I just woke up from an unexpected afternoon nap. I can take a nap when the desire strikes me. It is absolutely wonderful.
When I returned to work back in 2015 after my adventure in modern medicine, the assistant executive director stopped by my office to talk. She asked if there was anything that could be done to make my return to work easier, and I said, "someplace where I could rest when I am tired, a 20 minute nap makes all of the difference." She said, we never thought about that when we designed the office. And they never did.
I am enjoying long walks in museums. I enjoyed spending time in Washington DC, before I lived here. A special part of that was the couple of dozen world class museums and monuments here in DC. That was a major factor in my deciding that DC was a place I wanted to live. I looked for jobs in places I wanted to live. I moved here, and I got busy, and saw less and less of the things I wanted to see over the past 15 years. I am seeing a museum or two a week. It is WONDERFUL.
I came to a couple of realizations. I have spent a lot of my professional life pushing back against the million silly things trying to make my job impossible. This includes incompetence, bureaucracy, and general silliness. I don't have to deal with that anymore. And I am wound rather tightly, and I can now be less tightly wound. That one made J. laugh with a comment along the line of "realllllly!" I am enjoying not having to fight to try to do my job. I am enjoying being a little less tightly wound. A little more relaxed.
I am enjoying finding new places to take a walk. I walk for at least an hour a day. Back in 2020 -2021 I walked almost every day in the same place. It was a good experience. Something like 330 walks in 365 days on the same trail. Now I am looking for new places. Pocket parks, different city streets, different approaches to familiar places. I am enjoying the exploring.
Could I have done this before I retired? Maybe, but I didn't. I was busy. I was working. I was not enjoying the day. The number of days is not unlimited, enjoy as many of them as you can.
In my nearly five years of retirement, and before, I've seen most of what I want to see around the city and inner areas, although I can still find areas to walk that aren't familiar to me, and things change all the time. I'd like to explore further and that means driving which I now hate and my partner is not keen to either, without a good reason. The traffic is so bad and everywhere is so busy, it is just easier to not go far. Three days of 38/100 in a row a really keeps you at home, which is fine too, but it's supposed to be Autumn.
ReplyDeleteI my plan is to start over seeing it again, when I have seen it all. The museums change.
DeleteI could never tire of the museums of DC. We used to be able to walk to them all from home in Georgetown and did so all the time. What a gift.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many things to see,
DeleteI have friends in DC yesterday and today. I know one thing they went to see was the Titanic exhibit.
ReplyDeleteReports are the Cherry Blossoms are nearing 50% already.
DeleteOne of the things I learned from my Dad was to never go the same way twice if you can avoid it. He always took one way to get somewhere and a different way home. I do that same thing, and do it, when I can, when I'm out for a walk.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, the routine in life need not be boring.
DeleteMost of my serious walking has happened since I retired. You need energy and vision for walking. It should be the whole thing - not just an add on at the end of a busy working week. Though Great Britain is tiny in comparison with The States, we have over 140,000 miles of public footpaths. Plenty to choose from but planning is required if you are going to circle back to your car or railway station.
ReplyDeleteI've always admired your footpath network. We have our trails here, which are quite extensive around DC, esp. on the Virginia side, but they're not quite the same.
DeleteYesterday I discovered another regional parks authority, with a dozen new parks to explore.
DeleteIf I run out of walks here, we could spend a few weeks in England and Wales.
DeleteWalking, napping, exploring parks and museums -- the joys of retirement! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI am really starting to enjoy the flexibility.
DeleteYou're in the same place but a whole new world is opening up!
ReplyDeleteSo much to experience, and time to do it.
DeleteI need to let myself enjoy the down time more. I sometimes feel as if I am "wasting" time if I have not been busy enough. I feel guilty if I have spent the day reading, walking, playing solitaire, commenting on blogs. I often feel as if there is some "job" I should be doing around the house instead.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are enjoying your new life so much! That's how I want to feel...
Time doing what you enjoy, is time well spent.
DeleteIt's crazy how our work tends to fill up our days even if our normal hours are 8 to 5. When I started working after I retired, I decided it would be on my terms. So far, it's worked out well.
ReplyDeleteI have a small consulting project I am going, but it is flexible on time, and includes a fun site visit.
DeleteRetirement is the best. I go for long walks almost every day. Always someplace different. I think it must be amazing to live in DC because there is so much there to do and see.
ReplyDeleteDC is a joy, a little expensive, but there is so much to see.
DeleteYou make retirement sound WONDERFUL!
ReplyDeleteSassybear
https://idleeyesandadormy.com/
I am new to your blog via Bruce, The Catalyst. Retirement is very much on my mind. Last month a friend I have had for over 2 decades died of an incurable disease (yes there are some out there) and NEVER got to retire. She simply had to stop working due to her medical condition. It truly saddens me because all she ever talked about was waiting to retire to do what she wanted to with her life, to be off the clock, etc. I'm trying to see it as a cautionary tale.
ReplyDelete