No Longer Working

 

Not too long ago, 2014, I was working at a small-town university teaching numerous business management classes.  I was one of only a handful of professors who were teaching without a PhD.  Had there not been an interim Dean when I applied for a full-time position, I probably would not have been hired.  I worked there for three years. 

During my brief tenure, I used my retirement money to pay for COBRA life insurance for my wife so that she could retire early at 62.   My wife was not eligible for Medicare until she was 65.  For three years she felt guilty retiring early because of the cost of health insurance but I kept reminding her that all that money had been set aside by unexpected income from the University.

From 2015 until 2020 when COVID hit, we traveled somewhere for a week, every other month.  We went on cruises, Alaska, Hawaii, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Las Vegas, and several place along the east coast of the USA as well as the Gulf Coast States.

Our three cats were very much annoyed at us for leaving them with strangers, but they never went without food or attention.

COVID put a damper on our travels as it did for everyone but when we could travel again, we no longer wanted to travel like we had done before.  We both enjoyed staying at home.  As a result, we only go twice a year now, once in April/May and a second time in September/October.

The Biden/Harris inflation HAS NOT stopped our two trips a year and there is no way we would let i stop our two trips.  We are careful how we spend our money, and when we vacation it is during the off season when rates are low anyway.