happy birthday to me: retirement update edition

I have been alive on this planet for 64 years. Didn't I just write my last "happy birthday to me" post, like, a week ago??

I looked back at my last few HBTM posts, and I do have a few updates. 

Last year, in "happy birthday to me: retirement vs travel edition," I thought retirement was 10 to 12 years away. Plans have gelled since then, and I am planning to retire at age 70. I downloaded a countdown clock, now on my desktop. Today it clicked over from six years plus something to five-plus! 

I still love my job. In fact, I like it more than ever, now that I have set better limits on how much time I spend working, and feel so much a part of the community. I'm not counting down because I hate what I'm doing. 

The purpose of the countdown is to help me stay on track with our financial goals. This doesn't come naturally to me, it's something I need to be conscious of all the time. Seeing those very finite numbers helps.

Also last year, I was feeling like these important goals meant travel was no longer possible for us. I've had a mental shift about that, too. We had a great trip this year, and -- possibly for the first time ever? -- paid for the entire trip in advance. We paid for airfare and car rental with points, something we've never done before, and saved thousands of dollars on dog care by using TrustedHousitters. (More on that in a future post.) The rest I was able to save for, thanks to the privilege of our two decent incomes. And I was able to do this while sticking with The Plan. 

Upshot: we will still be able to travel, maybe taking (what I consider) a good trip every few years. For me, this feels monumental. A weight lifted. 

(Right now, instead of a trip, we're saving for a good digital sound system, something Allan is more excited about than any travel I could plan.)

For the rest, I'll do that thing where a writer quotes themself. In 2021, when I turned 60, I wrote:

There are tough things about aging, for sure. Unpleasant things. There's no denying it. But there were tough things at every stage of life. Being a child is not the proverbial picnic, nor being a teenager, nor a young adult. There are always issues, always heartache, and sometimes much worse. If we're lucky, there is also love and joy, wonder and excitement, adventure and meaning. 

Aging is a privilege. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have it.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Thank you for being part of my life.