We built the furry ones a catio that we can move with the season. For the shoulders of the warm weather season, it will sit on our small back deck which gets plenty of sun and is nice and warm for a kitty to lay back, relax and enjoy both the sunshine (and rain, if they so choose) and some fresh breezes. In the heat of summer, said catio will move to our side deck which gets shade for at least half of the day and is much cooler and more pleasant. The strategy with all of this was to make the catio easily disassemble/assemble and to make it consistent with doors. For our back deck, we are installing a pet patio door insert which goes into the track of the sliding door; for our side deck, we have a new side door with a pet flap. Ultimately, the goal is that they will be able to go in and out at will and not bother their pet parents. (That’s us, by the way.)
Yet right now neither door is installed. While those will potentially get done this weekend, the lack of installation is a problem. Either we leave the sliding glass door slightly ajar as I’ve chosen to do this morning or one pet parent (sometimes two) are at the ready to open and close doors with alarming regularity. In and out. In and out. It’s a bit of a kitty conundrum. Just as in our real life, we are stuck at a crossroads that with neither door installed, we can’t actually move forward.
And that shifts me to the crossroads of our real life. We sit here at 18-24 months from what I’m calling “retirement”. (For us, that likely means we will both always work a little bit, but mostly part-time, consulting gigs in our future life.) I always thought it would be easier when we got to this point. It’s not. I’m all dressed up and ready to go… but with nowhere to be yet. As we make the move into our future state, there are still things to do and I am actually glad that we have the time to prepare. But, in the hurry-up-and-wait that is real life, we are, well, in the waiting phase. It’s not that I don’t have my marching orders. It’s just that the stars aren’t yet fully aligned to get me moving.
Essentially, the goals for our retirement implementation strategy are fourfold: 1) get all of the previously started renovation projects complete so that we have only the main bath and garage/driveway to do in our retired state; 2) build a two-year cushion of all expenses plus some “fun money” so that we are not subject to the vagaries of the market and will not have to draw down from retirement in a down market; 3) wind up our work commitments (for my hubby); and 4) validate the financial model, including any major pre-purchases that should happen now (for me).
At this point, I’ve built all of the financial models and we have created a massive “to-do” list that is designed to get us from here to our future state. (And we have made progress here – from 130+ items to 36 left to go.) We also need to consider buying me a car, which I haven’t been excited about doing, but we want to capture that expense now before we retire giving us a cushion in retirement. As noted above, I’ve also successfully navigated my own work commitments so that I now work for myself. What’s next? Hmmm… the doing, the saving and the validating. After a LOT of travel this spring and some weekends that just did not cooperate for us to get work done, this weekend will seem like as good a time as any to get moving on the doing. A long break in travel will also help with the saving. As for the validating? I need more data to make sure I get it right, but that will be an evolution.
Still, there’s a bigger point here that I’m trying to navigate: is the waiting truly the hardest part? Honestly? I think so. Again, I’m super happy that we have this time to get the planning right. But… well, I’d also like to just be there. I feel a little bit like I’m caught in time. And yet, the message to myself today is to not wish away the present to get to the future. The next 18-24 months can – and should be – glorious.
That starts today. Honestly, it’s a perfect day for it. It’s supposed to be 78 degrees here today under sunny skies. I was able to both mow and clean up the house yesterday. Today dawns with a bit of work for me (some of which I’ve already done) and an open slate. I’ve got a new yummy pineapple/chicken/rice dish to make for dinner and with a freshly mowed lawn, I’m planning on hanging out some sheets to dry. This afternoon? A long walk in the sunshine. This evening? Dinner on the back deck with a pre-dinner drink.
And in the future, while it’s going to be hard for me to overlook the projects that still need to get done or the savings that still need to happen, we will also be making progress. More than anything, though, I think I’m going to have to remember to enjoy now. I recall when I was first engaged, I got the advice that I should really enjoy my engagement and not spend that time just looking forward to the wedding. As a good friend said to me, “You’ve been a girlfriend many times and you will be a wife for the rest of your life. You only get to be a fiancé once; enjoy it. It’s truly a special time in your life.” And with that advice, I was able to truly relax and enjoy being a fiancé.
I’ll give myself that same advice here: I’ve been a dedicated professional most of my adult life and I’ll be retiree for the remainder of my life. But I’ll only be in this planning stage for one short period of time. It’s time to enjoy the pursuit of closure, the visioning of the future and the beginning of the “lasts” of that part of my life. Additionally, I’ll also begin the new firsts. Even though we are taking a short break from travel, we are planning a new trip to take with two other couple friends of ours, a new venture for both of us and it will be enjoyable just to plan this trip.
So yes, it does feel like the waiting is the hardest part. But it doesn’t have to be. That’s only if I let it.
The Yuppie Homesteader 