Navigating Retirement (Sort Of): A Journey from IT to Who Knows with a reading suggestion

 

One of the unexpected and perhaps only silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic was working from home during the final two years of my career. With my husband already retired, we found ourselves sharing the same space in ways we hadn’t before. It was an adjustment, and not without its quirks.

My days began predictably: coffee in hand, I’d head upstairs to my home office and dive into work. When lunch rolled around, I’d take a quick break downstairs. At first, my husband assumed this meant I’d whip up lunch for both of us—Chef Boyardee-style. However, I was only grabbing a quick bite before returning to my desk. While he was a bit disappointed at first, he quickly adapted, discovering his talent for grilled cheese sandwiches (which, I’ll admit, are far superior to mine).

Fast forward to semi-retirement, and life has brought new adjustments. We recently downsized, which meant saying goodbye to the spacious office I had envisioned transforming into a meditation space. In our new, “cozier” home. My retreat is now a small corner of the bedroom—a change I am still adjusting to. My mornings remain similar: assuming I am not working, coffee in hand, I settle into my small corner of my bedroom for art projects, reading, or honing my Mahjongg skills online.

Meanwhile, my husband and I have settled into a rhythm, carving out our own routines while sharing the same home. While he’s found ways to fill his days, I’ve kept busy with my own “stuff,” Yes, I’m still working, though not in my previous IT career. In February 2023, after twenty years with my company, I made the difficult decision to retire. It wasn’t easy, but looking back, I’m glad I did.

Surprisingly, I found a job almost immediately. It was full time, but I couldn’t resist staying in the work force.  By mid-March, I was out of the house for much of the week and enjoying a refreshing new dynamic in my life. Fridays, however, remain mine to cherish—an anchor in my new routine.

Navigating retirement (or semi-retirement) alongside your spouse is an ongoing journey of discovery. It’s about finding balance and creating individual spaces. And who knows? Maybe one day I’ll master the art of the grilled cheese sandwich. For now, I’m happy to let my husband hold that title.

As I mentioned earlier, I still read—a lot. In fact, my passion for books is one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place. So many people began asking me for book recommendations that writing about what I’d read became a more efficient way to share my thoughts.

Recently, I finished a book called The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. (This link will take you to the Amazon page—full disclosure, I earn a small commission if you decide to purchase the book.) 

Imagine this: you send your husband up to the attic to retrieve something mundane—perhaps an old box of photographs or holiday decorations. When he reappears, he’s literally not the same guy but he is not a complete stranger either.  You have met him before. This novel left me reflecting on its themes and characters.  See what you think.