AARP Rewards Online Community Empty Nest Contest 2025

Wow, what a change! The biggest speed bump I’ve ever come across. Takes a while to shake off the Quiet but when you’re ready, it is amazing. The ability to plan on your own schedule and enjoy, with no limitations to time or place. Holiday planning is by far my favorite. It’s a moment to give the gift of familiarity to my children. They truly enjoy bringing people to see how they grew up. That is such an honor. Thank you AARP for giving me so many resources to combat the depression of empty nesting, along with so many ideas on how to get out, about and up & at em’ again.

Helping to tidy up and organize the donations and keepers is how I roll . . .. 

i have been gardening, enjoying time with friends and spending time with my fur babies.

Newbie here! I (not so selfishly) find solid time for me on the weekends especially, when I'm not racing off to work during the week. From a quiet walk to reading a book to choosing a project I've been aiming to work on, this provides me with a sense of self and a chance to recharge and regroup.

I can now sleep a full 8 hours each nite.   And I can do my daily    walk without-   Where is this or that? Or I’m late, drive me here or there.    

I enjoy participating in AARP virtual classes and watching theater productions. It helps me to connect with others since I have a hard time socializing out in the community.

My husband (80) and I (78) still ride and compete on our reining horses, so a large chunk of our time is spent training, grooming, cleaning stalls, shoveling sawdust, etc. We just retired (again) from being 4-H leaders, but we continue to volunteer with the program and serve as horse superintendents at the county fair. I just recently retired (yet again) as co-director and facilitator of our local leadership program. We work the polls at election time, and volunteer with Friends of the Library. When we aren't doing all that, we travel. I've been to 49 states! We try to take a cruise each spring when we really relax. I frequently work with new writers to help them focus their work.  Several of them have now published!

II've been retired for several years now and I'm just as busy as when I was working.  But my work could be very stressful, and I don't have much stress since I retired -- and I'm so grateful for that! Since I retired, I've been busy volunteering at a soup kitchen and an animal shelter.  I've enjoyed taking lifelong learning classes through OLLI and other organizations, both in-person and virtually.  I've signed up for various AARP classes, programs and Movies For Grownups - and there are many more I'd like to do but don't have time for.  AARP's offerings are fantastic!  And I also join some friends in tutoring 2nd-graders during the schoolyear.  I feel incredibly fortunate to be reveling in this chapter of life! 

It’s been a huge adjustment as my 3 kids were my life & soul for years as their father didn’t participate in their school & lives. But they’re all on their own & thriving- it’s great to watch them thrive as I have done the same with my life! ❤️ 

Work, hubby, friends, church, volunteering & traveling - plus actually having my own time - my life is still full. 

With extra time on my hands, I volunteer more in the community. I volunteer with a local theatre venue, a local university theatre, local university athletics and one-off events like an Asian festival, kids' books distribution, arts festival, Pride parade and more. My wife enjoys the extra time to read and binge shows on Netflix. Without child-related schedule obligations, we're also much more free to do random date nights during the week or any time we want. Who says you can't go to a nice restaurant or bar in the middle of the week?