Taking an extended work break

[laika]

I'm 34 and recently began dipping my toes into the rat race. Some college mates and I moved aboard in our mid 20s and I ended up aboard until 32. Now my GF and I cruise winters and spend the other 8 months on land. Lord knows there's no right or wrong way to do it, but my take is that passions and ambitions are a moving target. If I'd waited until retirement that'd have been an awful many years waiting to follow the wild eyed dreams of my 25 year old self.

To my knowledge, a successful reintegration involves of a certain enthusiasm about where you're at upon returning. I don't always include myself in this category, but those I personally know, old and young, who have done it right seem to have shared little reluctance about giving it up and what was coming next.

Whatever the choice, good luck and enjoy it!

[atrometer]

Originally Posted by Hoosiersailor

I am almost 50 years old and have had somewhat stressful and overly responsible job for most of my adult life. I am not at a point financially of being able to retire but am considering taking a year or so off to cruise. Of course with my job its not like I can expect it would be available when I get back so I just have to quit and hope I find something when I'm ready.



Anyone that has done this have any insight? It scares the crap out of me and excites me all at the same time. I have skills where I can re-enter the workplace but it's a little hard to just quit a good paying secure job. It's also hard to fathom getting older and not doing this too. I could wait till I'm 55 (it will be here before I know it), start planning now and most likely be able to just retire then.



Thoughts?

Plan B. Save, save, save and go at 55 or as soon as you can (58 for me). Biggest mistake made was to change plans too many times- sail/power/size/gas/diesel/anchor out/marina/eat in/out..... all theses changes cost money. Medical expenses go up fast too. If you are not handy, then get handy before you shove off. Travel or stay in one place, work part time or not - many decisions to be made and stuck too

[daletournier]

How much do you need? It comes up regularly and is different depending on who you are.

Diving with a guy at the moment. He's a surgeon holidaying for the week. 65 can't retire, but dosent want to work anymore.

Hes way over weight, drinks 2-3 bottles of wine a day thus easy to say he's not that healthy.

He took five of us out for dinner the other night, cost him $600. What he thinks he needs to retire and what I need to retire are a long way apart.

I assume he's earnt alot more than I have over the years yet I'll be here next week and he won't!

Maybe the question to ask is, what do I need to do to retire now? Can you change your view on what's needed?

[Sojourner]

It's one of those questions only you can decide... how much risk you're willing to take on vs how much your soul is being sucked out by the job and/or pulled toward warm blue waters. Personally, I'd be looking hard for ways to monetize my skills WHILE being on the boat, but I know that's easier said than done. All in all, this is the mantra to consider, my favorite quote from my favorite author, who sums it up nicely that you think you have forever so you plan and plan for it, and then it gets pulled out from under you and you act surprised.... Follow your heart, I say....it's later than you think.

“Death is always on the way, but the fact that you don't know when it will arrive seems to take away from the finiteness of life. Because we don't know, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well, yet everything happens a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.”

― Paul Bowles

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, weldon, and Whiteoil.

Our companion forum: http://www.early-retirement.org/

[Group9]

I retired early from a pretty good paying job at 52, and took my pension early, to go cruising. And, it was a little scary, making that decision. Some friends and relatives thought it was great, and some thought I had lost my mind. Yes, we don't have as much money in the bank as we would have if I had kept working. But, the memory bank is overflowing!

We're taking a break, and I am back working now (as of five days ago,) but, our next cruise departure is already being planned. At sixty, I am a lot more worried about running out of time, than I am of running out of money.

You can always make more money, but your time bank has a fixed balance; you can't add to it, and you don't even know what it is. Time is an asset, too. And, I'd rather squander my financial assets than my time asset.

Get the obituaries out, and look at all of the people in there who are your age or younger. What were they worrying about a year ago? What were they planning on doing next year?

Many people don't even consider the possibilty of their early, unplanned, departure. Fine for them. But, not for me. I had a job where sudden death came more often than lingering illness. It taught me a lot about not knowing what's coming down the road. .

