Well, November 15th is fast approaching. That was to be R day. Submitting his resignation day. 26 years and he's had enough. He's planned for this day for several years. We've purchased the 5th wheel, his truck, the storage garage for the RV, paid off the house and made wise investments. We should be fine financially. It's the 24/7 thing that scares the hell out of me. We've never spent 24/7 together except for vacations so it will be very interesting to see how things go. At the end of a long vacation either he or I gets on the other's last nerve. Normally, it's me getting on his nerves. We've always been ready to get back home and back to work. To normalcy. We've talked about it several times realizing we'll need time to ourselves on a regular weekly basis. We both are looking for the same thing in retirement on the open road. Biking, hiking, relaxing, seeing new places, meeting new people and possibly going to places where we could help out in disasters. I'd love to take care of animals in need. Seems in disasters a lot of times it appears (at least what we see on TV) that the animals are ignored or put down by necessity.
Jack and I are both total animal lovers. If we could we'd have a house full of dogs and cats and a backyard filled with goats, chickens, cows and anything else we could fit in. But since we live in a subdivision that has a ton of regulations (few, by the way, that are followed) I'm pretty sure our neighbors would frown on a menagerie of animals in our back yard.
Back to the big retirement day. A whole new way of living. A whole new way of life. Going from a 3000+ square foot house, 5 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, 3 car garage, beautiful private wooded land behind us, to a small 5th wheel with 1 bathroom, 1 bedroom, 1 living area. No where to go during an argument....a cooling off place. I guess a brisk walk or a bike ride will have to be the cooling off place. Thank goodness we are keeping the house just in case two or three months on the road becomes too much. Jack and I are friends and the older we get the more, it seems, we can talk honestly to each other. We've vowed that we will be truthful and tell the other one if we need time alone. If we keep that vow to one another then I don't foresee any real problems that we can't solve together. I've just got to past the privacy issue. Sharing a bathroom is going to my biggest adjustment. We'll see how it goes.
I'll be happy to see Jack retire. He deserves it; he's earned it and he needs it.
A journal written about life, retirement and our journey throughout the United States in a 5th wheel, along with our two Shih Tzus, Tanner and Syndey. Written not for notoriety but for our sons, family and friends, so they know where we are at any given time. And particularly for ourselves. Finally, we get to slow down and smell the roses and we don't want to forget any of it. You are welcome to join us as we go 'Down the Road a Piece'.
