Retire. Ugh. I want a new word. For me it isn't other people's reactions that are the problem - It is my relationship with that word! I feel awkward saying "I'm retiring." To colleagues at work who discover I'm leaving the company, I say, "yeah - my last day is July 31st." When they ask where I'm going. I say, "I'm going to work on my own projects," or something like that. But I never say "I'm retiring."
The word 'retire' conjures an image of a grandpa kicking back on a barca lounger, tinkling ice in his tumbler full of gin and tonic, with polyester pants hiked up and revealing white tube socks under his black shoes*. I'm not that guy. I'm a 41 year old hot(ish) chick. I drink Sangiovese. And I'm not that old!
What a tool. I should just get over myself.
Subtext - I'm also embarrassed it has taken me this long. If I'd have avoided some whopper mistakes and if I'd dialed in my spending early on, I would've been able to retire right alongside MMM (I started in a high paying Silicon Valley engineering job 1 year after MMM.)
*(actually, that grandpa sounds rad).