Growing up, Cess* had one main life goal: retire at 55 and spend the rest of her years gallivanting around various countries while documenting her travel escapades. Now at 68, the idea of travelling for leisure sounds like a far-fetched dream.
Two years after retiring from the medical field where she worked as a nurse, she’s been compelled to return to the workforce. She now works part-time as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and a medical writer to enable her to cover her personal expenses and finance her younger siblings’ education.
“While I am lucky to have had a fruitful, albeit low-paying, medical career where you can easily pick up part-time jobs regardless of age, I never imagined that I’d have to go back to work after retiring,” said Cess, who’s based in London. “Honestly, being a CNA can be back-breaking work especially because I’m not as energetic as I was in my twenties and thirties.”