Last week, I wrote about some key surprises I have encountered since retiring five years ago. I had planned a seamless transition:  lights, camera, action!  Five years later, the action is underway, but we are not filming the script I wrote in advance.  I have found that, while I anticipated the reality of change, the degree and details came only with experience.  According to my friend Lois, it is like jumping into cold water and waiting for yourself to warm up.   

I had devoted that long final year on the job to the impending transition. I read books, took classes, chatted with recent retirees, kept a journal, prayed, and made lots of plans.  As the milestone on the horizon approached, a few recurring questions continued gnawing at my gut, begging for resolution.

How would we live on less? Even with a healthy pension, the automatic deposit would be much smaller than before. How far would it go?  Would we draw on savings to buy bread and milk after paying the mortgage? 

What about work?  Even apart from the money question, I wanted to exercise my skills, to be useful and make a difference.  I wanted to have purpose, direction, and identity.  Could I fulfill those desires without a position description and an organizational chart?

How would I tame the monster of unstructured time?  I reveled in the prospect of a more relaxed pace, but anguished over the specter of boredom with an empty calendar.  I worried about filling the days with trivial pursuits alternating with snacks and naps. 

How would I navigate the wealth of possibilities?  As I listened to friends and colleagues describe their retirement plans, the array of choices was mind-boggling.  The challenge of designing a new life-style from scratch made me a little queasy.

Last, and perhaps scariest of all, what would our marriage look like when I was home full-time, occupying time and space that Lyle had for so long considered his own?  "I married you for better or worse, but not for lunch," was always good for a laugh, but I wasn't laughing as easily as I had before. 

The first two questions were featured last week in Retirement: Surprise!  We will explore the remaining questions, one at a time.  Not only has it been five years since my own farewell, but every day I hear from more friends whose big day is finally written on the calendar "in ink."  The Baby Boom is on the move, so let's take a closer look.

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Still working?  What are your biggest questions about the next step?  Already leapt?  How have the questions and answers played out for you?