I never meant to retire so soon, but life had other plans! About a year ago, I found myself transitioning out of the workforce, and it took me a while to wrap my head around it. You see, after being laid off in 2015, I bounced back with a late-stage startup that went public - talk about a thrill ride! But as the company matured, I missed the excitement and fast-paced nature of startups. So, I joined another smaller startup, hoping for a similar rush. Unfortunately, it didn't quite pan out, and we bit the dust in November 2023.
And what do you do when you lose your job? Well, what better time to foster fail (yes, that's a thing*) and bring in a second fur baby. Enter Doofus, a 120 lb bernese mountain dog. After all, what better way to spice up an unplanned retirement than adding another giant dog to the mix?
You've heard of 'quiet quitting'? Well, in the midst of all this chaos, I think I 'quiet retired' - I mean, I went through the motions of looking for a job, but honestly? I was just winging it.
As you can imagine, my early days of retirement were marked by YouTube marathons (don't ask how many hours I spent binge-watching eating challenge videos!) and online courses on Udemy (trying to upgrade my skills and avoid getting too rusty). When summer rolled around, I got my DIY hat on and tackled some long-overdue home projects - like cleaning the garage and building a new shed in the backyard! Who knew those tasks could be so therapeutic?
Now that winter's back, I'm refocusing on this blog and website. Wish me luck (and maybe a few more YouTube hours). Let's see how long my digital adventures last this time around!
I also plan on picking up my camera again, which has been neglected for far too long.
Or maybe I'll just watch one more episode of Beard Meats Food.
- a foster-fail is when you adopt an animal that you're only supposed to be fostering.