What would you do with all your extra free time if\when you retire?

[Exterous]

I like to keep busy but I'm pretty sure I would fall into a cycle of lethargic boredom if I don't find something to fill the extra time. I was hoping a few hobbies might be around to pick up the slack but haven't found one yet. Scuba diving was going to be a potential option but unless I can figure out how to clear my right ear consistently its out.

 

[sdifox]

See NuclearNed about building a climbing wall :awe:

 

[UKBB]

Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food distribution center.

 

[chitwood]

Just play WoW all day

 

[sdifox]

Oh oh binge watch one of the multi decade long soap opera from the beginning.

Like Coronation Street :awe:

It started on 1960/12/09.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Just play WoW all day

I'm sorry but, that's just too pathetic.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I plan to semi-retire in about 5-8 years (age 45-48) and fully retire at age 58, so I have given this a lot of thought. The answer is, a LOT of things.

1. Hike all the 4000 footers in NH

2. Visit every significant waterfall in NH and Maine

3. Hike Mt. Washington and Mt. Katahdin and take drone footage from the peaks.

4. Spend a few days at the star island hotel (located on the isle of shoals)

5. Go bluefin tuna fishing

6. Get my type 54 fireworks license and put on commercial fireworks shows.

7. Learn how to operate heavy equipment (backhoe, bulldozer, etc.). Lots of quarries around so I should be able to find someone to teach me.

8. Volunteer with a local food bank

9. Improve my carpentry skills (not hard because they are fairly meager at the moment)

10. Spend a month (or more) in the OBX (a place that I spent a huge amount of my childhood)

11. Visit and hike through parts of remote alaska.

12. Travel north of the arctic circle.

13. Travel to antarctica

14. Travel to the Galapagos islands.

15. Scuba Dive in the Blue Hole in Belize

16. Travel to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore.

17. Coach little league baseball

18. Live at our camp on long lake in Maine all summer

19. Learn to wake board and wake surf

20. Start or get involved with a local business.

21. Become a commercial drone pilot.

The list goes on and on and on. I have a million ideas for stuff to do - just no time to do them.

 

[pauldun170]

Spend lots of time with family and friends
Go back to college and pick an interesting major.
Start doing lots of track days on the motorcycle.
Double running mileage
Double bike riding mileage
An extra day at the gym
Finally start redoing the homestead

 

[brianmanahan]

two words:

nef nef

 

[Tweak155]

I have a pretty great work-life balance right now, I'm in no hurry to retire (I also have a long way to go too though).

I think ideally I'd keep doing some form of "work" to keep me busy, just likely a big reduction in total hours spent per year.

 

[crashtech]

I want in on this thread, because when I put this question to myself recently, I found that many of the things that I used to be passionate about no longer appeal much to me anymore. The thought of having lots of free time actually scared me a little. I don't know if this indicates a lack of ambition, a midlife crisis, or a failure of imagination, but it's sure something I need to work on.

 

[gorb]

Travel of course...hit up a lot of national parks and good breweries

Maybe play all the RPGs I never got around to playing when I was younger.

 

[brianmanahan]

in all seriousness though, i plan to retire at 45.

my plans are as follows:

1. be able to travel (cheaply) for more than a couple weeks a year. would love to be able to camp in a national park for a couple of weeks, and do that a few times a year. along with possibly a vacation to somewhere else in the world once every few years.

2. work on open source or personal software projects. cant do it now because keeping everything straight at work consumes my mental cycles, but there are always a few things i would love to work on

3. as much golf and bike riding as i can possibly fit into the summer! and workouts at a gym 3 times a week

4. possibly teach a class related to comp sci at a local school/college

5. if i get bored, i would be open to contract work - 3 to 6 months of software development at a time for local companies.

basically, the goal is not necessarily to turn into a 70 year old dude at the age of 45. just want to be financially independent and able to live off %3 of my money, and not need to keep working at places i dont want to doing stuff i dont want to if i dont want to.

 

[Thebobo]

I plan to semi-retire in about 5-8 years (age 45-48) and fully retire at age 58, so I have given this a lot of thought. The answer is, a LOT of things.

1. Hike all the 4000 footers in NH

2. Visit every significant waterfall in NH and Maine

3. Hike Mt. Washington and Mt. Katahdin and take drone footage from the peaks.

4. Spend a few days at the star island hotel (located on the isle of shoals)

5. Go bluefin tuna fishing

6. Get my type 54 fireworks license and put on commercial fireworks shows.

7. Learn how to operate heavy equipment (backhoe, bulldozer, etc.). Lots of quarries around so I should be able to find someone to teach me.

8. Volunteer with a local food bank

9. Improve my carpentry skills (not hard because they are fairly meager at the moment)

10. Spend a month (or more) in the OBX (a place that I spent a huge amount of my childhood)

11. Visit and hike through parts of remote alaska.

12. Travel north of the arctic circle.

13. Travel to antarctica

14. Travel to the Galapagos islands.

15. Scuba Dive in the Blue Hole in Belize

16. Travel to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore.

17. Coach little league baseball

18. Live at our camp on long lake in Maine all summer

19. Learn to wake board and wake surf

20. Start or get involved with a local business.

21. Become a commercial drone pilot.

The list goes on and on and on. I have a million ideas for stuff to do - just no time to do them.

Impressive list. FYI you can't legally fly drones at katahdin/Baxter state park or anywhere along the Appalachian trail corridor.

 

[Yakk]

I'd like to say game all day, but will probably increase my volunteering time and travel.

 

[ponyo]

I would pretty much do same thing I'm doing now like BBQ, gardening, fishing, traveling, etc but the biggest thing is I wouldn't have to deal with all the work BS. Work stress is killer and that's what I look forward the most to eliminating.

 

[Thebobo]

I'll be honest here. I have grand plans but probably just sit around get fat and watch tv and play stupid video games.

 

[isekii]

can't believe
hookers and blow haven't come up yet

 

[Yakk]

can't believe
hookers and blow haven't come up yet

Meh, those people don't usually get to retirement age so that would be moot...

 

[KMFJD]

go slowly insane...

 

[ctbaars]

go to work

 

[brianmanahan]

Just play WoW all day

I'm sorry but, that's just too pathetic.

exactly, asheron's call or DAoC are much better MMOs to spend all day playing than WoW

 

[Red Storm]

Gonna travel the world and take lots and lots of photos.

 

[Thebobo]

exactly, asheron's call or DAoC are much better MMOs to spend all day playing than WoW

I played Asheron's call II for a while until it folded

Also EQ is better then WoW imo.

 

[Denly]

Is money an issue? If not I will just pickup a backpack and go.