July
1
Written July 4 and 5
Written July 4 and 5
Dear Friends and Family,
I did it. I finally retired. We have spent the last several months doing all the final planning and preparation, but on July 1st, I am no longer employed. Plans included putting our finances in as much order as possible and experiencing the modern American difficulty of wondering if our savings & 401(k) are enough. Like most people I suspect, the answer depends on "enough for what". In our case, it means enough to still travel and, for now, live in Europe. We have planned a six month test of travel and living to see how things might really work out. I'll report in January, 2013.
Leaving
work was pretty straightforward. I have ended projects and left
companies before, so I knew the office cleaning routine. Ten
years of working in Germany and I managed to fit all my records into a
single steel bin, destined for secure disposal somewhere. My
local boss had had a small gathering of his department where they
toasted my "accomplishment". Truth be known, our business,
particularly our German business, is falling on very uncertain times
and I think some of my colleagues envied my retirement option. I
do wish them well and have faith that their skills and talents will see
them through.Back at home, the last hurdle has been health insurance. It's complicated, but we have learned that universal health care does not mean cheap health insurance, specifically for older people with a few weaknesses. In the end, literally on the last day of June, we signed up for some expensive state-minimum insurance. The German system is not too unlike "Obamacare" back in the The States, with a requirement for health insurance coverage, so I feel we can now see how such a system will work out. One weakness already is that there is limited or no care provided outside Germany. Travelers need to buy separate insurance, which we also did on the last day of the month.
But the big retirement event was the Trotters' annual Fourth of July Barbecue, celebrated this year on Sunday, July 1st, both because that's a day off for everyone and because that's literally my first day of work independence -- I think.
It rained, as it often does on these Independence Day gatherings, but we take that in stride nowadays, centering the event inside the barn instead of the yard. The crowd was a bit smaller, but we found that having only 30 or so folks enabled us to actually chat with our guests. I even got to explain my wall of work pictures, badges and awards to anyone who would listen. That was enough nostalgia for me, so now it's time to look forward.
  
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Now we'll see how all this goes. On Monday we cleaned up and on Tuesday we hit the road to Beaune, France, the center of the Burgundy wine district.
But that's another story.
John and Marianne