4 Passports and Counting When Jane Haddock sees her friends debating whether or not they should retire, she offers some succinct advice. “Just do it,” she says. “People agonize over whether it’s the perfect time or if they’ll enjoy retirement. You’ll never be able to know for sure, so you have to make the jump to find out.” Jane’s incredible retirement adventures are proof of just how fun and rewarding life after work can be.
JANE HADDOCK’S GLOBE-TROTTING RETIREMENT
their winter home in Houston, but their ecosystem has been put in danger through disasters like Hurricane Harvey and various oil spills.” While there, Jane monitored the cranes’ access to food and shelter. She might’ve been there to watch birds, but she couldn’t help but notice the effect Harvey had on Houston’s human residents. “Even months after Harvey, there was still a great deal of devastation,” she observes. “It made me realize that there’s still a lot of work to do, and it also made me take stock of the precious nature of life.” It goes without saying that Jane is making the most of her retirement, but that wouldn’t have been possible without diligent planning. “I first heard Ann’s name from one of my managers,” she recalls. “I attended some of her seminars and always came away impressed. As my retirement grew closer, I met with Ann and her team to set up a game plan.” That plan has allowed Jane to get the most out of retirement, throughout the year and around the globe. Jane is busy planning her next adventure, with a trip to Indonesia on the horizon. In the meantime, she’ll be content to weave, daydream, and live every day to the fullest. Jane is proof that retirement is far from boring. When it’s done right, it can be the most exciting time of your life.
Unlike many of her friends, Jane didn’t hem and haw over retirement. In fact, she retired as soon as she was secure enough to do so. “I’ve always saved with an eye toward my post-work life,” she notes. “As soon as I knew that I was in a position to retire, I did it, and I’ve never regretted that decision.”
Jane on her first bicycle trip in Spain
Jane knew that she’d use her life after work to pursue her passions. Chief among them are travel and textiles. She’s an avid weaver and embroiderer, and she’s even figured out a way to combine her two passions. “I love traveling to places with a rich history of textiles,” she enthuses. “I’ve been to an indigo dyeing workshop in Japan and taken trips to Morocco and Guatemala, two countries with incredible fabric cultures.” Her travels aren’t always weaving-related, though. Soon after retiring in July 2015, Jane got herself a retirement present in the form of a biking trip through Spain. Traveling was a part of her life long before she stopped working, and she’s been grateful to have more spaces on the calendar to fill. “I’m the type of person who always took her vacation days,” she states. “Whenever I have the chance to add some stamps to my passport, I’m happy. Retirement has given me a greater opportunity to do that.” Some of her trips have been in service of helping out great causes. A passionate nature-lover, Jane traveled to Houston with Earthwatch to monitor whooping cranes this winter. “There are only a few hundred whooping cranes in North America,” she says. “They make
Jane in Morocco
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