Hittin’ the High Notes Normally, the former federal employees we feature in this space have had a few years to adjust to life after their
SUE CONSOLO-MURPHY’S TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT
full-time gigs have ended. This month, though, we decided to do something a little different and speak to someone who’s just beginning their retirement journey. After 40-plus years spent with the National Park Service, Sue Consolo-Murphy retired on Nov. 1 of this year. We caught up with Sue to discuss the exciting end of her career and her equally exciting next chapter.
Sue and grandchildren on the beach at San Leone, Agrigento
Sue in Salzburg, July 2019
“I used to half-joke that I wasn’t going to be one of those people who did 40 years,” Sue recalls. “Then, I ended up doing it anyway. I even extended my career beyond when I initially planned to retire.” Due to a number of factors, including a desire to contribute as much as possible to ongoing projects at work, Sue decided to extend her tenure into 2019. In addition to being professionally fulfilling, Sue’s slightly elongated work life kept her in Jackson, Wyoming, and gave her a chance to experience an incredible opportunity thousands of miles away.
Sue and husband biking in Ireland, 2010
Sue at Grand Canyon on detail, Spring 2016
“When you tell people you’re about to retire,” Sue says, “they’ll often ask you what your plan is. Sometimes, you can even detect a little judgment in their voice. Something like, ‘Well, what are you going to DO?’ I’ll be honest, I have no anxiety about how I will fill my days. We’re working on remodeling our house, I’ve got plenty of hobbies, and I’m perfectly happy with the state of things.” This point is an important one for those approaching retirement. As Sue’s experience proves, you don’t need some master plan for what life after work looks like. If you have a zest for life, you’ll figure it out as you go. “The other thing that helps you retire without fear,” Sue adds, “is being confident in your fiscal planning. That’s one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed working with Ann. In addition to being great with the numbers, she also just cares. Just the other day, I got an unexpected package from her with a shirt that reads ‘EX-FED.’ It was a cool and thoughtful way to mark my transition into retirement.” We thought about adding a custom “Belatedly” to the beginning of Sue’s shirt, but after thinking it over, we realized she retired at the perfect time, no matter what the original plan was.
JH Chorale, Sue in center
“One of the choir groups I sing in, which happens to be based in Jackson, was invited to sing at the Mozart Festival in Salzburg, Austria,” Sue says. “I knew I wanted to be a part of it, and everything just fit better with this new timeline.” So earlier this year, Sue and her fellow choir members packed their bags, flew to Austria, and sang multiple times throughout the festival. The trip involved two passions, travel and singing, that Sue expects to be big parts of her retirement. She hopes to travel to France and Peru in particular, the latter trip focused on seeing Machu Picchu. Sue’s also planning to drive her youngest daughter cross-country to begin an internship in Washington, D.C. That road trip, though, basically amounts to the whole of Sue’s concrete plans right now — and she’s just fine with that.
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