Five years!!!

This day five years ago I officially retired from the National College of Ireland - fortunately I was in a position to retire early at the age of 61. But how did five years pass so quickly?

Initially, Covid controlled the first year of retirement - I had the great pleasure of helping out as a volunteer with the vaccination programme. I also completed creating courses in YouTube (R) and Udemy (Business Analysis). Since then I have taken up woodwork and travelled as much as I can. I also got to see a lot more of my parents - something I was grateful for before my Dad died last year. I get to see my Mum a lot now - she's 91 and full of beans!

I had thought that I would play a lot of golf and ride my bike a lot more. I have probably played less golf than before when I retired, it just has not become a "thing" for me and I don't miss it. I have taken the bike on trips to Spain/France, Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg/France, and Germany/Denmark/Sweden/Norway, as well as taking part in the Italian Job group trip last year. Back in Ireland, I don't ride in the winter or if the weather is anything but fine. When I was working I rode the bike every day, but now it is not so often. As I get older, I find the big bike harder to handle and wonder how long more I can keep it. 

Today, I am 66 and would have been retired by now anyway. I am an Old Age Pensioner with free travel and a state pension. I'm on three different prescriptions and have been in and out of hospitals for scans and x-rays more times than I care to think of. I am a regular with my GP and am far more aware of health issues. Thankfully I am in good health and should be around for a good few years yet DV.

There's a lot more to look forward to. I am finally learning guitar, and am expanding my woodwork with wood-turning. There's a lot more places to travel to - South America and Japan are in our plans. I'm  also thinking of the rugby World Cup in 2027 in Australia, though I would have preferred the 2026 football world in North America next year had Ireland been able to qualify. Someday I hope to become a grandparent???

Retirement is great and I recommend it. My time is my own and I don't miss work at all. Yes - there are days when I wonder "What will I do today?", but I don't feel the least bit guilty about doing nothing.

Five years? It feels like five minutes!

Pensioner

It's official - I am now a pensioner having reached the ripe old age of 66!

Born in 1959, I am now in my 8th decade (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s), drawing the state pension, taking 3 different tablets every day, got an OAP discount buying theatre tickets yesterday, creaky hips, and I have the Free Travel pass! How the fuck did that all happen?

It already feels weird being a pensioner. All my life the word "pensioner" was something in the distance and simply meant "old". So now all of a sudden I will be paying attention to the Welfare section of today's Budget to see if I'll get a pay rise with the pension! I am going into Dublin today for a birthday lunch and will use the travel pass for the first time. It also allows me to bring Roma, between two fares in and out of the city it will save us €8. Where I live is well served with buses and I am not too far from a train station - so I plan to make good use of the travel pass.

Feeling just a bit older today.