First day of retirement … what next?

[splott parker]

Watch Cardiff City in the Championship while you still can, Go for a drive while you still can, and fly while you still can, leave Wales if you can, it's a disaster area, and only going to get worse.

Ps enjoy your retirement it does sound like you've earned it!

I’m quite happy living in Wales.

[GL1Blue]

Enjoy your retirement Des 👍

[Enoch Mort]

After 48 years of continuous employment, yesterday was my last day. Apprentice to Director, 6 companies, 3 continents, 20+ countries.

We’re doing a grand tour of Eastern Europe & the Balkans over the next few weeks, then returning back to the UK at the start of July. Plenty of holidays booked. 40th wedding anniversary coming up, as well as both of our birthdays. Maybe buy a motorhome & do some touring.

A lot of cycling & swimming planned. Supporting the local council with planning leisure areas. My house & garden in UK haven’t been touched for 4 years, so recovering & repairing that will be the first challenge.

I welcome any tips, comments, ideas etc. I’ve worked 60-70 hours a week, 6 days a week for the last 25 years, so winding down will be a challenge.

Cheers, Des

Congratulations on a well earned retirement. You sound as if you have things planned quite well. For me, the initial period after retiring was like a holiday period doing little other than trips abroad but, after a couple of months after getting 40 years of work mostly out of my system, that holiday period faded with a realisation that this is it. I dawned on me that, in between holidays and getting the house and garden in order, more was required to fill the available time which I had underestimated. There is no future in sitting round watching daytime TV adverts for someone trying to sell you an insurance policy to pay for your coffin. I set a weekly pub quiz to stop my brain going to mush and read this messageboard to undo that, do voluntary work and take a language class. I'm sure that you will sort it. Good luck Des

[North Cardiff Blue]

Do you live in Wales - just curious due to your comment about it being a disaster area??

So far, I like Wales itself and what it was, but it is getting run into the ground with daft political gestures for the sake of it.

[blue matt]

1st of well done, 2nd'ly, keep doing things, anything, I have a fair few customers who have retired while ive known them, they fall into 2 groups, 1st group, keep up with a routine but doing things they want to enjoy,

2nd group have a few months to put their feet up and enjoy the garden ( turns into 6 mouths, then 1 year ) these never get going again, they are just waiting to Die

choose life, choose the 1st option

[North Cardiff Blue]

After 48 years of continuous employment, yesterday was my last day. Apprentice to Director, 6 companies, 3 continents, 20+ countries.

We’re doing a grand tour of Eastern Europe & the Balkans over the next few weeks, then returning back to the UK at the start of July. Plenty of holidays booked. 40th wedding anniversary coming up, as well as both of our birthdays. Maybe buy a motorhome & do some touring.

A lot of cycling & swimming planned. Supporting the local council with planning leisure areas. My house & garden in UK haven’t been touched for 4 years, so recovering & repairing that will be the first challenge.

I welcome any tips, comments, ideas etc. I’ve worked 60-70 hours a week, 6 days a week for the last 25 years, so winding down will be a challenge.

Cheers, Des

Play Golf, a sport you can do until you're 100 (if you're lucky), and has a social aspect.

[Nobody's Rep]

So far, I like Wales itself and what it was, but it is getting run into the ground with daft political gestures for the sake of it.

Any specifics of what you think has made you feel differently about Wales - not looking for an argument legitimately interested in this?

[79blue]

Enjoy each day as it comes, if you want to do something just do it, don’t put if off . You will never know what is coming around the corner.

I retired in September and had the money for a good holiday but decided to wait until my retirement money came through. I did not receive my money until March. By then my mobility was severely reduced and I was not in a position physically to go on holiday due to mobility issues and fatigue. Two months later I was given a terminal diagnosis.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Enjoy each day as it comes, if you want to do something just do it, don’t put if off . You will never know what is coming around the corner.

I retired in September and had the money for a good holiday but decided to wait until my retirement money came through. I did not receive my money until March. By then my mobility was severely reduced and I was not in a position physically to go on holiday due to mobility issues and fatigue. Two months later I was given a terminal diagnosis.

Jesus, I'm really sorry to hear that, life can be so unfair, I hope you are making as many nice memories as possible, it's kind of you to warn the rest of us how lucky we are, and that we should not take life for granted!

Best wishes to you and your family.

[splott parker]

Enjoy each day as it comes, if you want to do something just do it, don’t put if off . You will never know what is coming around the corner.

I retired in September and had the money for a good holiday but decided to wait until my retirement money came through. I did not receive my money until March. By then my mobility was severely reduced and I was not in a position physically to go on holiday due to mobility issues and fatigue. Two months later I was given a terminal diagnosis.

Dear God, that’s terrible news. Best wishes to you and your loved ones.

[Des Parrot]

Mostar is interesting and the war crimes museum is very sobering - and Bosnia is still a very divided country in so many ways.

Drove from Hungary to Mostar today. Crossed the border at Slovonski Brod . I didn’t expect (after 30 years) to see so many burnt out & derelict houses. It was like that for the first 20 miles or so inside the border. After travelling through fertile Hungary & Croatia. north Bosnia was an unkempt wasteland. Sarajevo to Mostar is breathtaking gorges, rivers & ice blue lakes. Mostar is overrun with tourists from all over the world but still exceptionally historical & scenic.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Drove from Hungary to Mostar today. Crossed the border at Slovonski Brod . I didn’t expect (after 30 years) to see so many burnt out & derelict houses. It was like that for the first 20 miles or so inside the border. After travelling through fertile Hungary & Croatia. north Bosnia was an unkempt wasteland. Sarajevo to Mostar is breathtaking gorges, rivers & ice blue lakes. Mostar is overrun with tourists from all over the world but still exceptionally historical & scenic.

Unfortunately and not very useful to you, the best time to visit the more popular parts of Central Europe was quite a few years ago. Places like Prague, Budapest and Dubrovnik are inundated with tourists these days, as you know. My last two trips in that area took in Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Moldova, Transnistria, Ukraine and Belarus.

[Des Parrot]

Bosnia is still a very divided country in so many ways.

I had no idea of how divided until the last 48 hours. The 1/3rd Serb population will forever prevent the country from moving forward and disbar them from joining the EU. Whilst it prides itself on its multi-ethnicity that diversity is also its downfall. It’s been a fascinating and educational two days. The scenery stunning & the people so friendly, wish we had longer here.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I had no idea of how divided until the last 48 hours. The 1/3rd Serb population will forever prevent the country from moving forward and disbar them from joining the EU. Whilst it prides itself on its multi-ethnicity that diversity is also its downfall. It’s been a fascinating and educational two days. The scenery stunning & the people so friendly, wish we had longer here.

Traditionally, there has always been a strong link between the Serbs and the Russians, as you probably know.

[Don Corleone]

I turned 60 this month, got my senior season ticket for next season which made me feel old but reading this thread made me think more about retirement again. Probably another 2 or 3 years left in reality but every stressful day in work makes me think about it more!

[North Cardiff Blue]

I’m quite happy living in Wales.

Standards seem to have slipped in Cardiff since Covid, the grass is ten feet high and full of weeds and the streets are dirty, the Council needs a kick up the arse.