 18 years Trap and Field magazines and old ATA books, on here, for shipping and a little gas. I need to make space for the other items I am buying.

Have 1000 old style red hulls for .05 each plus shipping. Have 700 new style red for .03 each plus shipping. Also have a box with 1010 new style reds a TS.com member wanted but never got back with me. They are boxed and ready to ship. Make an offer. I am at 76116.

Well off to a trade day I go....Later. T bone steak when I get home. Ray

Congrats on retiring, a lot of good ideas here, I retired 5 yrs ago, and got most, well a few well I kinda put a dent in the projects that I have started but the one I concocted last winter is really keeping my wife and I busy, a mega garden, but we love fresh veggies, and what we have left over will will either sell of give away

But it is fun to see everything grow, but now my wife wants to build a chicken coop, not sure I'm ready to clean chickens

I think we would be better off just doing what we are, and picking up a a/c job on the side, IF it is a real easy one

I told her to quit watching Martha Stewhead

File an age descrimination suit! Mike.

Thanks for all the well wishes and ideas for my retirement. It is with mixed emotions that I face the 25th of May. I know it's a new chapter just not sure I'm ready to turn the page.

I sold my business and retired, once. I was 52 at the time. I sailed around on my boat for a brief time. I am a mathemation by formal education and I taught at the local high school for a while. One day I looked in the mirror and said "something gotta change." I weighted 248 lbs and was in poor shape. I now work for a governmental agency. So I'm in my second career. At 57, the oldest one in the class, I went through the firearms training and firearms retention classes for my agency. Rough and tumble and I loved every minute of it. It felt good keeping up with the best in the class and besting most. I now have my weight down to 179 lbs. and feel great. I have a gym here at home and walk/run about 3 miles a day (admittedly, more walk). Retire, all I can say is "better to wear out than to rust out". Try to say active, I think you'll be the better for it.

Bruce, my favorite aunt voluntarily retired from teaching. She is now in GREAT demand as a substitute teacher. You might investigate. Someone has to fill in when f/t teachers are absent.

Charlie

Teaching was a second career for me, I spent 30 years + in automotive repair industry. Maybe a third career is in order, just need to fiure out what it will be!

Bruce... I like you just retired also. First SS check coming in June. My suggestion is first buy a Harley Davidson. Try to do all the things that you always seem to have an excuse not to do while you were working. Take a trip and see this great country also. The last thing ya want to do is lay around and get lazy.

blade819

I retired at 55, ten years ago. I shoot trap two or three days a week. and sometimes shoot big bore precision rifle "F" class. I reload and make my own shot. I also took up sculpting rock (marble & alabaster), and do some woodworking. Lately I've taken up beer and wine making. That's an art.

Retirement is about doing things you've not had the time to do in the working years. At first you will have to much time on your hands. But, eventually you will have lots of things to do, and not enough time to do them all.

Shoot 9 days a week.

It's varmint hunting season.

Great thread, I'm a Principal retiring june 30 for the same reasons, contract is up and not worth the risk to stay and lose benefits. I've been spending time looking for and scheduling shoots and classes that I always missed because taking time off during the school year felt weird.

Can't wait to practice during the week...

A friend of mine said after he retired, he would wake up in the morning with nothing to do and go to bed at night only half done.

I retired from full time work 3+ years ago. At first, it was a little tough to fill the time. It sounds cliche but now I do not have enough time! Shooting Trap and rifles, excercising regularly, officiating HS and NCAA sports, helping out the elderly in-laws, doing some chores at the club, tending the home property, visiting parents and siblings more often, making dinner etc, etc, etc.

Every day is like Christmas!

Chris

If you really loved teaching and weren't done with,,,,,there may be some school (s) that you could volunteer or substitute at to help them,,,,,or be a mentor for someone.....

My mother taught school from 1934 'till 1985, taking off time to have us three boys. When she retired, she got active in the community and traveling. She once said "I'm so busy now I don't know when I had time to work." Fill your days and like others here have suggested, substitute and possably mentor new teachers. You'll be richer for it.

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