Semi Retired Social Drinker

That's what I tell people I do for a living. Yep.
I'm a semi-retired social drinker.
I remember how my grandparents planned for so long to retire and travel. They talked of buying the RV and seeing the country. Grandpa retired when he hit 65 and a few years later Grandma retired early at 62. They were ready to go!
Then Grandpa had a heart attack and died. Grandma never got her RV or her tour of the coutnry with him.
As I went through life and advanced in my career I thought often about taking her on those trips. But I was working - a lot. And as my career moved on to bigger cities and more demanding positions I finally forgot to think of those travels not just for her but for myself.
Seven days a week, 12-16 hours a day with no holidays off and obly a couple weeks vacation a year made trips tough. I watched friends make road trips on three days weekends and wondered what it would be like. I longed for the day when recreation was more than an event my job sponsored.
Then one day I was downsized from the job I had given up so much of my life to do. I never looked back. It was time to be a semi-retired social drinker.
So yes, I do work part time and I do squeek by every month on those part time wages. But ya know...I get to see stuff like this.

And drive through country that looks like this and fly to places where I can sit and watch birds and people I would never have gotten to see if I hadn't decided to not wait. If I decide to wait will the person I love and want to share it with still be able to go? Will I be able to walk or see?

What if Grandma and Grandpa hadn't done the "right" thing and waited to retire and buy the RV? Would the photo I post here be from their trips as well as mine? Probably.
I know not everyone can do what I have done. Decide at 40 to work part time and put a few trips on credit cards and pay them off over time. Many have kids or jobs they don't want to leave. But me? I'm pretty happy heading out to California once a year to visit my step sister and home to visit family and friends and take off for a weekend in San Antonio or South Padre.

The social drinker part is just gravy! Especially when it happens at a jazz brunch in New Orleans!