Coming to The Villages soon

[DruannB]

My husband and I hope to be Villagers within six months...at least part-time until I retire. I'm an English/Journalism professor. Any advice on how Type A's can adjust to retirement? I'm considering teaching part-time but I would rather just goof off.

[nicoletta]

kayak on clear Florida rivers!!!

[RErmer]

You will be amazed at how busy you become (if you choose to do so) as a Villager. I was a bit concerned about the same thing and now I find whole months evaporating. There are sports activities, fitness activities, classes, volunteering, clubs, and shows, so you can be very very busy. Look at the Recreation Center news and the Lifelong Learning College course catalog (both available on one via The Villages main website.

[justjim]

Begin by taking golf lessons this summer. No, I'm not joking---even if you have never hit a golf ball---"Just Do It"!

Wife was in a similar vocation and it worked for her. Our only regret regarding retirement is why did we wait so long?

[Shimpy]

Any advice on how Type A's can adjust to retirement? I'm considering teaching part-time but I would rather just goof off.

My wife says I'm AAA personality and I agree. I'd say just goof off. Find things to do that are not what you usually do and treat it like a vacation that last the rest of your life.

[DruannB]

Thank you all for your great suggestions. I own golf clubs and haven't used them in years. Golf lessons are a definite must. Then I can bug my husband, a great golfer, on a regular basis.

[Bizdoc]

As a recovering academic (with 6 years of work between my last university and retirement), it took a while to get used to how much free time that I had, even with a full time job. Get rid of your books and files (took me ten years to do that).

At the top of the list of making the change is... remove your watch. Stop worry about being late for a class, a meeting, or anything else. Learn to stop and smell the flowers (literallly!). Take time to read a book just because it is interesting. PhDs tend to be driven people. Don't drag that into retirement unless you really want to be crazy.

Teach part time? Remember that those folks are called adjuncts. They get no money, lousy course assignments and no respect. Do you like being mistreated? When you move to another school, you don't get to take along "distinguished" or "emeritus".

There is a lady doctors group (MDs, PhDs, etc) that meets regularly. Try them out. There's as much cultural life here as most university towns (music, art, theatre, etc).

But also go for long walks, take up dancing, play some tennis and pickleball, and live life.

[tomwed]

Go in an entirely different direction. Discover new talents.

Do you paint? Can you act? What do you know about the birds of Florida? Do you shoot photos? How about wood turning? Can you sing like the Beatle's can?

Buy an e-bike and explore.