@mikelavigne embrace the pi$$ out of it man! Soon as I read your post I felt so compelled to respond. Much as you never want to wish precious time away, I wake up everyday yearning for retirement to get here. I have 5-6 more years to go and at this rate not sure I can make it. The daily stresses of work never ever leave (I'm responsible for a 24 hour, 7 day a week operation) and I never get a minute's peace. Even when I am able to sit and try to unwind with my system it never lasts more than half an hour without interruptions. And honestly, I find myself not able to truly get "lost" in the music like I used to. Too much stress and stuff in my head. And it's ALL work related...So even when I should be able to enjoy the sound, I can't...
About 4 years ago when I left my last company and before I started working again, I took 2 months off. It took about 2 days in for all the toxicity to leave and for me to decompress, and for the first time in for as long as I could remember I felt a sense of peace and calmness that I had not known for so very very long...For the first time I was able to truly get lost, enjoy, and appreciate my system without a care in the world. No deadlines, meetings, projects due, no craziness, dealing with people who don't care and don't take pride in their work, etc, just peace and serenity. It was then that I realized how much I will embrace and enjoy retirement. And one of the main reasons is I miss my music...I used to be able to sit for hours on end and just be one with the music and my system. I'd even be able to let music do its true magic and transport me back in time when the world made sense and things were so much simpler. Back to my teen years and those special moments that you appreciate so much more as you get older, you know?😌
So embrace it man, you've earned it! And enjoy every single sweet note that comes out of your system...
Congratulations and Best of Luck to you!