Things to do in retirement

Read

Go for a walk when there's less traffic and less people out

Enjoy interacting with only those I like, instead of those I'm paid to tolerate

I'll be hemming my caftans. I'm fucking shrinking. And I can't see a goddamn thing.

Garden

Read all the books that you never seem to get a chance to while working and busy with life - an no, audiobooks do not count as "reading."

Watch all the movies you've meant to watch but never got around to watching.

Volunteer.

Take classes on something completely new.

I adopted a road and pick up the trash there, OP. Good healthy exercise and a great way to get props and meet your neighbors.

be sad and feel useless

Things I should be doing: going to AA meetings, exercising, cooking healthy meals, actually reading all the books I've downloaded, getting a dog so I would walk, going back to work part time for more money to travel first class for once. Volunteering at the Democratic headquarters which is two blocks away from my house.

Things I'm actually doing: drinking, clicking on every link on DL, posting on DL, going to Trader Joes every other day, eating premade frozen dinners, reading only the trashiest celebrity memoirs of the books I've downloaded, staring out the window, wishing someone would clean the window, wondering if I'm going to die before my cat and he'll eat my face.

Sadly, when you have all the time in the world to hook up, no one wants to hook up with you

Get a part-time job doing something I enjoy - working at a bookstore, gardening, etc. Given my father's mental decline when he literally had nothing to do and his body wouldn't allow him to do much physical exertion, I think it's good to keep one foot in the world and not be totally cut off in your own little world.

drugs

I’ll be a happy volunteer. Or I’ll just take some throwaway part time work at a radio station or do NPR. Like R9, people in my family fall off when they stop working. I’m also going through that with a friend. I don’t want that to happen and never want to lose my grip on technology, society or how to act in public.

volunteer at your favorite charity or company. My friend is an opera fanatic. In retirement, he spends much of his time volunteering for the local opera company. He gets tons of free tickets that way

When I went to Yellowstone years ago, I heard an old guy who worked at the gift shop talking about how the park (or the company contracted to support the park) tended to employee a lot of older people. While it I wouldn't want to do it forever, it might be fun to work at a National Park like Yellowstone or Glacier to spend some time enjoying nature while your knees still allow it.

Take LITHIUM * SHIT your *diaper*. Post DERANGED RAMBLINGS on * Datalounge*

Surgery

Mass pill taking

take classes at the local college and annoy the young students by asking endless questions or going on and on about my real world experience.

Going to bed immediately after Wheel of Fortune

Miralax

create endless Trump threads on Datalounge.

59 years old, not retired yet, (although I think the window is being pushed farther to 70), but I've picked up French and drumming, in the hopes of stimulating the old brain. I hope to really get into drumming and definitely travel to practice my French.

I am doing most of the things I have always dreamed of doing when I retired:

feeling grateful for my home and lifestyle, reading, taking watercolor classes, internet surfing endlessly, cooking good food, long walks with my dog in our safe, quiet 55+ gated senior community, avoiding the news whenever possible, gardening (only in pots), having a housekeeper every two week, watching my partner sleep on the EZ Boy recliner, watching only 2-3 hours of TV, doing light housekeeping (including the laundry), thinking about God and the afterlife and seeing the few friends who still like me. I would add grocery shopping to the list, but I don't really like doing it, just hafta if I wanna eat.

I walk dogs for a few hours at our local animal shelter every morning. I’m out in nature, get plenty of exercise and it provides structure.

Travel to exotic destinations?

I can help with that - just signed the attached NDA and meet with my lawyer for a 'pre-meeting interview'.

You can even make some money.

Hoard stuff, go to medical appointments, watch What’s My Line.

R21 Sounds like The Truman Show. Cue the sun.

Fade away into even more obscurity.

Gardening, reading and enjoying solitude.

I took early retirement this year. I run a small business and that gives me something to occupy my mind and time. However, it’s a mail order business so I don’t work face to face with customers the way I worked face to face with colleagues at my job.

So I have interactions with my partner but not really as much with other people, as I used to. And he’s still working a salary job so there are long stretches during the day when he is incommunicado.

It’s basically ok with me — I’ve always been a bit solitary. And of course he’s always around if I want to chat or if some horrible thing happens in the world and you just need to talk to someone about it.

Hes a bit older than me and I often wonder how I’ll get on alone.

All that said, my job was nerve wracking and soul destroying, and having those chains cut away after 30 years has left me feeling so relieved.

Instructional video.

Stick straight pins in voodoo dolls

Jazzercise

Home perm

Community theater especially if you have no talent

[Quote] enjoying solitude

Save that one for when you die

Serial prank phone calls

Onlyfans

R30’s voodoo doll:

R35 - I know that's a joke - but I'd like to see more 50+ in-shape men on Only fans or in other outlets.

It's motivation and frankly, it's primarily the guys you don't want to see that are doing it in their later years.

