600 Hours

 This week I hit a major milestone. In order to be eligible to apply for my pension I had to work 600 hours in 2020 and 600 hours in 2021. April 15th, at 4:15 I hit that requirement. A week ago I requested my retirement application and it arrived yesterday. I spent an hour filling it out, I was so excited! This was a huge step on my lifelong goal of freedom. (Future Grandkids Note: Your lifelong goal should be to be free and independent as well. Self sufficiency and preparation are keys to almost anything.) I've chosen October 12, 2021 as my retirement date. I've told Things 1 & 2 that we are going on a road trip, either together or separately depending on their schedules. During the pandemic I haven't seen Thing 1 nearly as much and of course Thing 2 is in Korea still. 

I'm in week 8 of my current course. Once this course is completed I'll have only five more courses left! Yes, I'm well over half way to being finished! Of course my break in October will push my graduation date back to the Fall graduation in 2022 but I'll be finished with my last class in August I believe. I was going to be finished in May so it's not that much different and this break after I'm done will be critical to adjusting to this new life. 

I watched a movie Friday night, Nomadland. It's really good, it's poetry of America, the downtrodden, love, loss, the blue collar worker, and freedom. There is no shame in labor and there is no shame in wanting a better life for yourself and your children. That's not the exact message of the movie but it's true nonetheless. I had a few beers and was feeling very philosophical, it was almost like a preview of what I plan on doing. Well with one exception, I'll have more means than most in the movie. 

With a master's degree I should be able to earn as much or as little as I feel like to supplement my pension. Being able to be free though, that's priceless and I should be able to do what I like when I like and still have a safety net of security supporting me. I'll have so many new options available to me to make a living it's hard to number them! 

Life is good!