Being an empty nester has allowed us to spend more time with my nonprofit. It has allowed H to do a lot of deferred mainentance. I am also able to spend more time and energy with my aging folks.
Honest to goodness, my only non-career empty nester type goal at present is to figure out how to make fabulous red beans and rice. After I master that I’m going to work on mole sauce.
So then more adventurous cooking is a goal for you - that’s an awesome one! Maybe sign up for a cooking class too to see what else inspires you. Or start a dinner club. Or make a goal of one different ethnic restaurant night out a month. One thing leads to another!
yes @BunsenBurner that.
Yes, we are doing more and longer trips, now including travel abroad maybe once/year. We add some leisure onto most of my work-related trips too, I figure there’s no sense in NOT doing so. It is fun so far. H does not want RVing or camping or similar. He said he rather stay in Holiday Inn or better and I’m fine with that too.
We are continuing a business that we started 2 years ago when kid1 left for college, and spending much more time on hobbies. Also redecorating the house - like getting rid of desks in the kids’ bedrooms. Going to more events. My overall goal is to be office- free before kid 2 ends college. I won’t be able to fully retire, but would love to live on my own terms.
I’m getting back into shape and thinking how cool it would be to do an ultramarathon someday. Still writing what I hope will be the next great American novel, and waiting on retirement to go see the world.
I am planning to retire in 2.5 years (I rather say, my H. is planning for me to retire in 2.5 years) and be a beach bum in one of the warm countries abroad. Potentially, I can work from any place on earth, including from the beach, and I am trying to hint my employer on that. But I do not think that my plan would coincide with my employer’s objectives. And that is a big problem for me, I have no idea what I will do while on a beach aside from playing Sudoku, snorkeling, walking and sitting in the whirlpool. Reading is not one of my favorite things to do at all.
Move from our current family-centered, nice but oh-so boring suburban tract home neighborhood to the more historic neighborhood in our town. Buy an old craftsman or “Spanish charmer” on a good street with restaurants and coffee shops within walking distance and begin making it our new home. Join the local historic preservation group, get to our local museums and theater more often.
^^^^ That sounds great!!
I love being an empty nester. Short term goals: More of what I enjoy…time with friends, cooking/baking from scratch, volunteering, travel, reading, gardening. Medium term goal: go back to work part-time. Long-term goal: decide where to retire to when H retires in 15-20 years (current favorite is Asheville, NC). Also want to write my memoirs for my grandchildren and publish a book of Bible devotions that I am writing.
Everyone should do this!!! About 10 years ago my parents gave all of us their memoirs for Christmas. They had typed up their “stories” - some were a paragraph long, some multiple pages, some stories were funny, some were heartbreaking. Most of us think that our lives aren’t all that interesting, but even at my age, it is hard for my kids to understand that we waited all year for the one night when Wizard of Oz would be on TV.
^^^ this brought tears to my eyes. Remember how magical that was? And I also remember, every year until we got a color TV we would hear my parents say “here is where the movie turns into color”. We would be amazed.
I just love reading this thread and thought I’d join. I am in a funny situation as many of you know, being laid off and confused. I’m slowly finding myself again, becoming less paralyzed. I believe that I would work FT again if it was something I really wanted to do with the vacation time I wanted. I have put together a resume and joined LinkedIn…getting ready to have a picture taken. I’ve been applying for jobs, but mainly for unemployment. The thought of going on a real interview scares me.
But…I could be unemployed for awhile. So, I need to do things. As you know I’m lonely at home. I just applied to volunteer at Dress for Success. Hopefully I will hear from them soon. I am continuing to make coffee and lunch dates with friends. I’ve been keeping up on exercise. If I don’t find employment soon, I might just try to find a PT job. I started a project at home. I’m inherited about 1,000 pics from my parents and aunts that have just been thrown in a box…ranging from 1937 to faintly current. Everything mixed in, it is a jumbled nightmare. I’m going through and organizing as best I can, writing names and dates on back. I found a storage box called ISIS photo and craft storage box (terrible name I know). I never thought to organize like this…much cheaper and easier than albums…if I could link on my IPAD i would. Anyway, I’m working about 2 hours a day on it…and have hours to go.
I’d like to learn how to play golf. I’d like to join a yoga class. I’d like to redecorate the house. I want to travel more just us and sometimes with the boys. All this stuff costs money…I need to work to do so many things I want.
@conmama, I can relate to having the time but not the money. D2 graduated from college this year (which means I’ve been an empty-nester for more than 4 years) but it’s only very recently that I’ve made enough money and not had so many expenses for my daughters that I can think about doing things for me that cost any money. Your photo project sounds wonderful, although a lot of work!
This was going to be my freedom and travel year now that I’m an empty nester. My DHs salary is enough to pay all of our fixed expenses, and we have enough left over. But not enough like we did with my salary. I’m lost that, plus now we pay $20,000 year in insurance. So…if I want to do all the traveling and extra fun things without counting our pennies for a few more years, I need to get a job. Some people would be more than happy with our financial situation…I’m not. I got to used to doing what we wanted.
Anybody who is looking for the new activity, did you try pottery? Very satisfying and addictive.