Month: January 2026

My Stints in Part-time Retirement Work

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

The plain and simple definition of retirement is leaving one’s job and ceasing to work. Of course, we all know it is so much more than that, which is why many people retire and then realize they really are not ready to manage their life without work. At a loss of what to do, they turn to what they know… going back to work.

According to a T. Row Price study, title “Unretiring”: Why recent retirees want to go back to work, 57% of retirees express an interest in working in retirement. While some want to work in order to pad their retirement nest egg, many are choosing to work because of the social engagement, structure and purpose that it brings to their lives. Personally, I thought I was going to want to work part-time in retirement more before I retired than once I actually did retire.

I really liked my job in nursing education. I enjoyed the people I worked with, and the vast majority of the students were engaged, committed, and fun to teach. Most importantly, my work was rewarding and I felt like it was contributing to the greater good. But I was ready to retire. I was tired of getting up and trudging off to work in the early morning hours for the 25-minute commute, particularly in bad weather. I did not enjoy working on reports that I was not interested in or the endless meetings. And I definitely had decision fatigue. It was time. Or was it?

My office on campus just prior to retiring from fulltime work. It never looked this clean while I was working.

My story

As with most major life decisions, I studied retirement for many years before I made the leap. (I hate the feeling of regret and will go to great lengths to avoid it.) I retired relatively early at 59, so I always thought I would work part-time during my initial retirement years. Planning ahead, I tried out a couple of part-time “retirement” jobs while I was still working full-time. Just for the record, I do not recommend this.

My office/craft room at our home (prior to the move.)

Part-time job #1

For a few years, during the summers and college breaks from teaching, I worked for a company teaching NCLEX prep courses at nursing colleges and universities around the United States. (NCLEX is the certification exam that nursing students must pass in order to get their RN license.) The company already had the power point, learning activities and curriculum developed so you just had to come in and teach it. Easy-peasy. I figured, once I got the content down, I would just get paid to travel and teach a little. It would eventually be the perfect retirement job.

However, being “on stage” and teaching 6-8 hours straight for 4 days in a row is HARD work. I was exhausted when I was done. I prepped every evening before teaching and once I finished a 4-day course, my feet hurt, and I was too tired to go out site seeing. Travel is not as glamorous when you are doing it for work. I did get to travel to a few great places, but apparently the company thought Idaho and Iowa were close by each other and kept sending me to Iowa. No offense to Iowa, but… not a travel destination. Complain. Complain. Complain. But if it was causing me to complain, then it clearly wasn’t a potential part-time job that I wanted to do when I retired.

Part-time job #2

Prior to retiring I tried teaching a couple of on-line nursing courses for an affiliate college. It was flexible and used my skills. However, it was not particularly enjoyable or gratifying. It was just, well… work. The only interaction I had with students was on-line. I missed the personal, face-to-face communication that I think is vital to being an effective instructor. Did I mention that I really do not like grading papers? Complain. Complain. Complain. This was not enjoyable enough to be a potential part-time retirement job either.

Part-time job #3

The last couple years I was at the college, I sat on the board of a non-profit company associated with healthcare education. When a half-time regional clinical placement coordinator position opened up with them just prior to my retirement, I decided to apply. The only problem was that they needed it filled a semester before I planned to retire. No problem, it was a remote position that could be done on-line so I could do it in the evenings and weekends until I retired from my full-time job. Do you notice a crazy theme here?

That job turned out to be a great way to transition into retirement and I kept it for a year and a half after I retired from my full-time job. At that point, it was starting to require more responsibilities, availability and scheduled meetings. The meetings were via Zoom, but still… you had to have your computer with you, be in a place with reliable internet, look presentable (at least from the waist up), and be available at the designated time, with a professional looking backdrop. I did not like being committed to someone else’s schedule anymore, so I decided to fully retire.

Part-time job #4

A few years into full-retirement, I had the opportunity to teach a face-to-face evening course a couple times a month. I wrote about that experience in a previous post, Have I Failed Retirement? I taught the course several times, but I dreaded going. We did not need the money to buy groceries or pay the electric bill, so I asked myself why I was doing it. I could not come up with a great answer, other than I always thought I would work part-time after I retired. Not a good enough answer so I decided not to continue with it and have never looked back.

Mr. U’s part-time work

Mr. U has worked part-time most of his post-retiree life. First as a consultant in school administration for several years and then in his favorite job driving a van, which I wrote about in the post Reverse Retirement. The biggest challenge when working part-time in retirement is that it gets in the way of play. It is particularly difficult if you have to request time off.

My office (prior to the move) now that I am just working at being fully retired.

In conclusion

I purpose that, if we plan our retirement well ahead of time, we do not necessarily need to work to gain the same emotional benefits (social engagement, structure and purpose) that often drive people back to work. They will be built right into our retirement life. If we have planned our finances securely, created social networks that keep us engaged and have planned things to do that give us purpose and meaning in our retirement years, we won’t want or have time for part-time work.

