From scholar to loller

My father retired around the age of 56, a decision that completely transformed him. He enjoyed his job, but retirement allowed him to fully dedicate himself to his passions: gardening, construction/renovation, and traveling to sunny destinations. His transformation made a lasting impression on me, and I decided to try to follow in his footsteps by retiring at the same age. Unfortunately, I didn’t succeed, as I was tempted by new opportunities to further explore the academic world. 

Still, by my mid-fifties, I was feeling an ever-increasing pressure to retire.  Every year, my financial planner reminded me that the additional years of work would have almost no impact on the amount of my pension in retirement. My spouse and I therefore decided that we would retire as soon as we stopped enjoying our work at the university. With this in mind, I decided leave, without any regrets, in the middle of a particularly difficult fall semester. Several pre-retirement options were available, but I wanted to leave before I became too embittered by the situation. 

Initially, I continued to go to the university once a week to informally co-supervise a student. I also taught three hours of classes during the winter semester at the School of Public Health. Unfortunately, the pandemic restrictions undermined my motivation, and I decided to quit altogether. 

Setting priorities 

My retirement plans were simple: do more sports (cycling and gym), fully enjoy Montreal’s cultural offerings, and travel. Overuse injuries quickly brought me back to reality. Just because you have the time to do more sports doesn’t mean you should or can. As they say, moderation is key. 

As for travel, I realized it wasn’t really my thing. However, my partner and I discovered the bike-and-boat concept in Europe. It’s simple: we cycle during the day, and our floating hotel (the boat) awaits us in the evening. With this option, we don’t need to pack and unpack our suitcases every day to discover beautiful landscapes and interesting places. 

Between sports and music, my days are quite full. Despite all this, my life was lacking a bit of social interaction. 

Getting involved 

One of my brothers-in-law told me about his involvement in the retirees’ association at his workplace. On his recommendation, I started attending the lunchtime lectures of APRUM (Association des professeures et professeurs retraités de l’Université de Montréal). These meetings allowed me to reconnect with former colleagues and meet retirees from other departments, which led to very enriching exchanges. 

During the pandemic, the president of APRUM contacted me, on the recommendation of a former colleague, to offer me a position on the board of directors. Since the treasurer position was vacant and I’m not particularly sociable, I saw it as an opportunity to gain new experiences. Knowing that terms last one year, I figured I could always resign if the work or the company of the other board members didn’t suit me. Surprisingly, I’ve now been a board member for six years. 

I find my experience on the APRUM board very enriching, even if it’s sometimes a little frustrating. The diversity of the directors’ backgrounds and opinions means that discussionscan drag on; but very often, a colleague’s contribution brings a perspective  that I hadn’t initially considered. 

Serving on the APRUM board offers a unique perspective on the university. With my various experiences within the institution, I thought I had explored all its facets, but I discovered that this wasn’t the case. There are always new things to learn and discover. 

In conclusion, I recommend retiring as soon as your financial situation allows and you are ready to move on to the next stage. While some basic planning is wise, it’s important to remain flexible, as life is unpredictable. To stay active, consider getting involved in an association that aligns with your interests. You could also maintain a connection with academia by joining your university’s retirees’ association.