Out with the old and in with the new... year that is.

 2025 was not the year I had expected it to be. Retirement came earlier than expected. I was a bit nervous about it, but I have no regrets as my workplace had become unbearably stressful and was just a shit-show of bad management decisions. It felt so good to step away. 

Retirement has been an adjustment. The first few months felt a bit surreal. It took some time to find my routine and be comfortable with not being busy all the time. I am now finding that I enjoy relaxing and being at home I tend to procrastinate getting out and going places and doing things.  I have settled so well into my daily routine I find it difficult to step away. 

The holidays have disrupted it a bit. My workouts at the gym haven't been as frequent or intense as they had been. I am currently in the middle of a several day break but I will be back at it on January 2. It will be time to get serious as I have a trip to Big Bend in February, and then Peru in March. 

So this takes me to the New Year, 2026. Adventure awaits. I am stepping out of my comfort zone and heading off on my own to pursue adventures that I only had ever dreamed about. I am going to do the things that have brought joy into my life in the past, just on a much grander scale. Volunteering, and trekking in the mountains of Peru and Nepal. I am nervous and yet incredibly excited. It will be an amazing year. I will be immersing myself in new cultures and experiences. The locations will be inspiring. I hope that the work will be too. I also hope that I can inspire others to chase their dreams, no matter where you are in your life. 

Happy New Year and Happy Adventures!

Steps

 I am starting to get into a routine. My mornings start quite a bit later as I am sleeping in most mornings. I still do my Yoga first thing and then I sit on the deck and enjoy my one cup of coffee. I have various chores to do each day. I then get on the computer and do what needs to be done. I have started my TEFL course. It is much easier than I expected and I found I really need to slow my pace down or I will have it finished in just over a week. I also spend a bit of time on my Nepali language course.

My workouts are going well, but not always to schedule.  I had planned on doing my full routine yesterday but the stair-masters were not available so I instead did a long treadmill workout. 55 minutes at 15%, and then 20 minutes at -3%. The other ten minutes were warm-up/cooldown.  On Sunday, I did an hour on the starimaster - 3010 steps. I then hurried home to see the final quarter of the Houston Texans game as they were finally winning!

Mondays have been set aside as a hiking day. I did go to Mother Neff State Park early as it was going to be another warm day. I only hiked for an hour as it did warm up much faster than I had expected. I am so tired of the 90+ degree days. I really need Autumn to get here. I did enjoy my hike though. The rains we have had this year really made a difference in the variety and size of plants growing and blooming in the park. It made the hike much more interesting.

Retirement is so much fun!!!!

 I am now in my 3rd week of retirement. It still feels a bit surreal. It is still sinking in that I do not have to go back to work. I guess I am still trying to get my daily rhythm. I spent my first week getting ready for my trip to Colorado. The second week I spent in Colorado. It is now Thursday of my third week and I have started my project list. First up is a solar clothes dryer, aka a clothesline in my back garden. I have it nearly completed and should finish it up tomorrow. The weather has still been quite warm so I only have a few hours I can comfortably work outside. 

Colorado last week was fantastic! The weather was perfect for hiking. Our Air BnB  apartment was really nice and the location right on the main street in Manitou Springs was perfect. The bedrooms were on the back side so they were quiet. 

Our first hike was to Cheyenne Canon Park, where the trail was Daniels Pass to Mount Muscoco - 4 miles, with 1,040 ft. of altitude gain. I really enjoyed the hike and the views were well worth it.  

Wednesday morning I set my alarm for 4 am. I started up the incline by 5 am hoping to be to the top for the sunrise. I made it and did it 45 minutes faster than last year. As I started back down I had to decide if I would go all the way and attempt a second climb or partial climb later in the day or just hop back on the trail at the 1800 step bail out and go back up about 900 steps to the summit and then all the way back down the Barr trail.This is what I did... I was questioning my life choices at one point, but once it was accomplished my confidence to take on the Inca Trail was encouraging. 

Our final hike was our favorite hike from last year - The Crags Trail in Pike National Forest. It is a moderately challenging hike due mostly to the first mile being uphill, followed by a mile of near flat and then a half mile uphill to the summit. Elevations from over 9000 ft to 10,780 ft. Oh, but those views at the top! We got surprised by the cold when we arrived, as it was 29f. It was 48 in Manitou Springs and we were not prepared for it to be as cold as it was. Once we got moving, we warmed up. So it wasn't too bad after the first mile.

We spent our last day driving the scenic route to Denver. We were hoping the aspens would be as pretty as they were last year, but unfortunately, they are changing a bit later this year.  We arrived in Denver earlier in the day than expected so we paid a visit to the Denver Zoo. We really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went to lunch at a local Ethiopian Restaurant before heading to the airport for our flight home. The flight was delayed a bit so I crashed on Fantu's couch before driving home on Saturday morning.

I spent part of my weekend watching YouTube videos of the Inca Trail. I wavered a bit but when I looked at how much I had improved from last year on these hikes and knowing that I have five months to keep training at a more intensive pace, I decided to go for it and booked the trek for next April.  So Monday morning I paid my deposit, completed my forms and now I sit back and wait until the end of the month to get confirmation once the permits are purchased on the 29th release date. I went with Alpaca Expeditions as they are the highest rated, most trustworthy and are a Peruvian-owned and operated company. Their groups are a little larger than I would have liked and they hike a further distance on day two than some of the others (which will be a challenge for me). But with larger groups, I can hope there will be other people at my skill level so I won't be left behind!

