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4Whatitis
11-29-2009, 07:38
Hello all, I was wondering if some of you could give me and possibly others advice on ways to make a retirement hike a reality. I am a military member and still have a handful of years left. As the time ticks away I find myself uneasy and with lots of unanswered questions.

Do I, find a job and hope the next employer will understand the far off start date?

Do I, live with the unknown, wait on the job and support the family with just the modest retirement check?

Should I be safe, make a solid transition to the next career and hike in my 50’s, at peace with the world?

Although my transition involves “Uncle Sam” this advice could be helpful to anyone approaching retirement or unemployment and have some lead time.

juma
11-29-2009, 07:58
make a solid transistion and hike in your 50s, at peace with the world.

TD55
11-29-2009, 08:37
Only you can decide, but IMO you should take the friggin hike. You've earned it. There are already to many people waiting around for 20 years to fullfill thier dream.

veteran
11-29-2009, 09:01
Ask Sgt. Rock, he recently retired. His Website (http://www.hikinghq.net/)

Furlough
11-29-2009, 09:01
4Whatitis,
After 23 years, I retired from the Army a bit over a year ago, so I can certainly relate. This decision falls into that age old advice of hike your own hike. What you decide will be determined in the long run by what your current situation will allow. I decided to put my thru hike off. I have 2 kids in college and a Northern Va. mortgage. Luckily for me I am only a couple hours away from the AT and Shenandoah National Park, so I do get out frequently for weekend or longer trips. Good luck with your decision and your eventual retirement.

Furlough

Doughnut
11-29-2009, 09:13
I am also retired Military,

FURLOUGH is a smart man, take his advice, Personaly, I section when I can where I can and enjoy it, I plann to thru when I hit 50.

DoughNut

xnav
11-29-2009, 09:20
I retired in Dec 1993, however, only started hiking about 3 years ago. My committments did not end when I retired, they became more demanding. I established my priorities and held to them. First, family is number one. Second, second a stable and adequate income is number two. And finally, my interests and needs are last. The mountains have been there for millions of years and are not going anywhere. Hike as much as your priorities and and health allow, never compromise on the things you deem important.

Spokes
11-29-2009, 10:23
You know, looking back on all my "life decisions" none of them ever ended up wrong. Fate is a funny thing. Good luck.

Patrickjd9
11-29-2009, 10:34
Only you can decide, but IMO you should take the friggin hike. You've earned it. There are already to many people waiting around for 20 years to fullfill thier dream.
I'd take six months at retirement if you can see your way to it. If you put it off, in addition to the obvious risk of never getting to the age that would allow you to hike, there's always the risk of disability or poor conditioning you can't recover from. Been around enough military folks to see that the rate of body wear and tear is often high.

I've never been in the service, so my advice is only but so specific. But it scares the crap out of me that with mortgage, tuition, and parent care, the earliest I'll be able to take a long hike is 59.

rsmall
11-29-2009, 10:35
I first hiked the AT in the mid-70's when I was stationed at Fort Benning, GA. I vowed that when I retired from active duty that I would do a thru. When the time came I realized that I needed more than a military retirement check for my family. When I retired from my second career, I did my hike at age 61. I think it was more meaningful because it had been postponed. Each person has unique circumstances, but I found waiting can be a plus in many ways.

4Whatitis
11-29-2009, 10:44
Thanks to all that have written so far, hearing voices outside ones head "so to speak" makes me think that I am doing ok. I see this is just something in life that we have to find a balance we can live with. I have a lovely wife and 9 yo son and 5 years from now have to make the choice of leaving the life of an AF firefighter behind or hanging around past 20yrs. The economy will be a big factor in this and the strength of the job market in SC where I own a chunk of land.
I am finding that my better half was more supportive when she didn't think I was serious. She is a good wife and loves having me around so I can't blame her for not wanting me to self deploy. As the opportunities present themselves I will give each a fair shake and see what feels right.

Thanks again for the sounding board. It seems I am in good company.

BrianLe
11-29-2009, 10:45
I didn't retire from the military, did one tour during the cold war and decided to either mentally commit to 20 years or get out at first opportunity --- I did the latter.
But I was a bit surprised how little potential employers seemed to understand or appreciate what it meant to be an Army officer, nor were they impressed or really even interested in seeing OERs or anything like that. It seemed like "in the military" was to them a really vague thing that they checked off without considering it to be very relevant to what I might do for them.

So my reaction is similar to what seems to be the consensus here, get employed at something you'll like if you can do that, go to school to add or upgrade skills if necessary. If it's really tough getting a job and the issue feels to be less skills than "the current economy", maybe consider hiking then, but afterwards you will have have two things to try to sell to potentially uncaring employers --- what your military experience is worth, and what a thru-hike is worth.

