4 days ago
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Posted On: October 13th 2026, 07:49 pm
My museum of “failures” at 65 (and why I’m not hiding it) 👇
I retired twice. First in 2017, then again in 2021 after going back to nursing during COVID. I thought retirement was one decision. It turned out to be a few. Changing my mind wasn’t failing, it was information.
I never took the opportunity to learn the basics: maintaining my own vehicle, fixing a bike tire, changing a van tire. I could have been learning them all along. Now I’m learning them at 65, one skill at a time.
I didn’t travel on my own from 1983 until November 2025. I kept waiting for the right time. The first trip, to Africa, showed me how much I’d been missing.
My retirement dreams changed, and my income didn’t stretch to cover them. I felt behind and a little ashamed. Instead of waiting for it to fix itself, I went looking for solutions: house sitting, volunteering, and building something of my own.
I moved away from a marriage of 42 years. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I’m not forgetting those years or the memories, because every stage of life brings you to who you are now. But it was time to move on and choose me.
Every one of these led me here. If you’re 45+ and your retirement isn’t turning out the way you planned, follow along. It’s never too late to blow up the script and build a life your way. 🚐
#unchartedfreedom #iamastoryteller #ihaveavoice
I retired twice. First in 2017, then again in 2021 after going back to nursing during COVID. I thought retirement was one decision. It turned out to be a few. Changing my mind wasn’t failing, it was information.
I never took the opportunity to learn the basics: maintaining my own vehicle, fixing a bike tire, changing a van tire. I could have been learning them all along. Now I’m learning them at 65, one skill at a time.
I didn’t travel on my own from 1983 until November 2025. I kept waiting for the right time. The first trip, to Africa, showed me how much I’d been missing.
My retirement dreams changed, and my income didn’t stretch to cover them. I felt behind and a little ashamed. Instead of waiting for it to fix itself, I went looking for solutions: house sitting, volunteering, and building something of my own.
I moved away from a marriage of 42 years. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I’m not forgetting those years or the memories, because every stage of life brings you to who you are now. But it was time to move on and choose me.
Every one of these led me here. If you’re 45+ and your retirement isn’t turning out the way you planned, follow along. It’s never too late to blow up the script and build a life your way. 🚐
#unchartedfreedom #iamastoryteller #ihaveavoice
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