Retirement Rebel: One woman, one motorhome, one great big adventure

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I followed these steps and now, in my mid-sixties, I can honestly say that I live with more purpose and passion than I thought possible. So, whether you are close to retirement age, or a while off, take time to think about how you plan to live in later life, because, as Cicero said, “Old age is the crown of life, our play’s last act.” But above all, Siobhan’s experiences on the road have taught her new life lessons – and reminded her of some of the older ones. “I do miss catching up with friends, but I don’t get lonely,” she says. “I’ve learned to live in the moment again – taking time to listen to the birds and watch the clouds. That’s something we all do when we’re young, but I hadn’t done it for 40 years.” On this episode fire fighter and author Leigh talks at length about the impact his job has on his mental health and the ways and means he uses to try to maintain his wellbeing. In 2019, Siobhan Daniels found herself in the driving seat of a motorhome, about to rev into retirement and a brand new adventure.

In this blog, George Jerjian – mindset mentor, coach and author – shares his journey to becoming a ‘Retirement Rebel’ and tells us why his passion and purpose is to inspire people entering retirement to do the same. This book gave me a lot of ideas to help me get ready for my retirement. Things that I had not considered before. It wasn’t all sitting in doorways drinking lager with a dog on a string’: Mark Jordan. Photograph: Perou/The Observer Approaching retirement and frustrated with her job, Siobhan Daniels made a BIG decision: to start living life on her own terms. Rather than hiding from life’s challenges, she bought a motorhome and drove off to find them. What are your aspirations for retirement – how would you like to see the way the world thinks about life over 50 change?

Comedian Jenny Eclair’s standup show Sixty Plus! (FFS!) XXL Show! tours across the UK from 2 September. It explores what being 60 means for today’s 1960s-born “babes”. “Being part of the punk generation affected how I think and it’s probably why I still have a problem with being told what to do – and it’s why I swear so much,” Eclair, 63, says. “In some respects, punk was a licence for the middle classes to rebel, and that sense of rebellion continues in our later years.” Reformed criminal and drug addict Steve was so kind and generous to share his story and if anything spoken about on this episode resonates with your situation, please speak to a friend, colleague, your GP, Reach Out For Mental Health, Samaritans, MIND, Calm, SOBS or just google suicidal feelings

If you’re looking for a deep intensive read with overly detailed instructions on what to do to make your retirement life work this book probably isn’t for you. But if you need a light read that can nudge you in the right direction to finding YOUR path, the one that you design around what lights your fire than grab a copy and enjoy a what feels more like a chat with a good friend.

Maff’s best story though is setting up a homeless shelter in the World’s biggest building for Christmas, the millennium dome, for charity Crisis.

Say yes to opportunities. You’ll regret the things you did not do much more than the things you do. How do your thoughts on retirement differ from most people – in other words, what makes you a retirement rebel? Like most of us, I’d been led to believe that it was the only option. I’d accepted it as the path I would take, and I didn’t question it. That all changed when I became semi-retired at the age of 52, after being diagnosed with a bone tumour. Definitely not retired. I stepped down from my job as an actuary this year after 30 years. I loved that role, but life is short and I wanted to take on some other challenges before the opportunity to do that slipped away.I spent years worrying what other people thought and now I just want to be loud and take up space and be totally myself,” she says. She sees a similar sentiment in many women in her age group, for whom the confidence of later life is combining with a desire to set boundaries around one’s time and efforts, whether that’s rejecting grandparental childcare or being the go-to event caterer out of a materfamilias sense of duty. “We’re exiting relationships that no longer serve us, we’re saying no to things we don’t want to do; we’re cutting people out of our lives who don’t make us feel good,” she adds. “There’s a new mood and that mood is about grabbing life by the wotsits.”

Last year, Smith’s Bengal cat, Rococo, died at 16, and Smith decided to throw caution to the wind and have the green-eyed tabby tattooed on her forearm to memorialise her feline fellow traveller. She also dyed her long white hair a fetching shade of cerise. “They say you can’t have long hair when you’re older. They say you shouldn’t dress in bright colours and have tattoos, particularly as a civil servant, but I just thought: ‘I’m 63, I’ll do what I want. I’ll wear my hair pink and long and I’ll wear band T-shirts and skinny jeans and great big platform shoes.’”

My work meant that I spent quite a bit of time with very senior people who were still actively working in their 70s. They were still ambitious to succeed in what they were doing, but they had found things that they loved to do. Success was about working with people and getting stuff done. They inspired me to keep active and to aim never to retire. The DARE Method™ is a must-do gem. Now, I am newly inspired to begin the journey of chronicling my life with the purposeful aspiration of touching the hearts of others. George Jerjian helped me reach this point, with his warm and compassionate teaching style. He is skilled and experienced in guiding fledgling retirees along the road to a deeply satisfying and fulfilling future.” Margaret approaches the subject of retirement from a completely different perspective than most books. Her focus is on you and how you're going to live a fulfilling happy retirement. She provides you with the common obstacles and then clearly outlines how you are going to overcome them. Thanks Margaret. Her motorhome travels might be a solo journey, but Siobhan hopes that it will inspire more people to follow their own dreams. She regularly shares updates of her latest trips on her blog, and has recently written a book – Retirement Rebel – to encourage others to pursue adventure in later life.