I had given no thought to retirement previously – I loved my work. The formality of early retirement upended any vision I might have conjured up of retiring at a ripe old age. Yet the abundance of caution that prompted me to retire from formal duties changed surprisingly little about the opportunities for me to contribute as a medical volunteer, where I could support on-site clinicians and patients, and consult with colleagues, locally and internationally. Nothing had substantially changed about my ability to teach – or to learn, for that matter – and in the year after I retired, I maintained a full slate of teaching and volunteer services. Little things came up from time to time, the occasional blanks recalling names and such. But I was able to continue my teaching trips to Tanzania, and to Ethiopia and the Congo. In Portland, I volunteered in a local free clinic providing primary care to visiting immigrants and uninsured Americans. In this setting, I had an experienced family doctor or internist available to supervise and inform my care of patients.