Month: September 2018

Last days surprises!

Hello! It has been a couple of weeks since I posted while I have been busy finishing up projects at work!

But then, I have to admit, I got to go on an award trip from my work just before my retirement date, and I am writing this from Costa Rica! I am truly blessed! So complaining about a few crazy last weeks just doesn’t seem right! LOL!

We have never been to Costa Rica before and are finding it is absolutely beautiful! The resort is amazing and the customer service superb – check out the Four Seasons at Papagayo in Guanacaste if you can! We will be having a company dinner one night but otherwise, we are free to make arrangements to do whatever we please. Dave is diving today (and yesterday too) and he said it was an amazing dive. We hope to go deep sea fishing and have arranged a couple of other tours- one at the Palo Verde National Park including a river boat cruise, and one at the Monteverde Cloud Forest – it has suspension bridges to keep you high up in the cloud forest, so wish me luck! Better for me at least than ziplining, though, which is also available. They also have a hummingbird and butterfly sanctuary – I am sure it will be fantastic!

It has been nice to ratchet back for a few days from the craziness of trying to finish up at work. It was funny, though, when other work folks started arriving (we actually came a few days earlier than the group), I started having work-related dreams again – OY! I found that some folks who don’t work at my home office didn’t realize I was retiring, so that shocked them to hear it. Lots of facets to this trip!

When I get back, I will have one more week! WOW! I have to admit, I know how to go out in style, don’t I? LOL! Amazing trip, fabulous life experiences throughout my career (plus of course, a few not-so-fabulous ones, but who wants to remember those?!) AND great expectations for my new sunRISE ahead!

Can’t wait!

See you next time – probably after my retirement is actually effective!

Whoohoo!
Mary

Final preparations!

Hello!

In my last posting I talked about my plans for my first day of retirement – very exciting to me, just because I want to celebrate the freedom that day will represent to me, even though the actual activities I have in mind for that first day are pretty low-key! But now, back to current realities!

I am now less than 30 calendar days from my retirement date! It has been getting more real all along, but I have to admit now it is SO VERY real, after what seems like a very long time in planning and anticipation. Here are several of my reactions to my now-imminent reality:

1) YEAH! That light is very bright now! FINALLY!

2) WOW – how can I get these last few projects done in these very few working days that are left?

3) SO many emotions, including excitement, relief, a bit of sadness to leave behind this phase of my life, excitement and anticipation of the upcoming NEW phase of my life, and determination that all of these ideas that have been floating around in my brain, and that I have been writing about, will actually come to fruition.

My pastor’s sermon today at church was from the book of James, Jesus’ brother, and the sermon series is entitled “Rubber Meets Road” – that sermon was very pertinent to me in this phase of life…not just related to how I implement my retirement, BUT in making sure that I grow in my faith during this new phase of my life! That goal is in my list, as I have indicated in prior blogs, and today’s sermon confirmed for me that retirement is not a phase to slow down in my faith growth, but a grand opportunity to grow it even more, and to help others in their growth! Check it out at https://www.encompass.church

As I finish up these last few weeks, I may not post each week…it is amazing how many details need to get worked out now, both finalizing work, finalizing finance arrangements, and preparing to begin my new journey! Please keep me in your prayers as it all comes together…and in the meantime, be sure to take the opportunity to work on your own dreams and goals, and write them down in your journal/list, so that you are preparing yourself for both your NOW and your future retirement sunRISE!  And remember, this is an ongoing process as we live life, and realize new things we want to be part of our present or future!

Talk to you again soon!
Mary