Ten good years

[Island Escapes]

Congrats! They make freedom comfortable eh 🙌🏼

[jkoenig24]

Mike, CONGRATULATIONS on completing your first decade of retirement! I'm closing in on 12 years myself. Wlid horses could NOT drag me back to work. Although I've seen a LOT, there's still so much more to see and do. The only state I have NOT set foot in is Hawaii (and I hope to correct that in the not too distant future!).

[Viajante]

Mike, I might suggest you change the title of this thread to Ten Good Years...and Counting! It sounds like you are not done yet.

[Keith3]

I was planning on retiring but lucked into a job I really like that pays me well and gives me some flexibility to travel.

So, wife retired and I’m riding this wave while it lasts. She has only been retired a few months and it has been fantastic for us. So much more freedom to get things done that we actually care about.

[bnorman53]

Many happy more travels to you!!!

[MrLynn]

Too bad there is not a 'Like' button on the site; there is much to Like here.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by brain

I like my boss so I'll probably never retire... (I work for myself).

Hi: brain... I love my boss too. We've been retired since 2013. It's the best job I've ever had... should have done it sooner. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[JumpinJoe]

You can always make more money, but you can't make more time!

[Iowa Dave]

Rita has a little plaque on the wall in the Escape. It says “Eat Well Travel Often”. And that’s what we do. She has her plaques, I have sayings that I refer to often.

My favorites are attributed to Lombardi however they might have been his favorites too.
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity” and “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary”.

And on spending money, not
Lombardi, “I’ve never seen a hearse stop at a bank and make a withdrawal”. And “They don’t put pockets in a casket”.

To stop procrastinating, one by my old friend and co-worker Harlin Andresen
“I gotta go, I got a lot of hay down” meaning I’ve mowed the hayfield, the cutting is dry and it needs to be baled, picked up and put in the barn before it gets rained on and gets moldy.”
Iowa Dave

[cpaharley2008]

One thing worse than not camping, is not "being able to" camp. I have been cooped up n the house since summer trying to get my body back in 'camping form" so to speak. Just passed $800 on my Amazon purchases, now to load things and go out to camper and get on the road. Hopefully within the next 2 weeks. It is getting too expensive staying home and ordering on line!!

[brroberts]

We definitely save money when traveling. I have many projects and hobbies, so traveling we don’t spend that.

[Mike Lewis]

I seem to at least come out even, which is a bit surprising. When traveling I spend more on gas and camping fees, of course, but I'm not spending money on my house, which is where a lot of my spending goes while I'm at home.

[Centex]

Hitting 70 this month, yesterday I got the official notice from SSA that I'll finally start receiving benefits from my own account. I guess that means I'm "officially" retired now
(as mentioned in a previous post I 'retired' many years ago)

Under the weird (and now changed) rules of the SSA since age 65 I've received 'divorced spouse benefits' on my former wife's account while the benefit on my own account continued to increase by deferral. For me 70 is the maximum benefit age. No one plans for this sort of thing, ya just take the good with the bad when it presents itself

This had no impact on my former wife's own benefit of course, we're still friends and keep in touch about respective family news, etc. Small irony that we laugh about: she's a native of Canada (long in the US and a dual-citizen) and bought a US-built RV, I'm a native Texan and bought a Canadian-built RV

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by Centex

Hitting 70 this month, yesterday I got the official notice from SSA that I'll finally start receiving benefits from my own account. I guess that means I'm "officially" retired now
(as mentioned in a previous post I 'retired' many years ago)

Under the weird (and now changed) rules of the SSA since age 65 I've received 'divorced spouse benefits' on my former wife's account while the benefit on my own account continued to increase by deferral. For me 70 is the maximum benefit age. No one plans for this sort of thing, ya just take the good with the bad when it presents itself

This had no impact on my former wife's own benefit of course, we're still friends and keep in touch about respective family news, etc. Small irony that we laugh about: she's a native of Canada (long in the US and a dual-citizen) and bought a US-built RV, I'm a native Texan and bought a Canadian-built RV

Happy Birthday!

My wife turns 66 on the 24th and I turn 60 on the 31st.

It was a good month for good children.

[oldwave]

Retired 5 years ago bought my Escape and increased the time visiting National Parks I worked projects in and played more music than ever. That lead to being a guest soloist playing mandolin with a couple of baroque orchestras and traversing the country a few times in our Escape. I just turned 70 this year. Tonight I’m playing with my friend Jack whom I’ve performed with for 45 years. Life is grand. The next fiberglass trailer adventure is almost hear as I’m expecting a delivery of our new rig in Portland next month and a long trip to the south to cross the country back to Ohio. I retired the week after my 65 birthday. I agree with Iowa Dave the friends pool has been increased with first Escape owners and now some new Bigfoot owners. Hope to make a common rally next summer, you’ll find me playing the fiddle during non quiet hours or around a campfire perhaps, you can roast the vegetables or throw them, I’ve seen it all.

[brroberts]

I really liked our Bigfoot when we had it, but I never saw the camaraderie or collective problem solving from the forum like I do here. I do hope you enjoy your Bigfoot as much as we did ours.

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by brroberts

I really liked our Bigfoot when we had it, but I never saw the camaraderie or collective problem solving from the forum like I do here. I do hope you enjoy your Bigfoot as much as we did ours.

The forum is smaller but growing, they made a mistake charging for it, the Facebook page is more lively. I’ve made a few new Canadian friends lately , like me retired from the parks, I’ll meet up with them next summer. I’m happy to hang out with any of the Fiberglas trailer community. What’s not too like ? No snob here, lol

This forum has been very helpful for more than Escape specific info. Though. I have been a bit disappointed with a bit of hostility from a few.

[claude6543]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Last Thursday was the tenth anniversary of my retirement. I can say that the last ten years have been the happiest of my life. This is in large part due to my being able to travel the country and Canada in my Escape trailer. I have put more than 50,000 miles on the trailer and have enjoyed almost every minute of it. Regardless of what the future may bring, I can always look back and say I had ten good years.

I am really heartened to read your post. I am planning to retire at the end of the year, my new 5.0 will be ready May 2024, and off I will go on new adventures. I am glad to see that you made the same choice and it turned out to be a happy one.

[Iowa Dave]

I graduated from high school in 1966. Over the years I stayed in contact with a few of my classmates, some even worked for our home town like I did. About three or four months ago one of the guys I know pretty well emailed to let me know a classmate had passed. My friend’s the the unofficial death count keeper and let us know that we are now at 25% of the class who have passed away. Another one today who was a guitar player and in the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Smile for Scotty,
The upshot being, my tag line since I joined the forum.
Have a great week coming up.
Time to sign up for the Mississippi River Rendezvous, Stephane Grappelli on the violin I like, hearing banjos in the woods about dark bothers me a little though.
Iowa Dave

[ghosthunter]

I retired at 70 end of 2021, my wife retired at 67 last August. Sometimes we don’t know what day it is.
I worked till 70 to max out my SS , no advantage for the wife to go any longer. She did renew her nursing license and does pick up a shift from time to time. We camped in February close to home and set out the cold streak after that. Taking our next trip to the WA coast to surf fish.
Than rally in April and than a week turkey hunting. May finds us traveling eastern WA trout fishing and the BC rally.
Than home four days before another week of trout fishing in Easter. WA.
July will find us back on the road bumming around Idaho.

October I will be in a wall tent for 30 days hunting elk with black powder, hunting deer, bear and grouse.

Retirement is good.