H retired after 44+ years at his job. He stayed home for a month and they begged him to return for 6 months, so he did to make it over 45+ years. He loved most of his job for most of time time he was working there, but like you, @VaBluebird, things were changing for the worse and there was nothing he or anyone could do to change it as the changes were coming from DC, not locally. He is much more relaxed, happy and rested now that he’s retired but has a tough time finding enough hours in the day to do all he WANTS to do, but then he knows he can get to things in his own time.
I hope you enjoy retirement as much as H is. If you’re interested, I’m sure there are a ton of volunteer opportunities that may appeal to you. We are also enjoying more relaxed, leisurely trips, without H worrying about the growing stack of things on his desk to deal with when he returns.
Changes in health care places are one reason it is good that H stuck to his plan as to when to retire. A word for your spouse (assuming you have one). Any time you get too nostalgic about the good old days at work have your spouse (or you) give the reminder of how things changed for the worse. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”- we tend to romanticize things and (hopefully) remember the good parts.
An analogy (this IS college confidential after all). Several years ago when son was getting ready to go off to college at my alma mater it was easy to remember the good times. Then we went to summer orientation (there was a parents’ program) and climbing those hills, going down the hall to the bathroom reminded me how just going to the cafeteria for meals instead of cooking and cleaning wasn’t all there was. Then I remembered papers and exams and suddenly taking college classes was- been there, done that.
Eons ago we needed to shift gears from school to work. Now we get to shift again. There is a reason we saved all of those years- to have money to spend now. It takes getting used to being old enough that we are no longer saving for the future- it has arrived. And- you can’t take it with you. So, enjoy your life.
PS- with H’s spending habits someone will get a heap of money eventually, sigh. Just can’t shift into being big spenders.