Launching Solo

Contrary to simplistic portrayals of either blissful relaxation or bewildered depression, adjusting to retirement is every bit as complex and ambiguous as life’s other transitions. In Launching Solo, six retirees describe what actually happened during their initial months out of the workforce: what went smoothly, what proved bumpy, and what they came to either desire or fear. Sometimes, their reactions took them by surprise, while other developments unfolded much as they had expected.

These informal conversations with ordinary people are supplemented with brief mention of key research findings. By focusing on the stories of single people, the complications of getting along with one’s partner are set aside to highlight the types of pleasures and personal challenges that retirement brings—challenges that arise regardless of marital status.

The good news is that most people like being retired, but their contentment may not emerge instantly or automatically. Launching Solo is a pleasant, yet thought-provoking, read for everybody leaving paid employment to embark on a new way of living.