Tag Archives: Retirement

The Diary of a Slow Traveller

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Slow travel is quite simply not being in a hurry. Slow Travel happens when you don’t have a deadline or timeline hanging over you.

It’s about taking your time to get somewhere and when you do, taking the time to appreciate it. It is as a fellow blogger put it “being where you are, not about what you do”. It’s about soaking in the experience because Slow Travel is a state of mind.

Why would someone become a Slow Traveller? In part the perfect response is because they can. The time for Slow Travel is when you don’t have to be somewhere anytime soon. What “soon” means is upto you! Continue reading →

Setting sail for my next challenge

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It’s now nearly three weeks since I checked my email after waking early to see that I had received my results for my Honours. It was a genuine feeling of pleasure and exhilaration to see that I’d achieved my goal of First Class Honours. It seemed surreal to have received my result in Florence, where so many scholarly activities had taken place.

Basilica - Duomo Florence

Basilica – Duomo Florence

Most importantly achieving the grade level made entry into the PhD program at my preferred institution highly likely. In the following days as we continued to enjoy the amazing sights of Florence, I waited somewhat anxiously to hear about my scholarship application.

Much to my delight an offer arrived.

This post is not, however about my receiving the offer that I’d wanted or to show-off about my results. That said I’m pretty chuffed. This post is actually about setting sail for the next challenge.

“What’s Next” is truly before me now.

Working Identity - the most important book I have ever read

Working Identity – the most important book I have ever read

As I considered “What’s Next” nearly three years ago, I realised that I wanted to do something different. At that stage I wasn’t quite sure what that would be. In my mid-fifties I knew it was not going to be time to sit in a comfy chair with my feet up. I also knew that I was not going to leave my firm to continue in a similar vein, Continue reading →

My Blog is Three!

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Source – Daily Mail Australia

So my blog turned three in the last few days.

It survived the “Terrible Twos” with sporadic posts on topics ranging from travel, music, books, What’s Next, and study.

What my blog celebrates most is the period of transition that the last three years have been. It started three years ago with a post about The Adelaide Crows close loss to Hawthorn in the 2012 Prelimanry Final and just a week before its third birthday, The Adelaide Crows had a not so close loss to Hawthorn in another final. Most significantly my blog’s third birthday coincides with completion of my Honours Thesis (due in just a few weeks).

Three years ago I decided that I needed a reason to write as I pursued options to position myself  for What’s Next and a blog seemed a good idea. A reason to write a thousand words a month, a goal that has well and truly been achieved in each and every month since, by way of blog posts, articles for The Adelaide Review and University assignments that will culminate in few weeks time with about 20,000 words in the form of my Thesis.

So my blog’a third birthday is perhaps best described as the first chapter of What’s Next. It has been a place to experiment; writing about different things and recording thoughts about the stages of What’s Next. Importantly for me it has provided a contemporary record of what I was thinking across a significant period of my life. 

Now as my blog enters its fourth year I expect my blog will record events  that occur as I move past What’s Next, exit transition and get on with it. It will be a place to write about our three months in Italy, my progress into academia which hopefully next year will see me commence my PhD, and to continue to write about books I’ve found interesting and of course music.

Happy Third Birthday browney237.com.

Source : www.walkitoffrecovery.org

Status Update – the completion of the first month of “What’s Next”

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Wow a month down already. Where did I have time for work?

My thesis is now back on track. I’d ignored it over the month of March as I wound out of life at my firm. I then submitted a draft of my Research Design Chapter that my supervisor said just wasn’t OK. I’ve now resubmitted it and got the OK to proceed. My data collection is moving forward with a number of hills wineries now interviewed. I still have a number to do. The interview transcripts are coming back for review and analysis. I have also made a start on my Introduction and Literature Revew a chapters. 

I have continued with my Uni tutoring, have completed one guest lecture in an MBA Program and have been invited to give another. I have also been asked to act as Research Assistant in a new project – that’s exciting! I have also at the advice of my supervisor started to meet with potential supervisors for my PhD which I hope to commence in early 2016,

I have also formalised some advisory opportunities and started to meet with my new clients. That too is very exciting and so rewarding. I am also excited at the discussions I’ve had with people about other opportunities to build new and interesting networks. 

Then there is bike riding. I’ve met my objective of riding to Mt Lofty at least once each week and increased my kilometres significantly. My objective of 2500 kilometers by 30 June may have been a little ambitious but I am getting into the hills more regularly, getting fitter and losing weight.

Then there is the matter of our plans for Italy later in the year. We have settled on an a basic itinerary and are thrilled that each of our children are planning to spend some time with us in Sicily. We still have six months before we leave so plenty of time to plan.

Oh, I have also had a few work commitments to attend too as well.

Next week will be “What’s Next”!

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While I will have a little tidying up  through April, this is the last week in the office of a firm I have worked at for over 20 years and in an environment that has consumed me for over37 years. Wow!

This is the last week for saying “I’ll see you during the week”. My formal client roles are pretty much all dealt with.  I’ve attended my last partners meeting! It’s pretty much done.

All that’s left is to tidy up, have some final individual chat’s with my team and attend a couple of farewell events  and then Friday night my career in professional services will be over.

This week is truly my last week of transition. After that it’s not transition, it’s actually “What’s Next”.

Time for riding, study, tutoring, travel and…

Dawn Second Valley

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