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by Group9

I'd rather squander my financial assets than my time asset.

Damn, that is so well said!

[sailorboy1]

I'm warning all you people in your 50s about this cruising thing:

You better be OK with being the "kids" overall in the cruising world.

[thomm225]

Another idea is that you could try to relocate to a place where you can cruise locally whenever you have time off.

This will allow you to buy the boat and start learning it

Also, if you could relocate say to the Gulf Coast or some similar place where you can observe all the cruisers as they come through you can learn tons.

This is what I was able to do for the 12 years I worked and raced beach cats all along the Gulf Coast from Panama City, FL to Biloxi, MS. (I was 39 at the time which was a good age to enjoy everything the coast had to offer from sailing to the night life)

You get to learn so much without actually stopping work.......

You get to see the "new" 65 year old cruisers and cruisers that have been there done that and are now at your dock living on their beatup boats giving out free advice .......well not free.

It will cost you because you will have to share whatever alcoholic beverage you may be drinking at the time because many of these guys are way low on cash but have lots of stories and experiences to share

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I'm warning all you people in your 50s about this cruising thing:

You better be OK with being the "kids" overall in the cruising world.

Punched out at 40. Now 17 years later, Im still often the youngest in the group, but the old farts are pretty accepting. [emoji6]

Funny related story. Ashore in the Chiriqui Highlands of Panama almost all of my friends are much older. Two friends in particular are avid hikers and kayakers, both are in their 70s, but in exceptionally good shape for their age. I joke about hanging out with a bunch of old farts, but what really pisses me off about that is going hiking or paddling with them...and getting my butt kicked! 🤣

[jrbogie]

I retired at 55 after my last divorce knowing full well it would be a tough row to hoe financially. i'll turn 70 next year and indeed retirement hasn't quite been as i'd planned for and worked for during the decades but as I look back on my entire life now I wish i'd pulled the ejection handle even earlier. nothing and I mean NOTHING is worth even one of those days having only what I want going on. when life gets boring, risk it.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by aquadreams

6. As part of retirement planning, don't forget longevity risk.
So many focus on the risk of not retiring soon enough to enjoy their years. That's important but I firmly believe most people underestimate their longevity risk, i.e. running out of money too soon.

In the US – "About one out of every four 65-year-olds today will

I agree completely! So many people say, "What if I die before I get to 70?"

Yeah, that's something to think about. But you also have to think about, what if you don't? What if you live to be 95? Are you going to end up spending your last few years living in a cardboard box and eating dog-food because you were so worried about dying young that you never thought about the possibility that you might NOT?

And, no, before anyone says it, you absolutely do NOT have to give up having any fun, or living life well, when you are young just so that you can have a little something left when you get to be old. That notion -- which a whole lot of people seem to have -- is just amazingly stupid and short-sighted. You do NOT have to live with your nose constantly to the grind-stone in order to be able to give any consideration to the future.

[daletournier]

"It's hard to quit a good paying job "..... To good to leave to bad to stay? or the enemy of a great life is a good life?

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Two friends in particular are avid hikers and kayakers, both are in their 70s, but in exceptionally good shape for their age. I joke about hanging out with a bunch of old farts, but what really pisses me off about that is going hiking or paddling with them...and getting my butt kicked! 🤣

Funny. Similar story... When I lived in Colorado a couple of friends and I used to climb the 14-ers (mountains with a peak above 14k feet). We were in our 50s at the time. We would get to the top and sit there huffing and puffing. Invariably, a short time later, some guy who was obviously in his 70s at least would come strolling up like it was nothing, not the least bit out of breath. Always made us wonder, "MAN! Are we that out of shape, or is he in that good of shape!?!"

[pcmm]

I literally just did that. I quit my job last July to take a year off and cruise with my family. Unfortunately it didn't go well (family issues) and I had to bail out just 3 months into the year. I came back and had a new and better job within 2 months, so no loss on my part. Tech jobs are plentiful right now and pretty easy to get. I had 2 job offers at that time, and I'm middle aged now!