Retirement Day 1

So, it has been 3 and 1/2 years since my last post!  And that is how busy I have been.  But, that's all at an end today because today is the first day of the rest of my life .  Today I am no longer a full-time employee of anybody's!  I feel like I have been released from prison.  Sounds dramatic but that's exactly how I feel.  Several people wrote in my retirement cards, "Enjoy every moment."  And, that is absolutely what I intend to do. I  love to write because it is my way of reflecting, thinking, making sense of it all; so here will be my chronicle of retirement adventures, thoughts, and feelings!

Although I am feeling deep and joyous freedom this early Wednesday morning, my body feels like a Mac truck ran over it, backed up and did it again.  My left arm aches, my left quad is tender, my right thumb is sore and I have that little reminder of sciatica in my right hip.  The last few days of work I had what I call a body break down.  All the emotional ups and downs I was feeling seemed to settle in my body.  I even started sneezing uncontrollably, coughing, and feeling all the worst effects of allergies which I generally never feel.   When I graduated with my Ph.D. in psychology 20 years ago, nearly to the day, my brother gave me a T- shirt that exactly described how I felt, "You just don't understand the extent of my fatigue!"  And that is once again true.  Within a week I have plans to be back to weight lifting with a trainer and regular workouts, back to regular yoga and yoga retreats, back to daily meditation and onto to art projects (giant yard art!), travel, house renovation, writing and and more writing, yoga therapy (to keep that kid connection and more for me to write about!), and most importantly focusing on health and happiness (for me and my loving and amazing husband)!

On the agenda today is picking up the Granddaughter and just hanging out.  I need a few days to rest and recover but the excitement of owning my own time again is overwhelming and makes me soulfully happy!  I never HAVE to work a day again in my life.  Wow and wow again.