Disenchantment, Goodbye Stage Three

It’s hard to believe that almost a year has passed since I last took the time to blog. A lot has happened in that time! I’ve traveled back and forth between Michigan and California several times, and I’ve been fortunate to visit family along the way. When I’m in Michigan, you can usually find me kayaking on the river, biking down the Kal-Haven Trail, or playing basketball at the gym. In California, I enjoy tinkering at home, catching a movie, or playing ball with the guys at the community center. It may sound like a tough life, but it’s not as easy as it seems!

In an earlier post titled “The 7 Stages of Retirement,” I briefly mentioned stage three, “Disenchantment.” If you remember, it is the stage when you might have the feeling retirement isn’t a permanent vacation after all. You may also experience boredom and disillusionment and feel useless.

It is not about boredom, disillusionment or feeling useless. I have been very busy and haven’t had time to get bored and retirement is exactly as I expected and planned. Being useless? Not even close! It has been great trying to make up for all the years I have been away from family. Nope, for me it’s more about being next to the women I love on this journey. Two years is about all I can take running around the country without her so we are re-evaluating our plans.

We are starting with moving our home to Western Michigan. I love California and, since 1981, have called Southern California my home, but liquidating some assets and moving to Western Michigan should allow my better half to join me on the second half of this journey. I have never been one to ignore things and would instead attack a situation rather than wait to see how it turns out. I am looking forward to reorientation, the 4th stage of retirement.