It's good to see healthy, sexually-active and attractive men in their later years. I'm so tired of young gym bunnies - you're supposed to look good at that age, it's not a huge achievement.

50? Way too young. I wanna see onlyfans over 80

Get massages from hot masseurs, go out to lunch, spend on my cc - I've only a year or so left to live so I'm going to enjoy it as much as possible. All my friends are already dead and my family too. I'm going very gently into that good night. I'm 64.

R39 If I may ask, what's wrong with you?

He's on DL, R40 -- it could be [italic]anything![/italic]

Get more (enough) sleep.

Do more cooking.

Exercise every day. Nothing crazy, but focus on flexibility.

I've lost my urge to travel.

R31 , Lilt or Toni?

"definitely travel to practice my French."

Just don't travel to France to do it. They hate that.

Golf

Go for walks, play bridge, go to the library, go to church, run errands, keep up with correspondence, plan a little trip somewhere, have lunch with a friend, nap.

Go crazy on Facebook after Trump, Trumpism, Jesus, how the younger generation and gay marriage is ruining America/

If you are a curious person, Geology, take up geology. The world becomes a lab. When you drive anywhere the road cuts reveal the geology and you can ponder the past with each one. It helps to live somewhere with interesting geology but even if you don't you can vacation to exciting rocks and geological events. The options are endless for entertainment. You can do the same with birds or trees, Art etc. It is really about maintaining enthusiasm for life and finding a way to stay engaged.

Toni

I will finally be free to Prancercise! Here is Ms. Cameltoe herself…

Surf

Get eaten by a big fat shark

R46 I didn't know my Great Aunt Helen posted on Datalounge! See you after church, dear.

Fart. Accuse others of it.

Be a spinster!

Be confirmed bachelor!

Be A confirmed bachelor!

Kick

Stretch

And

KICK

Do YOGA. It's the cure-all for almost everything.

I’d actually like to see 90 year old onlyfans. Imagine the drama. Hes just sitting there trying to get an erection, then he gets one and struggles to achieve orgasm. When he finally does I’d jump up and CHEER!!! 👏👏👏

R58 lies. I do yoga 4 days a week and it is not a cure for anything

Join the "Elks"!

I've never been bored being retired and don't miss working one bit.

It's been interesting reading the responses in this thread. I'm semi-retired, and my partner has been retired for 5 years. We have many friends who are also retired. The one common point of discussion - that comes up all the time - is a variation of "I'm so busy in my retirement that I wonder, "Where did I ever find the time to work?"

Keep a positive attitude, find something(s) you enjoy doing, and carry on as usual.

Wash your sex toys

R21 GOOD GOD that sounds so DEPRESSING.

R65 it’s like he copied it from a book on how to make your time left on the planet suck worse than it does already.

I think I'll start taking fun drugs again. I always liked acid, but only light trips. I never get paranoid. Even when I see some stark things.

Fuck travel. I’ve seen enough! I’m going to spend retirement in creative pursuits. I’m terrible at everything but doesn’t stop me from enjoying painting, block printing, mosaics, etc. I love getting so deeply involved in creative pursuits and the fact that they all look like they were created by a kindergartener doesn’t bother me at all. It’s fun and meditative and you feel good after you’re done.

I’m 54 and I’ve got about 12 years left of working full time. One retired, I’m hoping that I’ll maintain good health to the point where I can still work on my house, which I love to do. I hope to garden in my yard, take my dog for long walks indoors and out, learn to cook some fancy dishes, read and watch movies, get together with close friends, take classes, take some fun trips.

I wish to keep as sharp and fit as possible for as long as possible. That’s why I think I’ll always have a part-time job. A small business of my own would be wonderful. Tutoring perhaps. Although an introvert, I need structure and contact with the outside world.

FUCK ALL.

ringing for the nurse

run for a high office because my "billions" aren't enough.

I can finally finish my thesis on The Golden Girls.

R67 - you can actually buy shrooms legally now through online medical websites.

I'm on a 3 phase cycle of microdosing right now - not enough to get fully high, but you definitely feel the euphoric bump and well-being. Long term this is supposed to literally re-wire your brain and cause less anxiety, depression, etc.

It's based on US Army clinical trials of tens of thousands of soldiers with PTSD. The law to use psylocibin and ketamine for treatment went into effect nation-wide a few years ago.

You can qualify if you have depression or anxiety - you don't even need a doctor's recommendation or diagnosis. I have mild depression every now and again and anxiety - so I qualified. It was easy.

But they also have regular doses of full-strength mushrooms. It's been a fun journey so far. I'm in the middle of the second cycle. Just throwing this out there - it's legal nationwide now.

I retired at 42

Sto imparando l'Italiano.

Teaching ESL to immigrants.

Volunteering on a city committee.