Doing a long trail in your 50's can be a great experience, or at least my first one was for me.

FritztheCat
11-29-2009, 11:10
I will be retiring after 20 years in October of next year. I've been planning for my retirement for the last 10 years so have been putting money away so that in the event I couldn't find employment in a short time-frame, I would still be able to live a comfortable lifestyle for at least a couple of years.

When the hiking bug caught me, I realized that a post-retirement thru-hike would be exactly what I needed. I think the 5 or 6 months it will take to do the thru will be great for me. I'll be able to clear the cobwebs and search deep inside myself for the next stage of life.

I spoke at length to this with my wife and she completely understands and is very supportive of my thru-hike desire. She figures she did enough 6 month deployments with me through the years that another 6 months won't be something new. She also figures that me being home will start to drive her crazy so a break will be good. :)

There has been a lot of great advice on this thread. I think the best is that you should do what you feel like you need to do. After 20 years of service to others, it's time to think about you and what makes *you* happy. If going on the hike will do the trick, then go for it. If you are at a point where going on a hike may make your family suffer financially, then wait until you are more financially stable to make the hike.

I figure that right now, I'll be in much better shape to handle the thru-hike then later, so I'm hiking.

Thank you for your service!

dilligas
11-29-2009, 12:22
Congrats on you upcoming retirement!!!!
All of us have different situations and responsibilities.
If you can stay retired at least 6-10 months I would recommend it and then you can see how it works for you. There are lots of PT jobs available and some are even enjoyable.
As a friend who retired after 20 years and is now a campground host says
show me a tombstone that has I WISH I HAD WORKED A FEW MORE YEARS on it and I will go back to work.

Symbol
11-29-2009, 12:48
Tough decision as you are young and take it you have a young family?

The only thought I can leave you with is if thru hiking is your dream it might be best to do it now. You never know where health and life will take you later.

A-Train
11-29-2009, 13:03
Insight into the military aside, how old are your kids? If they are under 18 when you go hike, well, to me, that's your answer right there. To each their own.

chiefduffy
11-29-2009, 13:40
I've been retired for 3 years now, after a 22 year Navy career. I spent my terminal leave visiting relatives all over the country with my wife. Was the road trip of a lifetime. When things settled down (around mid-April of '07) I started at Springer after a lovely weekend with the wife at Amicalola. About a month into the thru there was a family situation at home that required my presence. I could have stayed on the trail - my family had become very self sufficient and independent with me being deployed so often while on active duty. I spent a week or more thinking it over, and decided it was time for dad to come home, maybe for good. I now go back and do long sections every year. Maybe some day I'll attempt a thru again, but my retirement has been everything my military career wasn't. I just don't really want to deploy again, even on the AT. It is very good to be home.
Best of luck on the trail, and in retirement - and thanks for your service to our country.

- Duffy

double d
11-29-2009, 14:08
I notice your age is only 36, so when you do retire in the next few years (maybe 5-7 years?), you will have retired from the military at a younger age and time might be on your side (and you have certainly earned it with your military service). I would suggest taking a longer then average section hike, such as a 3-5 week hiking trip on the AT, maybe cover about 6-12 miles a day or so. I think you will get a good feel for how you like hiking every day for a few weeks and if a thru hike is for you. I met a guy this past summer in Vermont who was thru hiking after he retired from his business (he was 57 years old and from Florida) and he said he really missed his family, friends and home, but he was really enjoying his hike as well, so I think those emotions ring true for most thru hikers I have met (I'm not a thru hiker myself, I section hike the AT each summer). Good luck as you have put yourself in a great position with your upcoming retirment and starting your second career.

sbhikes
11-29-2009, 15:10
You've still got a few years left before you can retire. I would think that makes it hard to make a definite decision. It doesn't take years and years to plan to do a long hike. I quit my job and planned my hike in only 6 weeks. I was actually all ready to go in 4 weeks.

The hardest part is coming back. Will you be employable when you return? Will there be a job market? Neither of these was the case for me. I can't get a real job for both those reasons.

4Whatitis
11-29-2009, 16:03
I am definitely going to take all of your advice into consideration as the time gets closer. Also I will get out and do the Wonderland trail the last week of Sept 2010. I figure it will be wet cold and with over 90 miles and 2500 feet of elevation gain and loss a day. If I try for 11.5 miles a day then it would be 8 long days of natural wonder and physical challenge. This hike would be a good gear shake down and a reality check for me. If it goes well i could take the family on some sections of the PCT as that is also nearby. Thank you all and for all of you retired thank you for your hard work, enjoy life.