I know several retirees who have a hobby or interest that has expanded into a part-time job. Not because they needed the social engagement, structure or purpose, but because they love what they are doing and want to share it. They want to do more of it and so it blossoms into getting paid for it. Somehow, that doesn’t seem like work to me. Perhaps that is the key: the ideal retirement job is one that does not feel like work. The beauty of retirement is that most of us can choose. We can choose to work or not. And it is that very freedom that is one of the ingredients to the secret sauce for a happy retirement.

Cheers to the retirement years!

The Heartbeat of a City

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

When I travel to a big city, my favorite time of day is the early morning. It is when a city is coming to life. Coffee stands are just opening and the aroma of fresh grounds fills the air. The traffic is picking up with commuters on their way to work. The garbage trucks are rumbling down the street. It is the heartbeat of a city. It is a steady thrum that enlivens your nerve endings. And every single city that I have traveled to has a different vibe. A different heartbeat.

One of the best things about retirement is the ability to be spontaneous. When you want to travel, there is no need to plan around school vacations or ask for time off from work weeks ahead. When Mr. U suggested we make a quick trip over to Seattle last month to watch one of our favorite college basketball teams play, my first inclination was to say we did not have time. It was a few weeks before Christmas and I had lots to do. Then I paused and thought, isn’t this one of the great joys of retirement… to be able to take short trips on a whim?

Seattle is just a quick 4 1/2-hour drive for us. The weather was good, and the roads were clear over Snoqualmie pass, so why not take a spontaneous road trip? If you have not been to Seattle, put it on your travel list. It went through some rough times during COVID, as most big cities did. However, it is gaining its unique, artistic, waterfront vibe back again.

The space needle is particularly beautiful at night.

Of course, Seattle is probably best known for the Space Needle, which is worth seeing. It has been several years since I rode the elevator to the top. As expected, the view is amazing, and a little unnerving if you are not crazy about heights, like me. Now I prefer to just look up at it in awe.

Pike’s Market Place

If you don’t see anything else, you need to see Pike Place Market located in downtown Seattle by the waterfront. It is one of the oldest and largest farmer’s markets in the county and is the heartbeat of the city. You will find colorful flower bouquets, fresh seafood, unique art, restaurants and plenty of eclectic shops. It is three levels and spans 9 acres so wear good walking shoes.

Downtown Seattle is also home to the very first Starbucks. If you want coffee there, plan to wait in line awhile. While you are downtown you might want to see the “gum wall” in Post Alley. It is a brick wall with thousands of wads of multi-colored chewed gum stuck to it. Not very sanitary, but definitely unique.

The Farmer’s Market is a feast for the senses.
The Pike Place Fish Market is known for the fish mongers that throw fish to their customers. Have you ever tried catching a slippery fish as it sails through the air?

Other districts and neighborhoods to explore

Seattle has several fun neighborhoods and districts to stay at or explore on foot. This time we stayed in the historic Queen Anne District. It is close to the Seattle Center and Climate Pledge arena where the game was. We parked our car at the hotel and were able to walk everywhere, which helps save the stress of finding a parking place… which is also better for your marriage health.

The morning after the game, we decided to get up early and see the city as it came to life. We walked up the hill to the 5-Spot restaurant for breakfast. The 5-Spot was voted the best breakfast in Seattle multiple times and it did not disappoint. I almost forgot to take a picture it was sooo good.

The hollandaise sauce on the chorizo benny was unlike any I have ever had (left). The cooks wore some great shirts (right).

If you are traveling to Seattle for a sporting event, Pioneer Square is close to the professional baseball and football fields. If you like a bohemian vibe, stop by the Fremont area. It is a quirky, artistic neighborhood and home to the Fremont Troll that lives under the bridge. I wrote about a micro trip we took to Kirkland, which is just to the east of Seattle here. There are many more unique nooks and crannies in the area that I have not seen, which is just a good excuse to go back.

If you prefer to get out of the city and into nature, there are numerous hiking trails for all levels around Seattle and in the nearby Cascade Mountains. Seattle is surrounded by Mount Rainier, Mt. Adams and Mt. Baker. Or, if you love sightseeing from the water, you can take a boat cruise on Lake Washington or Lake Union. You can also drive just north of Seattle and catch the Anacortes ferry to the San Juan Islands.

The view of the Cascade mountains was breath taking.

The game outcome

I know you have been waiting patiently to hear the outcome of the game. 😊 Gonzaga is my alma mater, so I am a devoted fan of the Zags. This was a close game against UCLA, but the Zags pulled off the win, which made the trip a little more fun.

Great game, especially since the Zags pulled out the win.

