I think a lot of retirement is that you have to re-define who you are as a person.

Lots of people, men especially, at least partially define who they are by what they do for a living. It gives them purpose. When I was working I was really good at what I did, and I was proud that I was a Field Engineer, Senior Design Specialist, Subject Matter Expert and Civil Design Project manager for a large utility company. I only had to report to one person and I had anywhere between 5-10 guys and gals working for me.

It was a consuming job, it was a demanding job, but it was very rewarding to be able to conceptualize a design, see it all the way through the design phase, the fabrication phase, the construction phase and then seeing something that you and your team designed and built actually working. That was amazing. I was super proud to do that.

When I retired, I missed that for about a month or so, but I just pivoted and honestly became this kind of an "I don't give a shit" retired happy hippy kind of guy, grew a full beard and started letting my hair grow long.

I still manage projects, but it's mainly fun stuff around the beach house and the mountain house. About the only time I need to be somewhere is going to the gym, meeting friends for fun stuff, or doctor's and dentist's appointments.

Mountain Boho and I have often looked at each other when we are just chillin' and having a good time and we can't believe just how surreal and good it all is. If we hadn't worked for this our whole lives we would almost feel guilty about it.

"When I say ever thing I mean ever thing." - Frankie