Wow! Wonderful!! Congratulations, Brett!!!

One of my former bosses is having what looks to me like a wonderfully successful retirement. I think he had a sense of the way the political winds were blowing, and wanted to leave while he was at the top, and did. He had detailed plans for the first 6 months or so - trips to take, old friends to visit, and so on to keep from falling into a funk or being so overwhelmed with all the possibilities that he never did any of them. And he had some thoughts to look into for the following year. It's been 12 years since he retired; he looks a little older (don't we all) but is still active, involved in the community, traveling when the spirit moves him, and doing great. I think it compares favorably with your stories of folks who decided to stick it out - and with your solid core of a plan for the trip to England and your somewhat looser thoughts about trips to the US and Japan, it sounds to me as if you're right on track to move into the kind of happy, productive retirement my former boss has. I hope I can do as well when the time comes....

JudyB