Every Retirement Looks Different.

“I’m originally from the UK but moved to Malta in 2020 after taking an early retirement. I was 58, and my job had provided a decent pension, so my wife and I sold up and relocated. On the whole, retirement has been good. Even with a bout of ill health, the Malta Health Service was excellent. I worked for a while after we arrived, first as an archery instructor, then teaching first aid for the Red Cross. I enjoyed both, but eventually decided to hang up my boots properly. These days, I spend time on hobbies: traditional archery, shooting, learning music, and practising Tai Chi. We travel a bit too. In the early days, I made the mistake of overfilling my time. I thought I needed to stay busy. But I’ve since learned to do things on my own terms and that’s made all the difference. Right now I’m training for the European Indoor Field Archery Championships in Ireland. I’ll be competing in the Historical Bow Division with my English Longbow as part of Team Malta. I never imagined I’d represent a national team, especially in a sport. I was never athletic at school. Funny where life takes you.” #retirementstories #findwhatsnextliveon #retireabroad #modernretirement

“I’ve been retired for 6 years now, and one of the things at the very top of my bucket list was to travel more. I was born and raised in England but always dreamed of seeing more of the world. The thought of going solo never really appealed to me, so when I came across a local group of other retired people who organised trips together, it felt like the perfect fit. Two years ago I joined them for a trip to Singapore and Malaysia, which was incredible. Now I’m in South America hiking and exploring, and in 2027 we’re planning a big trip to Australia and New Zealand. Travelling with the group keeps costs more reasonable and it also means I always have good company. And it’s also given me something I didn’t expect: some motivation to stay in shape. The group is fairly active, and knowing I’ll be hiking or walking most days when we’re away makes me want to keep up my fitness between trips.” #findwhatsnextliveon #livoncommunity #retirementstories #grouptraveling

“I retired 3 years ago after working as a dental hygienist for 36 years. It was a good career and I feel proud of what I achieved, but it was definitely time for a new chapter. I’m still finding my footing, if I’m honest. Some days I feel like I’ve got it all figured out, and others I’m not quite sure what’s next. One thing I’ve really come to love are the cruises I take each year with my sister and two nieces. We pick somewhere new every time, just the four of us, and it’s become such a fun tradition. I like being able to explore different parts of the world without the stress of planning every detail. Next year we’re heading to the Mediterranean. I’ve never been to Europe before so I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve also started dipping my toes into some crafty hobbies. I’ve joined a couple of local classes and I’m hoping I’ll meet some other women there who are in the same boat. A lot of my close friends are married with kids, and even in retirement their calendars are somehow still packed. I’m trying to stay open to new connections and figure out what brings me joy now that I’m not working full-time. It’s a work in progress, but I’m enjoying the process.” #findwhatsnextliveon #livoncommunity #retirementlife #cruiselover

“I retired five years ago and for the first little while I just stayed home a lot. I was glad to have the break but the days were long and I found it hard to get motivated. I live on my own and I didn’t have anyone pushing me to get out of the house so it was really up to me to figure out what kind of life I wanted to have. Last summer I bought myself an inflatable kayak that fits in a backpack and now I can just throw it in the car and go. No messing around with roof racks or needing help loading it up. I take it out on quiet lakes mostly, sometimes rivers. I started playing tennis again too, I joined a local intermediate league for the summer. And one of my friends got me into road cycling which I never thought I’d enjoy but I really do. This is the fittest I’ve ever been and I don’t take that for granted. Retirement didn’t feel natural at first but it’s starting to suit me now. I like having a bit of structure but also the freedom to pick up and go when the weather’s good. The outdoors has become a big part of how I look after myself these days.” #findwhatsnextliveon #livon #retirementlifestyle #kayakadventures

“I worked at our community library for almost 40 years. I started when I was just out of school and stayed right up until I retired three years ago. My husband was an auto mechanic and ran his own little shop. We had a quiet life and we liked it that way. We’ve always loved Disney, but we’ve only gone a handful of times because it felt a bit silly. Most people our age went for the grandkids, not for themselves. We don’t even have kids, let alone grandkids! After we retired we found this whole online community of Disney fans our age and it just clicked. We’ve really leaned into it since then. We go once a year now and treat it like our big trip. I even bought myself a pair of ears and I don’t care how it looks. It’s strange but kind of wonderful, getting to know yourself again after work is over. You figure out what you actually enjoy when you stop worrying about what people think. As long as we can keep up with the walking, we’ll keep going. It brings us joy.” #findwhatsnextliveon #retirementgoals #disneyadult #innerchild #livon

Some friendships sneak up on you. I met these two — Jon and John — after moving to London. They’re both retired now, full of wisdom and wit, and two of the kindest people I know. We’re not the same age, not from the same background, and we didn’t grow up together. But somehow we just get each other. They haven’t shared their retirement stories yet, but they will one day when they’re ready. For now, I just wanted to say how lucky I feel to have them in my life. Today is International Day of Friendship, and this is your gentle reminder that connection doesn’t have an age limit. #InternationalDayOfFriendship #AgeGapFriendship #LivOnCommunity #RetirementIsJustTheBeginning #IntergenerationalConnection #FindWhatsNextLiveOn #internationalfriendshipday

“I worked as a flight attendant for nearly 30 years, mostly on international flights to Germany. I started in 1992 and flew right up until the pandemic. My last trip ended up being in early March 2020 and I didn’t know it’d be the last, but I suppose that was a good way to go out. Over the years I met all kinds of people and saw some things that really put life in perspective. I had a lot of good days in the air and made some of my closest friends on those trips. Retirement wasn’t easy at first. The first year I felt a bit lost without a schedule, and I didn’t know what to do with all the free time. It took me about four years to find my footing, but now I’ve got a nice little routine that works for me. I volunteer once a week at a local food pantry, I go for long walks most days, and I try to keep in touch with old friends. My partner and I like to plan one big trip each year (we’ve done Spain and Croatia so far and next year we’re thinking about Portugal). I still miss all the travel sometimes, but I’m learning to enjoy it in a different way now.” #thrivinginretirement #retirementliving #healthyaging #lifeafter60 #flightattendantlife #findwhatsnextliveon #retirementstories

“I made a promise to myself when I retired that I would start ticking off my bucket list for travel. I used to say “maybe next year” or “when things calm down.” But now I just go. I’ve always wanted to see this part of the world, and sitting here, surrounded by these mountains, I feel like I’ve done something right. I don’t mind being alone. You meet people. You see things through your own eyes, not through the lens of compromise. I like having something to look forward to, so I always keep a trip in the calendar. It keeps things exciting. My goal is to just stay curious.”

“When I first retired, I had a few large projects to work on while my spouse continued with her job. It was nice having the whole day working at it instead of a few hours here and there, and then putting everything away to head to work. Once the projects were completed, I had to decide what I wanted to fill my days with. I ended up joining a pickleball league, and I completely fell in love with the sport. After a while, I also joined a pool league that meets once a week. The days fly by, but I now consider every night a Friday night and every day a Saturday. Weekends forever!”

“I always said I’d go to Italy one day. It was one of those things I kept pushing off. I was waiting for the “right time,” or for someone to come with me. Then this spring I just thought why am I waiting? So I booked the trip myself and went. It was my first time travelling solo and I was really nervous, but it was actually much better than I expected. I talked to people on my walking tour, had long chats with a couple from Montreal over dinner, and even made a friend from Germany on a boat ride. I think if I’d gone with someone, I might’ve stayed in my own little bubble. Going alone made me more open. I said yes to more things and just paid attention to more stuff. I felt a bit braver, I guess. Venice was beautiful and Stockholm’s next!”