It's too soon to retire

Blogging prompt: Are you retired or working? What are your plans for retirement?

Can I say it seems to be both?! 

Last year I left my job.  We were merging with another firm, and it was clear there was no room for two of me, or many others of the senior management team.  I've been here before; about ten years ago at another firm so I knew where it was going.   I took a package and I left.  I had six months notice-period, so I was placed on garden leave.  Basically they continue to pay me for 6-months but I don't work for them and I can not work for anyone else.  It's a way to try and protect their interests and prevent me using my skill elsewhere. Then my package kicked in.

It's been a year and a half now.  I'm still not in full-time employment.  I've used the opportunity to look at my career and wonder if I can do something different.  At 54 that is not easy.  However, after 30+ years in tech I feel I need to prove to myself there's more to me.

An opportunity presented itself recently, and I am now working in an entirely different field, but part-time.  At my age I'm not quite ready to retire so I need to find something else to add to that and keep me busy.

Don't get me wrong, I can easily keep busy, but realistically I need a full-time salary for a little while yet.

So the quest for employment opportunities is on-going.

This is #26/50 of the FiftyIn50 challenge