Retirement. This word keeps getting bandied about for Charlie and I, and I keep saying, “no, no, we are not retired.”
I’m most definitely not! To support our travels, I work as an independent meeting planner through Conference Direct (and am open for business if you need any meeting or event planning help!). And Charlie…. Kinda? If a to-do list that has two items added to it every time one comes off is considered retired, then maybe?
Granted, he did retire from law enforcement after 27 years. But then we founded Badges Across America so that he could continue giving back to the men and women in law enforcement and the career that was so meaningful to him. What began as a desire to take pictures of LEO’s as we travel the country grew into something bigger than ourselves. Each day we wake up and review our to-do lists – edit photos and videos, reach out to law enforcement agencies in other cities, set up interviews, conduct interviews, write the story, the blog, update the website, post on social media….
Charlie recently asked me if we could have one day to just relax and I told him that it would have to wait until next Friday. Which I have now booked up with a client call for meeting planning and scheduled an interview for that evening. I really should have blocked off the day.
Don’t get me wrong – I am loving this! I usually wake up around five am, Charlie a bit later, have a cup of coffee, review the day ahead and dive in. My schedule is my own to book as I want – I must want a lot because we have not had day without something happening for BAA or meetings.
Since we came back from England where we welcomed our first grandson into the world, we have posted 22 times on Facebook, nine times on Instagram, taken two selfies with LEO’s, conducted an interview and photo shoot, released two blogs, held a launch event, shared a father/son LEO story, AND moved into our Airstream, met with meeting clients and associates, been rear-ended, brought the truck to the body shop – twice, balanced our checkbook four times, worked on bids and transportation quotes for meetings, conducted a site visit for both meetings and our launch event AND caught up with family and friends here in the Denver area.
We have just a couple of days left here in the Denver area as we leave Monday morning to go to Oregon. That reminds me, I need to reach out to the Sheriff’s office in the same county as Mt. Hood. Okay, back on track, and before then, we have a story to finalize, an interview to conduct, pick up our truck (hopefully – they keep trying to push the pick up day back), finish up normal chores, add a bike rack to the truck, and help host Easter dinner.
So, the next person to ask me how retirement is going, I will just tell them it’s going great!
All photos below were taken by me (not Charlie) on my iphone 7.
Pictures, left to right, row by row:
Charlie and I, Cherry Creek State Park Dam
Lord Buttersworth, handmade card by Jeri - our son's mother-in-law
Selfie with interviewee Sergeant Jamison, Wonkers trying to play with tigers on the t.v.
Our truck after being rear ended by the BMW in the pic next to it
A selfie with the responding officer to the accident with Charlie and I
Comments