The heartbeat of a city

Next time you have the chance to take a trip, don’t decline because you don’t have time, or a hundred other excuses. Seize the opportunity and go. And when you travel, slow down and take in the sound of the trolley bell, the street busker music, or the aroma of hotdogs being sold next to a newspaper stand. Let it sweep you up in the moment. Stop, breath it in and listen for the heartbeat of the city.

Cheers to the retirement years!

Make 2026 Your Time to Soar

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

The retirement parties are over, the plaque has been given and the well wishes for a happy, healthy retirement are done. You do not have to set the alarm and trudge off to work again… ever. What happens when you wake up for the first time as a retired person? A sense of giddiness fills your gut. It is like being a kid again on that first morning of summer break when you lay in bed and daydream about what you want to do all day. And then, a few months down the road, the reality of retirement sets in, and you wonder, “what have I done?”

Retirement expectations

I am really enjoying retirement and would not choose to go back to work. But, if I am being honest, occasionally I miss work. We had a couple meetings at a lawyer’s office to do some estate planning recently. Several of us sat around the conference room table and I was suddenly in a cloud of nostalgia. I was taken back to those years sitting around a conference table discussing work issues, planning projects or debating solutions. It was energizing and felt good to be a voice at the table that was making decisions. I felt a brief wave of sadness that those years were behind me.

That sense of nostalgia for work was a quick flash in the pan, but it got me to thinking about retirement expectations and happiness. Prior to retiring, you probably imagined yourself traveling the world, sipping margaritas by the pool all afternoon or playing endless rounds of golf. But the reality is that most retirees don’t do that every day. And if you did, it would probably not be a satisfying retirement life that would sustain you for the long haul. Anything, even the good stuff, can become stale when you do it all the time.

It is at this point that people often recognize that their retirement does did not meet expectations. Now what? Or perhaps you have been retired for a while and are in a bit of a rut, wondering if this is all there is. It is the start of a new year, so it is a good time reassess, flap your wings a little and get ready to soar.

Spread your wings and soar

We have a pair of bald eagles for neighbors. They have a nest in a tree that sits over the little lake we live on. Our new favorite past-time is sitting and watching these majestic birds in their natural habitat (exciting life we have🤪). They sit in the pine trees overing the lake and patiently watch for surfacing fish. Once they find what they want, they swoop down quickly and snatch it up. They wait. They observe. They go for it. Then… they soar.

I think that we could take a lesson from these powerful birds that represent strength, freedom, determination and courage. These are the very qualities that one needs to curate a satisfying retirement lifestyle. The new year is a mark on the calendar the signals a time for reflection and evaluation. Are you satisfied with your life, or do you want to take it up a notch?

Reflect, observe and then soar like an eagle.

If you are preparing to retire, or even if you are a few years in and not enjoying retirement the way you expected, then it is time to step back and observe. Look closely, with an “eagle eye” at different hobbies, interests and volunteer activities. Observe people enjoying a full and satisfying retirement. Ask yourself a few questions:

  • What resonates with you?
  • How would you like to be living in five years?
  • When you look back on your life, what will you wish you had done during your retirement years?
  • What do you admire about other retirees?
  • What is holding you back?

There is no better time than retirement to live your dreams. Never before have you had the time, freedom and financial security to do what makes your heart sing. Curating a satisfying retirement lifestyle takes strength, determination and courage – the very qualities that bald eagles represent. It doesn’t happen by just laying on couch thinking about it.

“What if I fail? Oh, but darling what if you fly?”

author unknown

Let’s make 2026 our year to fly

So go ahead and take the first step. Spread your wings. Start the small business, call about the volunteer opportunity, join the gym, write the book, register for the class, join the Meetup group, invite the acquaintance for coffee, delve into your artistic side. See where it leads. You can’t soar until you flap your wings a little first.

Heck, we are retired so we have nothing to risk… except our preconceived notion of looking like we are in control and have it all together. We fear being the fool, the novice, or the one that does not have all of the answers. But we have everything to gain. Being curious and trying something new stirs our creative juices and adds texture to our lives.

Boldly seek out your retirement dreams.

I don’t want to look back in ten years and wonder what I did with my retirement years. As a nurse, I have seen too many people on their death bed dying with their song still in them. Living a life with too many regrets. And those regrets usually focus on the things they did not do. Not the things they did do. It is the family member that they did not reach out to after a falling out, or the adventure they did not pursue. So, let’s be bold, fierce, and strong like an eagle in these bonus years and live the retirement life that we will look back on with satisfaction and gratitude.

The beginning of the year is an ideal time to consider what you want your 2026 life to look like. Do you have some unsung dreams that you want to accomplish? Perhaps it is an adventure that is begging to be checked off of your list. Don’t wait until all of the stars align and the timing is perfect, because it is unlikely that will happen. As we get older, we recognize that we have more life behind us than ahead of us. It is a sobering awareness to live life fully today.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to a skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, “Wow – what a ride!”

Hunter S. Thompson

Cheers to the retirement years!