I think I am going to enjoy my retirement. 

A card from a former boss...sums it up pretty well!

 

Free!

 I am in my final days here at the Mayborn. 3 days and just over an hour left in my countdown. I am so excited and will be so thrilled to finally walk away from this place and begin living the life I have been dreaming about. 

The Mayborn is basically a dumpster fire at the moment. No one and I honestly can say no one knows what the hell is going on here and what they need to be doing. Management is clueless to how this place operates. They cannot find information they need and no one wants to take responsibility for it. I walk out the door on Friday and with me goes nearly 15 years of experience and knowledge. While they "hired a replacement for me", she really won't be replacing me as this position is being eliminated and reclassified as the Director of Marketing's Executive Admin and will be based downtown. When I saw that I knew why I had been pushed out. 

I am letting go of this place. No more 8 to 5. No long drives in and back home. No more. no more... 

I get to live the life I have been dreaming about and training for. I get to push myself and hopefully inspire others to chase their dreams. I will be free! 

Retirement...final countdown

 Up to six years ago I had been planning to retire before I turned 64, hoping to do so at age 62. But when my marriage to Alan deteriorated beyond repair I knew that to get out of it I would have to work until I turned 67. I looked at the financial aspects and knew that really was my only option. I set the date... January 9th, 2026. The countdown began. Years, months, weeks, days. It has been hard. It has been growing even more difficult as the years have passed. I set goals, my bucket list grew. I had plans and I couldn't wait to get started. Luckily I mostly enjoyed my job. I liked the people I worked with until this past March it all changed.  The Convention Center was moved to a new Division within the City with all new inexperienced management. A new Operations Manager was hired. We did not click. My job title was changed along with my job description. I now hated my job. I hated getting up each morning and driving in. I kept looking at my finances. Was it at all a possibility to retire a bit earlier? Well the stars aligned and everything fell into place.... Early retirement was not only possible, it made the best financial sense to do so. I am instead of counting down to January 9th 2026, I am preparing to leave this place September 12, 2025. 6 weeks, 3.5 days from this moment in time. I do have 5 days vacation to take before then and one holiday. That will really help it to pass quickly.  

Finally. 

I am a bit nervous about it all. But the excitement far outweighs it. How will I fill my days when I am not traveling? I can easily spend over 2 hours at the fitness center working out every afternoon. Mornings will be gardening, housework (instead of cramming it all into the weekend I can space it out across the week). I hope to visit my kids more often. Go hiking as often as I can, with a few camping trips thrown in for the fun and adventure. I need to get stuck in on my language lessons. I am learning some basic Spanish for my trip to Peru next Spring and Nepalese for my trip to Nepal in the Autumn of 2026. I also will start my TEFL certification course that I need to teach in Nepal. I do not want to waste my days sitting in front of the TV or scrolling on my phone. I really want adventure!

I hope to be able to travel for the next few years, I've a long list of National Parks I want to visit . I am planning a 6 to 8 week camping/road trip to see most of them. I would also like to work one summer either at one of the National Parks or at a lodge in Alaska. I'm sure a few more trips overseas will join the list. I am looking at a sea turtle conservation program in Guatemala  and then possibly returning to Nepal to teach again and then trek the Annapurna Circuit. I am planning on the Everest Base Camp trek on my first trip. I will also go camping and hiking whenever the mood strikes me. As long as I am able physically I will throw my gear into my car and head for the mountains. That is where I want to be. There is no better place to be on this planet than hiking and camping in the mountains. I look so forward to just being able to go when the mood strikes. No planning months in advance for time off. Just get in my car and go. 

Just go.....

Dreams with the Deceased

 Lately I have been visited by several deceased family members in my dreams. This has been going on for several weeks. They have become so frequent and vivid it is a bit troubling. The most recent one I was having a conversation with my Dad ( dies in 2006), my Mom( died in 2012)was nearby. He was talking about someone close that was near death ( I cannot remember who though). The phone rang (a landline) and since I was closest to it I answered it. It was my brother (died in 2000). He was telling me that we needed to come quick as his wife was seriously ill (she is alive and well). I then remember in my dream telling my Dad this and we were trying to decide where we should go. I think that was when I woke up. 

I have had several dreams with my Dad being in them. I also recall my grandparents (his parents) in one. Trevor and Alan have also made appearances. Why am I having so many of these dreams lately? I am starting to feel like a dark cloud is hanging over me. When I have an occasional one I enjoy the visit with them. But so many is a bit distressing, especially when one deals with the imminent death of others.

I am thinking it could just be the time of year. My brother died on May 2nd, Alan on May 15, Trevor on June 25, and my Mom on July 6. It is a difficult time of year, every year. 

I have only ever had one dream that was an omen, a warning. In my dream I was stopped at a traffic light, it turned green and I accelerated into the intersection. I then heard a semi-truck honking and he came barreling through, running the red light. Right towards me. I woke up just before impact. Two weeks later I was at that very same intersection. The light turned green. I paused, I remembered that dream. Then I heard the horn and saw the semi-truck coming too fast to stop, running the red light. I was still stopped. 

I have never had another dream that forewarned of anything else. Just that one. I am trying to not let these recent dreams upset me. I should just enjoy the visits from the other side.