Today is day-1 of retirement, after almost 30 years in aerospace, I’m finally done. I’ve been planning this escape for about 18 months now. Started as an idea, my financial guy looked at it and said we could make it work.

And yesterday it finally happened, I handed in my work laptop, took off my badge and walked out the factory for the very last time.

The last couple of weeks at work have been full of lunches with friends, time spent sharing lessons, and one manager trying to talk me out of it. By any measure it’s been successful, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I really do feel like a huge over achiever.

However, as I left yesterday it was not the successful programs, patent, tech fellowship, or awards I’ve won that I am most proud of, but the words of my colleagues.

“Thank you for the advice, the mentoring, answering endless stupid questions, and the many laughs. You made a difference to me, and will be truly missed”

Or

“We’ve shared many jokes, you’ve given me some essential lessons, but I will always treasure the friendship and being my mentor.”

Or

“Thank you for the patience, fun and direction while I’m starting my career. You set an example I aspire to emulate:”

There were other notes, but these were the first three I saw on the cards I was given. Over the years there have been wobbles and difficult days. Work was even fun at times, but it’s the people I worked with that made it worthwhile. That they feel I made a difference is huge for me, and know I’ve left the place in a better place than when I arrived.

We’ve been joking for a while there are two ways out of Electro Magnetic Effect testing: The Doug way, retire. Or the Al way, die. I’m happy I took the Doug way, that I was told yesterday will now be known as the Dave way.

I’ve ideas about how retirement is going to go, and I know it’s going to be a fun journey finding out where it all ends up. I am more relaxed than I have been in years, and it feels like the pressure is off. Today is about decompressing, tomorrow we start the business of being retired.