The joys of being a silver quitter

The joys of being a silver quitter

Co-founder and owner of Lanzarote Retreats, Michelle Braddock, shares some thoughts on taking early retirement and the benefits of having more time for yourself, family, and travel.

What is a silver quitter?

An article in The Guardian about “silver quitters” caught my eye recently; according to a House of Lords report, more people in the 50-to-64 age bracket are leaving the labour market as a lifestyle choice. The report identifies that during the pandemic people learnt more about their preferences for retirement versus work.

Have you retired then?

Although Tila and I are definitely not retiring (yet) or quitting our roles at Lanzarote Retreats, Josh taking over as CEO has enabled us to step back.

We’re at a stage where we both need to sort out our health, and giving some time back to ourselves is paramount.

What does being a silver quitter mean to you?

There is a noticeable trend for younger retirees following the pandemic (we’re seeing it amongst our guests). People had the time to re-evaluate their situation, covid broke all routines and gave everyone the space to think through lifestyle choices.

This doesn’t just apply to retiring early of course. My cousin switched careers from tailor to dog trainer. And we have some friends who’ve just taken two months out to travel around Burma. They said they’d been inspired by Tila and me to take time away.

For me, it’s a time in our life when we’re able to change the priority from building a business, working flat-out and raising a family to focusing on ourselves.

What’s next for you both?

We’re heading off in our camper van for a couple of months. We’ll be taking a road trip around the UK and then travelling back to Lanzarote via France and Spain. This is an opportunity to catch up with friends as well as our kids in the UK and then attend my cousin’s thirtieth birthday.

We’ve had the van for a number of years now but it’s really coming into its own and we’re going to have much more time to use it.

Tila is keen to spend more time on his boat too and would love to do some longer-distance sailing, perhaps join some organised races. He would also like to do more wing foiling. For me, swimming is important, and I try to go at least three times a week.

There’s a building project here that we need to return for and the first Braddock grandchild is on the way! I was very close to my grandparents growing up and it’s super important for us to be around for that.

Then there will be more travelling for sure, we have a wedding in Spain in June and then another in August.