Another year has come to a close, and this one is a bit different than many that have preceded it. I got through Christmas and all the December holidays without getting any cold or flu, which I guess is attributable to getting a flu shot and not having contact with sick people. I’ve reported on this the last few years because of several years in a row where I spent the holidays suffering from some illness. Despite this, I do seem to have spent much more time at various doctors than I would like. It sort of felt like I was getting my 60k mile tune up. Eyes, root canals, physicals, etc. Hopefully that’s going to taper off quickly in the new year.
This is the first year I’ve spent most of the year retired. I’m happy not working, but I tell people it’s a process adjusting to retirement. It’s interesting how quickly you become part of the faded past at your place of employment after you retire. I’ve been back inside a couple of times for social events and the retirements of other colleagues, but the connection is fading fast.
I still don’t think I’ve completely wrapped my head around the freedom of not having a job constraining my schedule even though it’s been almost a year since I had to get up for work every day. I’ve definitely spent more time on my photography hobby, which was part of my retirement plan, improving my skills and taking lots of pictures. I managed to take two photography specific trips built around tours and workshops, and I arranged my first model shoot by myself. I’ve also been working on improving my editing skills with Lightroom and Photoshop. I’ve already got three trips planned for this year.
I also kept up my attendance of live theater, and Shakespeare in particular, but not significantly more than when I was working. However, I did see some good productions. That’s something else I should keep pursuing. I’ve got my regularly scheduled festivals pinned down for the year, but I’m also keeping my eyes open for other offerings.
I’m not one for making New Year’s resolutions, but based on plans already in place, I’ll have some good trips, have some good photographic adventures, and see plenty of theater. There’s room for improvement in improving my fitness and maintaining my health, better sleep habbits, and I need to more actively pursue my social connections. Maybe I’ll make a plan to visit some of my far away cousins that I haven’t seen in a while, and maybe I’ll make it to Europe this year, which I still haven’t done since setting that as a goal in high school. Lots of opportunities are out there, and I need to be proactive about pursuing them.