Working out at a college gym. Yes, lots of eye candy that serves as motivation. Not that I’ll get there but it’s nice to watch.

Taking fourteen medications.

Planning our next vacation.

I retired early at 53 in 2007, after 33 years at the same company. It took me 2 years to learn how to be happy waking up every day with absolutely nothing to do most days. I was more active in the early years of retirement, but now at 71 I relish my days of leisure. Some days I'm more than happy to just sit in my favorite chair and binge watch shows on TV. Some days I'm happy to not even turn the TV on and sit in the same chair and read ebooks. Some days, when the weather is very nice I'll sit outside all day. Heavy yard work isn't as easy now as it was when I first retired and loved digging in the ground every day. Most of it I have to hire out these days. But the thing I'm most happy about in retirement is that after 33 years of being on airplanes almost every week I never have to get on one again unless I want to. I traveled all over the world and am happy I got to see the things I saw, but I have zero interest in seeing them again or looking for anything new to see.

r51, you're more likely to drown or break something than get eaten by a shark.

What is wrong with good old masturbation?

Do you ever think about how much shit you have, and if you were to die suddenly, someone would have to go through all of it, sort it, and throw, keep or sell? Which reminds me, I have to find a new person to take my cats should something untoward happen to me.

Taking classes at your local college/community college is always a great way to learn new things

r78 Thank you for that. I feel exactly the same way. Try getting a few pots with plants in them. I find them just as satisfying as digging in the ground, especially geraniums or such flowers.

R81 I have and I'm not worried. They will be well-rewarded with what they find.

I’m not opposed to having a part-time job or volunteer work but I don’t want to have to stick to any sort of schedule so don’t see how that would work out.

I’m looking forward to every day being like the weekend. I wonder if I will finally get over the feeling of dread that I’ve had every Sunday evening since I was a kid.

For those of us with grandkids we spend lots of time thinking about what we buy them and plans outings. I'm learning simple magic tricks for them to help use logic to figure how tricks are done. Plus it's fun

Read. Read. Read. Book club. Watch documentaries. Listen to the Great Courses. Go to the gym. Paint. Spend time with my dogs. Cook. Bake. Sleep in. Garden. Synagogue. Lunch with friends.

Every day I choose a few things. One chore and two fun things. “Fun” could be as easy as a cup of tea and a book.

Second year of retirement and it's wonderful. Just being able to do exactly what I want each day is a gift. I help and visit my 95 year old mother twice a week and help another senior friend. I like to go for walks, exercise or have coffee/read at a bookstore. I feel busy but mostly it's fun stuff. It's great not having to take a day off work to go to the doctor or schedule a plumber. I tell myself it's okay if I stay in and do nothing...but it's hard to change habits.

[quote]Every day I choose a few things. One chore and two fun things. “Fun” could be as easy as a cup of tea and a book.

Same here! Once chore then it's whatever. I've been retired since June and I love it.

R89 Yes! It’s really a gift.

I am 64 and will miss my paycheck every 2 weeks.

Last week I had no idea of time and date and just did what I wanted, it's was great. No rush.

I shopping when everyone's at work. Love it.

Read

I plan to spend my retirement admiring gorgeous men in various locales, behind the safety of my Ray-Ban aviators.

[quote] I wonder if I will finally get over the feeling of dread that I’ve had every Sunday evening since I was a kid.

I know what you mean. I have insomnia on Sunday nights (still working, not retired yet).

I think it may take a while, but I can see myself losing that Sunday dread. In fact, I see it the opposite way. I'll be rejoicing on Sunday nights.

Say what you want about people who major in the social sciences and do immersive travel to experience how other cultures live, but I sure as hell an glad I learned how to avoid enslaving myself corporate overlords to the level that some of you have.

It's been scrappy and hacky and sometimes demoralizing, but I have figured out how to have financial security for retirement despite all that.

There is no amount of money you could pay me to have this "Sunday night scaries" ingrained in my muscle memory.

Read Go to the beach Sing and play piano Take online classes in genealogy and become a professional genealogist part time Play bridge Lots and lots to do

I think a 55+ gated senior community would kill me faster than taking up motorcycle racing without a helmet. Talking about my pills and aches and memories of youth with my age peers would have me downing a bottle of Judy pills.

I need to be around people of different very ages and backgrounds and interests; to meet new people, often; to go to new places and see new things in addition to revisiting favorites; to take up new interests and projects (beyond the committee on the re-papering of the day room.) I need to say yes to invitations and ideas that make me wonder what I'm getting myself into. I need ideas about how not to live to 99, not how to wrap myself in cotton wool to ensure that I do.

We're all different, not least in our pursuits and pleasures, but preparing for 4+ decades in the 55+ community? Fuck no

Make things. Bake things. Garden.

This year I'm very excited as my saffron crocus just started blooming (they bloom in fall) and I'm harvesting the red stigmas as the flowers open. I need to plant more!