Retirement — The First 100 Days

Today marks the 100th day since I retired on August 16th.

Before this journey began, the question most often asked–by far–was, “What will you do with your time?”

A fair question. So what exactly have I done in the past 100 days?

Let’s see…

There have been some speaking gigs, which I hope continues. There was the Best Conference Ever in Atlanta, NAR Tech Edge in Seattle, EXPCon in New Orleans, the Zillow Premier Agent Forum in Las Vegas, NAR’s Annual Conference in Boston, and tomorrow I leave for Lisbon, Portugal to speak at Imocionate iTEC 2018.

Got ordained and performed a wedding ceremony for the fabulous Jason and Melisa. And they are still happy and married!

Went to Cabo and caught a marlin. (It’s time at the taxidermist is over and the fish has finally shipped!)

Volunteered to staff the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline. So far I’ve completed 24 hours of online training and immediately after the Portugal trip will head to Washington, D.C. for in-person training.

Sold a few pictures at a local coffee shop. Took several thousand more photos.

Started writing a weekly column for Inman News (a real estate news publication).

Done some, but not enough, sailing. Because its chilly and often wet.

Booked a trip to Hawaii for WorthShop8. Not speaking, just absorbing, and seeing some friends (and spending some time on a world-class beach or two.)

Walked the length of Boston’s Freedom Trail with my wife.

Checked Maine off the list of states visited. It was insanely beautiful. (Lead image on this post is from Maine). Also, ate like 47 lobster rolls in Boston and Maine.

Bought a sea kayak. Also not yet used. Because I suck at it and taking a dunk in the Puget Sound in November is not fun, and even life-threatening.

Broke ground on writing a book. It’s a start, but there is a long, long way to go. I’ve read several books, which reminds me that I left my Kindle e-reader in a Vegas hotel. Retirement has sad moments too.

In a far, far sadder moment, I said goodbye to my longest and best friend.

Purged memberships in dozens of real estate related Facebook groups. The nonsense continues, of course, I just don’t have to see or deal with it any more.

Yet I continue to see and deal with some of it, because the rampant spreading of false, misleading, and mistaken information drives me insane.

Less insane though now that I’ve blocked a few toxic people and groups from my feed. Bitter, angry, close-minded people–who has time for that? Blocking asshats should have been done years ago.

I saw my daughter in her wedding dress, and lost my shit. The full-blown blubbering and snot-slinging was reserved for a private moment.

In two of my most cathartic moments responding to Facebook comments, one internet troll asked me for my advice to him. So I gave it, and told him to grow up. Told another that they might considering shutting the fuck up and actually selling a house instead of finding excuses and blaming everyone but themselves for why they can’t. Crass and rude? Probably. Deserved and overdue? Yup.

And every day that I’m in Edmonds–rain or shine–I take a walk on the beach. I watch boats, and birds, and listen to the waves and watch the tide come in and out, and it’s the Best. Thing. Ever.

Naps — they are underrated.

Sometimes I go down to the beach and waive at the people in commuter trains headed to work. Probably a little insensitive of me, but it’s oh so refreshing.

Things coming up — more photo excursions, more writing, more beach time, and a two-week trip to Italy in April.

Retirement, it’s pretty fantastic, and there is plenty to keep one busy…

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.  — J. Lubbock