The days are ticking down to my retirement - 353 days to go as I write this - and I am finding it more and more difficult to stay motivated to stick to the plan. Just like being a senior in high school - that last year is one to blow off, to go play, to just get on with life! I am so eager to get on with it, to move on to the proverbial next chapter.

Although my work remains interesting enough, it isn't really doing anything for me anymore except earning additional income. It is rapidly becoming just a job, and the career part of it is rapidly becoming irrelevant. I don't need a career any more - I'm done with it, and I don't expect it to be useful in the next part of my life.

As we march nearer to retirement and our AT hike, our planning and preparing is ramping up. This is an exciting process, because every preparatory brick we set in place gets us that much closer to being done, and the progress we make is visible and tangible. This is happening!

And what do I expect my next life to look like? Well, I plan to:

• Spend more time outside
• Travel and explore
• Study physics
• Write blog articles
• Write software
• Read more books
• Row when I can and fly when I can
• Find and experience new activities, both physical and intellectual
• Be on my schedule, not someone else's
• Relax

As to our AT hike planning, I want to mention an idea we have. On April 8 next year there will be a total solar eclipse that will sweep across the eastern U.S. We are planning to view the eclipse as part of our journey to the AT trailhead in Georga. We are thinking we might keep our van and find one or two traveling companions who would travel with us to see the eclipse and then continue to the trailhead to see us off, after which we would rely on them to dispense with the van. The benefit for us is that we would not need to deal with a rental car and shuttle to get to the trailhead. The benefit for our travel companions would be a nice little driving trip and an opportunity to see the eclipse. And we would hope to have fun traveling with others for a few days as well. If you might have an interest in joining us for this trip, please contact me!

Finally, I want to share a couple rowing pictures. I have been having a total blast with this! The first one shows me in an eight for the first time in nearly 30 years! The second is me rowing stroke on a lovely April morning around 6am. I cannot express enough how much joy I get from this, how grateful I am for the opportunity to row again, and how much I appreciate my fellow rowers who are all such great people. This is such a great sport!