I'm not good with crowds.

That being said, I usually save my vacation days until the end of the year.

A vacation is only relaxing when you can wake up in the morning and not know what day of the week it is... then go back to sleep.

If I know it is Wednesday, that was just a day off.

If I want to relax, I pour a nice bourbon or wine and sit in my rocker on the screened in porch.

If I want fun and adventure, I go on vacation...

Sitting and relaxing is easier at home.

Air travel adds the tension I miss being retired. Last leg involved a 3 hour layover in Seattle and when I went to the gate got the news of an additional hour added to the layover. Mac and Cheese is only $16.00 a serving. Learned long ago to pack a peanut butter sandwich in my backpack. Looking forward to home sweet home.

We save our $ and fly business class and only do cruises with Viking. Land trips are usually out due to crowds. If wife insists on a trip I tell her to go. Always like returning home to peace and quiet.

I would much rather be at home or at my cabin in northern Michigan. I don't like airports, crowds, long trips in the car, etc.. I am much happier relaxing in my own environment with a glass of good bourbon in the evening.

We try to do 2 vacations a year, this year we did Aruba in Jan/Feb for a week. We had only 1-2 excursions away from the beach, otherwise it was the Hotel beach > Bar > Lunch >Beach > dinner > Bed, complete relaxation.

We then do a Family week on cape cod, rent a house, 200 yards or less to beach on the bayside. Almost no plans for the week, maybe surf fishing one morning or Golf up in Truro. I might go 5 places all week (but multiple trips): Grocery Store, Package store, Seafood Restaurant, ice cream shop and doughnut shop. Usually pretty relaxing now that the kids are 19,22 and 29.

I don't like over scheduled vacations, my other 48 weeks of the year are very hectic. With no golf this year, my only scheduled item is the time we have to pack up and leave.

I have accepted the fact that it will take 4-5 hours to drive what should be 3 hours. That is the price of admission.

Yes, I'll typically have a loose idea of a schedule each day that typically gets figured out in the evening of the day before, but it's 100% liable to be overridden by chance, or fancy.

I've yet to find anyone who vacations with me to dislike it. "we've got things to do but also this thing we're doing right now is fun"

Wolfe 21, where are you at, really, financially?

A) I get that if you’re curing cancer or something, it can be hard to leave. But, if it’s just making shareholders money….

B) I have alternated between insanely busy/bordering on retirement for years, so maybe I have a different perspective, and single vs married/kids etc affects this, but if a lifestyle change can get you free, choose freedom.

Especially if you have the kind of mindset which will stay productive.

My central Asian project will probably take the rest of my career/be an order of magnitude, or two, change.

I wouldn’t be there if I was still focusing on a daily grind.

Not trying to preach but I’ve seen too many people get to the end of the race with nothing to show for it but an investment balance.

Yes, vacations are very relaxing now. Taking the kids and grandkids to the beach every year has made the best memories for all of us. I wasn't able to do many vacations when the kids were younger. I try to make up for that now with them and the grandkids. The great thing is pretty much all I have to do other than show up, is provide the address and code for the door. They handle all the details. Hearing the grandkids tell me "This has been the best vacation ever" makes it worthwhile.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
Not trying to preach but I’ve seen too many people get to the end of the race with nothing to show for it but an investment balance.

Quite a few don't even make it to the end of the rat race into retirement. Quite a few make it to retirement only to lose their health shortly after.

Even if healthy, our abilities really do decline after about 50, and honestly are limiting after 60. You're just not going to be able to do things after 60 that you could at 30 or 40, even if you're in good shape for your age.

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
Not trying to preach but I’ve seen too many people get to the end of the race with nothing to show for it but an investment balance.

Quite a few don't even make it to the end of the rat race into retirement. Quite a few make it to retirement only to lose their health shortly after.

Even if healthy, our abilities really do decline after about 50, and honestly are limiting after 60. You're just not going to be able to do things after 60 that you could at 30 or 40, even if you're in good shape for your age.

I'm proof that the difference between "later" and "too late" can be very small. Thats why I've been traveling recently.

Vacations while I was working were always problematic.
And it would literally take a week to decompress.

I had to train someone for several weeks to handle the critical network infrastructure and operations.

And, invariably, I’d always get a call.

Once I had to handle a network and website attack whilst I was on vacation, walking someone through mitigation techniques.

Simple DDDOS attack, though the website was a different matter… all were secure.

Only since I retired have I truely enjoyed a vacation out of state.

I now travel to Europe, on average, twice a year.

Making up for lost time until I’m too infirm from age.


I liked staycations, but I was always on call, 24/7/365

Except once, director had me surrender my blackberry and I actually had a real vacation.

But, these vacations were always great for the family and always gave me joy to see them have such experiences.

Loved crabbing with the kids in Chincoteague
And making crab patties.

Snorkeling amidst barracudas and rays in Florida and Caicos.
As well as turtles and octopus.

So, yeah… in the end, worth every penny and iota of my time
I mean, I would have had the same pressures at home, except I got to do exotic things with the kids.

Worst call I got, I was hiking a mountain in the ADK, got an emergency call just as I was finishing my descent.

Had to high tail it back to work, which was also a crime scene at the time.
Commandant had to let me through to finish a Governor’s project.

State troopers were aghast, “who are you!” They demanded, we won’t let you pass, this is a crime scene… I said “you will have to answer to the Governor”.

Then the Commandant came out of the back room to see what was going on, he looked at me and said… “I know him, let him pass”.

So, I pass all the while wearing my LBT tactical gear shirt and they couldn’t figure it out.
The look on their faces was priceless.

Oh well, I digress.