u/Devchonachko

Note this is good for the hours of 8:30am to 7:30pm only BUT the Titanic exhibit has free underground parking with roaming security persons. I did this yesterday. Grab a locker, store your gear, and off you go. It was a short walk to meet friends in the Cathedral Quarter after checking out the titanic experience. I did not need to show proof of ticket to park. The cost of my peace of mind was just 5 quid for a locker for my helmet, boots, and jacket.

I'm 57, turning 58 in early August. Worked too long as a teacher (was running on fumes the past two years) and yesterday was my last day in the land-of-the-working. Told everyone I could I was "quitting" rather than "retiring". I grew up in Florida and the word "retiree" leaves a distinctly smoky taste in my mouth. Not a good peaty whisky taste. More like someone's burning their trash in a barrel kind of smoke. I'd rather be a quitter. More punk. More metal. More me.

School's out forever (as the song goes) and now I'm about to head out on a 10 week motorcycle trip through EU/UK as my retirement gift. I have a set path and going solo. So this is my first post and wanted to share a few thoughts with my fellow quitters this morning as I'm perusing this sub over a slow cup of coffee.

I'm wondering if there are any apps for retirees- similar to the app I've used for years to give me workout routines). Something to give me a little motivation or ideas to organize my week.

I'm wondering how I'm going to meet new adults to hang out or do things with. Married, and my spouse is lovely but an introverted homebody who definitely is fine not socializing- ever, and in the past, work colleagues filled in all social gaps for me. So I've been extra thoughtful on that front and just a little nervous.

Not worried about finances, thankfully. Not worried about health. Kids are adults, out of the house, and doing swimmingly.

I have a 10,000 issue comic collection to go through, one I started as a kid in the 1970s and stopped in the late 90s. Will cherry pick the valuable ones and find a collector to buy the rest. I write for independent comics and have published graphic novels, so I'll keep that going. My front yard /entryway makes the house look like it's haunted because of many many summers of neglect while I was out on my motorcycle trying to clear my head. Teaching and being around teenagers (and adults who acted like teenagers) every workday is (WAS!) mentally draining.

I do love that the time and energy and thoughtfulness I gave students for a couple of decades can now be channeled back to me. I'm really looking forward to that.