Overseas Just doing it !

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bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpegWell, long time no see on the forums, good to know its all still here. Those with long memories and nowt else to do all day may recall my posting looking for advice, probably on the members forum, some time ago when fed up with work etc.
So after a bit of thinking my wife and I scrapped our plan to retire in a few years and advanced some sort of undignified slide into semi retirement. What this meant is both leave full time work, spend this winter in Spain (see below ) and plan to do supply teaching from spring to next summer and in early autumn then take the winter off again.
First off doing supply teaching was great, imagine just teaching kids, no politics, data entry, stupid meetings, insulting mandatory training etc, its why ine went into th job in the first place. OK I am lucky, secondary maths and science so fairly easy to get work but what a change in stress levels.
Spain is a series of Workaway stays, excellent web site which we have used before, one poor experience but we just left after one night and went to a hotel for a few days whilst sorting out another one ( an advantage of being old and solvent is that you dont have to stay anywhere you dont want to). You get board and lodging in return for helpi g out so its a very cheap way to see somewhere else.
So after a few weeks of gardening, tree maintainance, cleaning, walling etc it seems to be going well.
Currently in the mountains west of Murcia, lovely high country, lots of bird life and superb sunsets.
We plan to return to the UK early April.
So the point of posting this ? Well, if you are fed up with your lot CHANGE SOMETHING ! The greatest evil life can do is make you feel powerless, you rarely are, just think differently. I would not have thought a year ago that we would be here doing this...........
 
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Andy T

Settler
Sep 8, 2010
899
27
Stoke on Trent.
I totally agree with your philosophy, that's why i grabbed all my clothes, tools, camping gear and dog, jumped aboard my narrowboat and set off.
It's been 8 months now and the best thing i've ever done. I still get excited everytime i start the engine, untie the ropes and set off for the next new place.
 

grumit

Settler
Nov 5, 2003
816
11
guernsey
My daughter was in Spain for part of her degree visited her twice she was near Madrid so based ourselves there and visited nearby towns especially teledo
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
I totally agree with your philosophy, that's why i grabbed all my clothes, tools, camping gear and dog, jumped aboard my narrowboat and set off.
It's been 8 months now and the best thing i've ever done. I still get excited everytime i start the engine, untie the ropes and set off for the next new place.

Good for you, I love life on the Cut. Mum and Dad sold their boat a few years ago and we all miss our time on board. I still watch just about any canal programme on the tv. I was just reading today about the restoration of Worsley Delph on the Bridgewater.

@bigbear, good on you for just doing it. It takes a bit of daring and confidence, but like many things it’s very rewarding for little other than throwing caution to the wind for a minute or two.
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Wonderful, Big Bear!
We only live this one life.
But, I would like to say - Just do it!
Even if your move is to work, it is worth it. And if it does not turn out as expected, you can always move back.
 
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bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
I totally agree with your philosophy, that's why i grabbed all my clothes, tools, camping gear and dog, jumped aboard my narrowboat and set off.
It's been 8 months now and the best thing i've ever done. I still get excited everytime i start the engine, untie the ropes and set off for the next new place.
Quite, its liberating !
 

ScottE

Nomad
Mar 22, 2017
498
357
Norfolk
Good on you, very envious in a good way.

I’m still heavily shackled by mortgage, but I have a plan....throw every possible penny at it until it’s gone, in the meantime get used to living a more frugal life then seek a part time easier job once the mortgage is history and I’ll never miss too much expendable income.
I’ll report back in a few years!!!
 
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oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,185
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
Well done. Just the entry we need today as we sit in soggy Britain. We split our time between the Mediterranean coast of France and rural England, but we had to wait for retirement to do it. Wish we had done it earlier.

Younger son has set himself up in Spain where he works twice as hard to earn half as much but is three times as happy as he was in England.
 

bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
Good on you, very envious in a good way.

I’m still heavily shackled by mortgage, but I have a plan....throw every possible penny at it until it’s gone, in the meantime get used to living a more frugal life then seek a part time easier job once the mortgage is history and I’ll never miss too much expendable income.
I’ll report back in a few years!!!
In a former life I was a finance person, two bits of free advice I would give anyone:
Pay off your mortgage asap
Make a will
Best of luck !
 
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bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
image.jpeg Been keeping busy building a bread or pizza oven for our current host, using stuff lying around which is my excuse for why it looks so ugly, nowt to do with my lack of skill......
 
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SCOMAN

Life Member
Dec 31, 2005
2,583
452
53
Perthshire
View attachment 56413 View attachment 56412 View attachment 56410 View attachment 56410Well, long time no see on the forums, good to know its all still here. Those with long memories and nowt else to do all day may recall my posting looking for advice, probably on the members forum, some time ago when fed up with work etc.
So after a bit of thinking my wife and I scrapped our plan to retire in a few years and advanced some sort of undignified slide into semi retirement. What this meant is both leave full time work, spend this winter in Spain (see below ) and plan to do supply teaching from spring to next summer and in early autumn then take the winter off again.
First off doing supply teaching was great, imagine just teaching kids, no politics, data entry, stupid meetings, insulting mandatory training etc, its why ine went into th job in the first place. OK I am lucky, secondary maths and science so fairly easy to get work but what a change in stress levels.
Spain is a series of Workaway stays, excellent web site which we have used before, one poor experience but we just left after one night and went to a hotel for a few days whilst sorting out another one ( an advantage of being old and solvent is that you dont have to stay anywhere you dont want to). You get board and lodging in return for helpi g out so its a very cheap way to see somewhere else.
So after a few weeks of gardening, tree maintainance, cleaning, walling etc it seems to be going well.
Currently in the mountains west of Murcia, lovely high country, lots of bird life and superb sunsets.
We plan to return to the UK early April.
So the point of posting this ? Well, if you are fed up with your lot CHANGE SOMETHING ! The greatest evil life can do is make you feel powerless, you rarely are, just think differently. I would not have thought a year ago that we would be here doing this...........

You are playing my tune sir.
 
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bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
Well, update time.
We have decided that we are done, finito, das is all with education, so are fully retired. Should leave more time for our allotments, some tool restoration, and trips to the hills.
Watch this space, and dont eat the lotus unless you are prepared for the consequences..........
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Welcome to the club, Bigbear.
I walked away from my really good job of 30+ years back in 2006.
Just a few years later, I found myself debt-free. It's more of a mental health issue that just the money.
BTW, if you made plans for things to do in retirement, don't worry if nothing gets done.
 
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