Retirement is good!

[Narragansett]

Congratulations. I have been retired since Feb. 5th, 2010. I too will be relocating very soon to GA. I just can't take winter anymore.

My only comment about the West or SW is to make sure that you buy into an area where you are assured of water. I can just imagine the equity that has been lost, especially of late where your property has no water

 

[Rodan]

My brother lives in the Prescott area. A little altitude makes a lot of difference in the temperature. Flagstaff is too dang cold. The middle of the state is just right.

Prescott was beautiful 30 years ago and nice 20 years ago, but it's been inundated by Californians and other urban immigrants. Infrastructure can't keep up, but they just won't stop building.

Benson and St. David have some nice spots, we looked at a lot of places in that area but found the perfect place for us in Sierra Vista.

 

[biku324]

Cave Creek is a hidden gem.

 

[soFlaNative]

ME to AZ... helluva change in scenery I'd guess.
Retired from city work in March, feels weird but I'm managing to cope.
Best of Luck with the move.

 

[pharmer]

I originally planned to retire at 70(next week). I quit 2 years early, even though Covid tried to kill me and a broken back slowed me down, best decision in my life. I worried about money, turns out I need a lot less without "work related expenses." Enjoy each and every day. Joe

 

[ZGrand]

Congrats on retirement and the bike. You picked the right size to learn on.

I retired at 59, so not yet eligible for Medicare. My wife (God bless her) agreed to keep working a few years so we could have health coverage through her work. So I had the days to myself. There were very few days that I didn't hit the road on one of the motorcycles and just ride. Pick a direction, find a road I hadn't been on before, and find out where it went. I'd stop for lunch in some small town and see what was there. When she retired at 60, those days came to an end for the most part. I sure miss 'em.

 

[BRL40]

...Every day is Saturday. I can live with that!

Ain't that the truth!

Had a couple friends pass away before they reached retirement age and I didn't like that idea at all, so I quit work and just enjoyed myself for 4 years of doing nothing, just in case the same thing happened to me.

...then the money ran out.

So I picked up a couple dead end jobs until I could actually collect SS and yesterday I went shooting with a friend and today I'm watching HDTV and processing the spent cases.

Been about 4 years of actual retirement now and it's been great!

 

[rockquarry]

I've fortunately not had this problem, but I recall what a friend told me years ago about retirement: it should never be spent laying on the couch eating Cheetos and watching daytime TV! A formula for a short lifespan for sure.

 

[Jon651]

Congratulations! I've been retired since 2014, and if I'd have know it would be this good I would have done it first!

 

[SMSgt]

I stopped working in 2012 and managed to eke by on my military retirement for a couple years until SS kicked in. While I may miss some of the social aspects of working, the work part not a bit.

 

[Retired W4]

Ain't worked a lick since 2007, and I love it.

As for Arizona, my son is in Tucson (Davis-Monthan AFB) and southern AZ is beautiful. Took these pics driving outside of town.

 

[dave1918a2]

Congratulations on retiring. I did it 10 years ago. I also moved. 34 years of stuff to go through. Gave away a lot, threw out a lot, and I still wonder why I moved some of the stuff I did. Haven't used a lot since I settled in. You'll get through it. Nice bike. Once You get there, You'll want a bigger one.

 

[Rodan]

Rain on the Huachucas this morning...

 

[old bear]

Retirement is good!

Yes it is. I've been working through it nine (9) years now, and I love it. Enjoy the start of your new life

 

[wood714]

Good on ya for taking the motorcycle training class. I've heard it helps a lot.

I got my first mini bike around 10 years old, and a CT90 Honda at 12. I've been riding pretty much my whole life.

One of the main things to remember riding any kind of bike. You will go where you look. I've never done much trail riding, but if your going down a road and there is a sharp curve with a tree of guardrail...if you fixate on it, you will hit it.

Counter steering is your friend.

 

[madmikeb]

Good on ya for taking the motorcycle training class. I've heard it helps a lot.

I got my first mini bike around 10 years old, and a CT90 Honda at 12. I've been riding pretty much my whole life.

One of the main things to remember riding any kind of bike. You will go where you look. I've never done much trail riding, but if your going down a road and there is a sharp curve with a tree of guardrail...if you fixate on it, you will hit it.

Counter steering is your friend.

I have figured out that you have to look where you want to go and it makes all the difference in the world. Sometimes I am struggling to follow through on that though, but if I do I can do 360's and u-turns in about an 8-10' circle. I do know about the counter steering but I haven't been able to get a grasp on it at this point, I'm only getting up to about 15mph in my driveway, does this come into play at higher speeds? I figure the class should help me with that!

 

[Rodan]

You will not be countersteering at parking lot speeds... it comes into play at street speeds and up. Just remember to push on the inside bar.

 

[S&W Fan]

I was 12 when my folks and I moved from southern NJ to Tucson. My dad had a Pontiac Catalina convertible and that first Thanksgiving we went to the store to pick up a few things my mom needed last minute. I fondly remember my dad laughing as he talked about not being able to drive with the top down in Margate in November lol.

I learned to ride a motorcycle as well as shoot that year, 1968. I ended up getting into motocross and flat track racing then moved to the street after graduating high school.

I moved away in 1984 but have been back a few times. The snowbirds, young drivers and really old drivers are crappy about seeing motorcycles-like everywhere-so be careful (I’ll be 67 in October fyi so everyone cool your jets about “really old” people ). ABATE classes typically include a riding test that meets state requirements for the mc endorsement so it shouldn’t matter where you take the class.

Congrats on retiring, I’m jealous as I still need to work, enjoy all the beauty the desert southwest has to offer. Oh yeah and turn your shoes upside down every night and shake them out before putting them-scorpions and spiders ya know.

 

[Kinman]

Congrats, ten years for me this past April. In the new off road world two place off road 4 wheelers are the current rage. In Idaho you can license one for the road and since most of the new stuff is fully capable of 55mph sustained they get around great, not to mention the selling point to the wife that you can use it plow the snow. One of my buddies never gets a chance because his wife is out there first thing in the morning with the quad moving snow around in heated cab comfort. Enjoy...

 

[lkabug]

I retired at 68+ and now at 77, I have enjoyed my unemployment.
I ride my Can-am Spyder RTL about 10k miles a year. While it not a two wheeler, it is still wind in my face. Just can't do the shifting with the left these days.
Enjoy your unemployment!