I have been posting updates on our countdown to retirement in a forum I am active on – and then the thought occurred to me – why don’t I write about that on my own blog? This is the third post in the series on how we are marching towards the finish/start line.
45 days to go. It’s getting so close, unbelievable!
Mental state:
- Received my bonus this week! Got 100% of my target, which is more than I kind of expected from my boss. I guess he couldn’t justify not giving me the 100% given the amazing work my team has done under my guidance last year. Or maybe I am too paranoid and reading too much into my boss’ reactions to everything I do (and don’t do) lately.
- He continues to be very busy with other (new to him) groups, and we are left alone, to the degree we sometimes wonder if our group even matters anymore. That makes it easier to get through the remaining 45 days.
- Someone brought up a scenario that I haven’t considered before – if by mid March we don’t hear about possible layoffs (again, based on my speculations regarding what may happen to my team as the leadership seeks to restructure my boss’ new kingdom), I may announce going on unpaid leave for April/May, hope to get laid off in the meanwhile, and if that doesn’t happen, come back in mid May and submit my two-three weeks notice… I am still considering whether or not to go that route. I would gain a few thousands from the RSUs that would vest in Mid May and, obviously, the bigger fish to catch – the layoff package if it comes to that.
Preparation for retirement:
- My colonoscopy is done (all clear, come back in 7 years). All dental appts for deep cleaning are completed. Looks like we are done with medical visits for a while.
- Just came back from the first volleyball tournament in Portland. That was something! Our team did not play well but it’s understandable given that all kids in the team are new to volleyball this year (2022) and they have been playing as a team for only 2.5 months. I really liked the excitement that the kids had, their good attitude despite constant losing, and the team camaraderie. I hope they can form friendship in the future and spend more time together in person (which I will support with both hands!).
- Booked flights to Los Cabos in December (18-28) for us and the kids. The price of the tickets was insanely low for the Christmas time on a decent airline (American airlines) – $391 per person! Next on the agenda is to book accommodation in Los Cabos (it would be Airbnb as we like to stay in separate rooms and have a kitchen to cook sometimes, similar to how we’ve done in Playa Del Carmen.
- Last May DH’s brother and his wife and daughter came to visit us (we celebrated 50th wedding anniversary of their parents). The girl got very attached to me and we made plans that she would come over next summer and stay with us for a few weeks. Now we are actually planning this. Parents-in-law would travel to visit their other son in Connecticut in June and bring over our niece. In Early August I would fly her back to Connecticut and take a week to explore the East coast. I was planning to visit my friends in NY/NJ/Philly, but just now my eldest son approached me and said that he would like to travel with me. Totally fine by me, we can do the exploration together (though it may be a little more challenging logistically). So, another trip to add to my summer
- DH is determined to work till July to get that semi-annual bonus (as he put it, to pay for the costs of COBRA coverage before switching to ACA, which will probably have similar costs, given my plans to do Roth IRA conversions over the next few years).
This was my 45 days update, stay tuned for further updates as we get closer to the D-Day!