05/06/2024
Been retired now for three weeks.
Yeah, it's everyone's dream of when life becomes perfect. The Golden Years. When life begins. More time for whatever you want to do ... whenever you want to do it.
Maybe it's just a guy thing with me, but I loved my career, my work and my latest job. I never hated to get up and go to work. The steady paychecks were sweet too. Only part-time in the morning but just enough.
For me, I still haven't dialed in whatever will fill that occupational void. Not to say that I haven't had a great time.
Max Forester & I drove up to our latest visit to Little Switzerland, high on a ridge in North Carolina. Took a slow ride toward home on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Carved out time for the very slow scenic route through the forest in Smoky Mountain National Park on the Heintooga Round Bottom Road -- that leads to one of the most beautiful roads by a zippy river that I've ever experienced.
Here's a tip to make your Golden Years golden: save plenty of gold.
Otherwise, you might have to endure your Maxxed Out Credit Limit Years wasting time hunting for balance transfer deals instead of swabbing the deck on your yacht moored off the Amalfi Coast.
Yes, Max & I made time for a foray into the forest for Trail Magic by the Appalachian Trail in North Georgia on Saturday, June 1st.
The best job ever.
Got there late. (No surprise.)
Didn't expect to meet any hikers. (No surprise.)
Met a bunch of fabulous folks. (No surprise.)
Stayed so late having fun with strangers that I never made it to my usual fun spot on Saturday nights: bluegrass and the community supper at the Tallulah Falls Opry House. Missed my friends, the music, the food, and flirting with Mary Beth, the adorable hippie chick who owns and operates The General Store.
Nice to have stuff to look forward to during retirement ... while you're still saving to upgrade your dinghy to an ocean-worthy multi-deck gargantuan ship to have perky crews sail you and a few dozen friends to the Mediterranean for a season or three.
For now, Horse Gap and Tallulah Falls will do quite nicely thank you.
Max & I took a few pictures to share with you, if you have a few minutes...