My workbench is still a mess and I haven’t cleaned the garage

 

Next week will be my first anniversary of retirement.

I find myself reflecting on what I thought retirement would be like and what it actually is like.  There have really been no big surprises with maybe one exception.  You start out thinking you are going to have all kinds of time and you soon find out that other things jump in to fill the void that was once work and a lot of the mundane tasks that you figured you would get done with all your “free time” are still not getting done.  I can’t keep my workbench clear and the garage is just as much of a disaster area now as it was a year ago.

So what have I accomplished in the last year that wouldn't have happened if I was still working?

• Mary Beth and I spent 4 months in Australia and counting other trips we were traveling 175 days.  
• I logged 147 hours of flying with the paraglider.  I finally accomplished my goal of getting a flight longer than 100 kilometers.  110 kilometers in 4 hours and twelve minutes. (Link to pictures)  I did it in the Owens Valley of California which was not where I expected it originally.  I thought it would be flying off of Mt. Borah in Australia. 
• I spent seven days over two long weekends giving something back to the sport. Wielding a pick, shovel and a rake along with other volunteers from Cascade Paragliding club we continued work to improve the paraglider launch at Mt. Howard in eastern Oregon. What was once a sketchy launch for one glider is now wide enough for three wings with a “rock free” run out area just in case you need to abort a launch.
• I have done more gardening. He lawn looks much better than before I retired even with being away so much. There is a never ending battle with moss but things are getting better on that front. Most recently I planted 90 daffodil bulbs. 

 

Mt Howard work crew. I'm the cowboy in the center.

  What’s still on the list?

• Getting rid of “stuff”!  Things that can go to goodwill or just be thrown out.  There are lots of things need to go to the shredder.  Although it was interesting looking at cancelled checks from when I was in college.  Hard to believe today that a person would write a check for $2.79.  But then that was before debit cards and a lot of inflation.  When going through my computer parts boxes I found eleven power supply cords.  I’m proud of myself for only keeping three cords and donating the rest.
• Getting my weight down to 175 lbs. I’ve been going to the gym pretty religiously when I am at home but my eating and drinking habits have kept me between 180-185 for the last year. That is the downside of being at home. I need t otravel more!
• Blogging more.  I should write more.  I promised the editor of the U.S. Hang Glidinga nd Paragliding magazine that I would write an article on traveling and flying in Australia back in June.  I still haven’t started.

I could go on, and on, but I guess the main point I want to make is that you think you are going to have all kinds of time in retirement and is ends up not being so.  The day gets filled up with things—often not what you expect.  I’m not missing work at all—just missing some of the friends and coworkers that I don’t get to interact with on a daily basis any longer.

Life goes on.  We’ll see what year two of retirement brings.

Dan