It is nice that I can wake up and really say I enjoy what i do. It is my pleasure to serve in our military.

4Whatitis
11-29-2009, 16:03
I am definitely going to take all of your advice into consideration as the time gets closer. Also I will get out and do the Wonderland trail the last week of Sept 2010. I figure it will be wet cold and with over 90 miles and 2500 feet of elevation gain and loss a day. If I try for 11.5 miles a day then it would be 8 long days of natural wonder and physical challenge. This hike would be a good gear shake down and a reality check for me. If it goes well i could take the family on some sections of the PCT as that is also nearby. Thank you all and for all of you retired thank you for your hard work, enjoy life.

It is nice that I can wake up and really say I enjoy what i do. It is my pleasure to serve in our military.

Shutterbug
11-29-2009, 17:52
I am definitely going to take all of your advice into consideration as the time gets closer. Also I will get out and do the Wonderland trail the last week of Sept 2010. I figure it will be wet cold and with over 90 miles and 2500 feet of elevation gain and loss a day. If I try for 11.5 miles a day then it would be 8 long days of natural wonder and physical challenge. This hike would be a good gear shake down and a reality check for me. If it goes well i could take the family on some sections of the PCT as that is also nearby. Thank you all and for all of you retired thank you for your hard work, enjoy life.

It is nice that I can wake up and really say I enjoy what i do. It is my pleasure to serve in our military.

Perhaps my perspective is a bit different. For many years, I ran a construction company. My company often hired people who were separating from the military.

Transitioning from military life to civilian life is a fairly normal transition. It is fairly easy to find a civilian job immediately after you separate. It is a different thing when you have been unemployed for several months.

My advise would be to attempt to line up a job before you hike, but delay your reporting date. If you can do that, then the cost of your hike would be only the lost income during the hike. If you delay getting a job until after your hike, you will find it more difficult.

Hopefully, the economy will improve by the time you retire. Right now, jobs that would allow you to report later are hard to find.

As for the Wonderland Trail, September is the best month of the year to hike it. I hiked it in September of 2001. There was very little rain. The nights were cool, but not cold. It was a wonderful experience.

Some of my Wonderland Trail pictures are available on my website. I will make sure that the ones from September are added too. http://www.davemcclung.com

sarge95
11-29-2009, 17:56
I have seen both sides of the situation. I also retired from the military and could have hiked at that time however, there was too many things to take care of first. With kids in school. A home to buy. Its hard to live on half pay. So I took care of all those things and at age 60 I did a thru hike.
I like Fritz answer. But only you know your situation. Take care of the family first. But I think it would have been better for me had I been able to go on the hike as soon as i got out of service. That would have got it out of my system.
I feel that I enjoyed it as much or more tho waiting until later when I had no worries and was able to enjoy myself.
I thank all of you retires for your service to out great country.

The Will
11-29-2009, 18:00
First of all, welcome to White Blaze.

There are elements of your circumstance that I cannot relate to. I am unmarried and without children. And while I understand those things would complicate thing greatly I'm certain that I have no idea of the influence those things have and should have on your decision.

What I can contribute from my experience is this: It is a rare and precious thing to be able to take 6 months off of life.

Other responsibilities aside, your retirement from the military seems like a natural break from the routine of regular employment and an ideal time to complete a thru-hike. At that time inertia would be with you.

I wish that I could feel confident during an interview that disclosing my desire to work X number of years, take a leave of absence and then return to the same job would not effect the decision to hire, but I don't. Reentering the workforce, reentering the routine of living would present many opportunities to slow that inertia. You would have to recreate that "break" that your military retirement is providing.

All the best.

Wolf - 23000
11-29-2009, 22:55
Just like you I too am in the military, (US Army). I have nearly 11 years in now and am counting down to the day when I can return to being a full time hiker once again. Unlike others, I had completed most of my thru-hiking prior to entering the military.

My suggesting is after you retire, go take a long over due hike for fun. No road march, just hiking because it is something you want to do. Life is to short. To many of us military folks send so much of our life serving our country only to dropping dead after couple of years. This is your time to enjoy life! Go for it!!!

Wolf

white_russian
11-29-2009, 23:52
But I was a bit surprised how little potential employers seemed to understand or appreciate what it meant to be an Army officer, nor were they impressed or really even interested in seeing OERs or anything like that. It seemed like "in the military" was to them a really vague thing that they checked off without considering it to be very relevant to what I might do for them.
Very true. On the same thought, but opposite side of things I was enlisted in the Army and worked with quite a few dirbags that I would never want to work with again. Not just potential employers but a lot of folks in general just see military service and automatically put them into the preferred list. A lot of good people come through the military, but not everyone that gets a honorable discharge is necessarily a good person.

