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 sixth (and second to last) post in the series on how we are marching towards the finish/start line.
May 7th – it’s been 53 days since the announcement of my layoff. What happened since then?
- Recovered from my ego sting, wasn’t that much of a sting anyways. Very soon I started feeling happy that I don’t have to worry about all of those issues and situations I don’t really care about.
- Had a few “knowledge transfer” meetings, and have a few scheduled next week, after which I won’t be working anymore while still being on the payroll.
- Spent two days and one night at a beautiful, stunning Crystal mountain resort with my friend (also recently laid off, from a different company), where we walked, snowshoed, rode a gondola to the top of the mountain, froze our butts off on the top of the mountain, felt speechless with the views, specially the view of mount Rainier on a very clear day, ate really good food (cooked by both of us), had wonderful conversations (including those related to personal finance…
- Had another amazing day out with the same friend today, this time we had a day trip exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest near the Deception Pass. The weather was really good, and the views were amazing (see below)!
- Booked a trip to Dominican Republic almost entirely with points and miles (I will write more in a separate post) in early February for DH and I
- Spent a week in Florida, combining an attendance of a conference on Personal Finance and spending a few days on the breathtaking beaches of southwest Florida, relaxing with my friend
- Went on a couple of hikes locally (such a contrast in weather compared to what we experienced in Florida)
- Went to the Tulip festival in our “small Holland” with my mom in law, had our breaths taken away by the beauty of the tulip fields, it was such a wonderful and sunny day!
- Distributed 12 cubic yards of new mulch around the house over the weekend, that was a lot of work, I am aching in all places. But the results are great, and we worked together with kids, who we took to a restaurant after the completed job. Team building activity
There are still things to do, such as pressure wash the driveway and the walks around the house, so the house will look even better, but it doesn’t diminish the amount of work we’ve done this weekend!
Next week I will return my work equipment, my badge, sign the severance package and start the new brave life without full time employment! I have many great things planned for the rest of the year, so stay tuned for the update on our adventures!