Blue Jay
11-30-2009, 12:24
I am definitely going to take all of your advice into consideration as the time gets closer. Also I will get out and do the Wonderland trail the last week of Sept 2010. I figure it will be wet cold and with over 90 miles and 2500 feet of elevation gain and loss a day. If I try for 11.5 miles a day then it would be 8 long days of natural wonder and physical challenge. This hike would be a good gear shake down and a reality check for me. If it goes well i could take the family on some sections of the PCT as that is also nearby. Thank you all and for all of you retired thank you for your hard work, enjoy life.

It is nice that I can wake up and really say I enjoy what i do. It is my pleasure to serve in our military.

What a delight to read your words. It's so great to find someone with his head on straight. Just go with your gut as your instincts seem to be spot on.

Grampsb
11-30-2009, 14:06
Retired from military in 84 (AF). Will be retiring in Dec of 2010 , I will be 67 and planning for a 2011 thru.

JAK
11-30-2009, 14:06
Whatever you do, make health and wellness and fitness a top priority.
So do whatever hiking you can now, and other stuff, while keeping the dream alive to do more later when you can. Best wishes.

Old Hiker
12-07-2009, 15:55
Greetings!

I was never in the military, but spent 24 years in the Air Force. (Sorry - Army and Marines LOVE that joke.) I started planning my thru when I was at the Pentagon in the 80's. I was going to do a thru when I got out in 2001, but had to face reality. Finished school - got a job - then got a real teaching job - waiting for my tenure to come in so I can apply for a 3 month leave of absence from Mar to May so I'll still have a job when I get back. Also had to wait until 2012 so I could get the bills paid off and my retirement check could cover what was left. Wife works, so that helps. No kids left in the house, so THAT helps as well. Have to be done by Aug to get back to teaching.

Start an AT fund NOW!!! Put x% of your pay into it every month and keep doing it. Start saving your leave as well. Terminal leave is a wonderful thing. Start paying off any bills you don't need: credit cards, cars, etc. That way, you have some liquid funds after a few years.

Free advice is worth every penny you paid - hope this helps a bit.

Sandy B
12-11-2009, 20:42
Congratz, If this were a vote, I'd say hike. I don't hit 30 yrs(Navy) until Jan 2014. section hikes are great, But I want no schedule, or time line. I may or may not hike the whole trail. but it is the dream that gets me going to PT each day. GAME14

in the end it will have to be a choice made by you.

Sandy B

prain4u
12-13-2009, 02:48
Save up some money over these next couple years and take the hike--before you start a new job. If you have some "terminal leave time" built up---that could give you some additional income for at least part of the hike. I am a pastor and an Army National Guard Chaplain. I can't tell you the number of people who wait till their 50s, 60s or 70s to fulfill their dreams--then get too old, sick, or dead to fulfill those dreams. I end up burying them or visiting them in the nursing home with many things still left undone on their "list". So, I would say---Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first!

4Whatitis
12-13-2009, 12:20
You all bring up really good points and have given me some good food for thought. I am fortunate to have already paid for some land in SC and that will be my retirement destination. The question is will uncle sam be kind enough to send me to the area so I can jump start my job search. We shall see if I can make that happen and line things up as best as possible. Being in the AF and a firefighter fitness is something that is important to me but I like functional strength and endurance. The days of spending the extra money and time to feed a (looks good in a club body) are behind me.

If I can work out the details and generate the money the hike sounds like a go.

On the other hand if life requires I need to take care of the family and have to lock in a solid job offer then we will have to see. Life is more fun at the cross roads some times anyway especially when it deals with something one "wants to do" as opposed to what one must.
Any "should not have hiked when I did stories" out there?

thanks all

4Whatitis
12-13-2009, 12:45
Shutterbug, I looked at your picks of the wonderland trail and they are great. The family and I have been to reflection lake and enjoyed the lookout up there. A few summers ago we took a trip to Big bend and hiked the lost mine trail, that place is a must see in TX.

Lots of cool things happen just by living life.

FritztheCat
12-13-2009, 21:08
Lots of cool things happen just by living life.

Ain't that the truth!

sparky2000
12-13-2009, 23:11
Been retired lifer for 21 yrs. now and can say with hind sight that people are very willing to hire a retired person. Recommend you try section hiking to develope the life style as a hiker, not a military man. It is it's own world and doesn't dance as the military dances.