I accidentally retired from my decades-long career. The adjustment came with a larger identity shift.

The author (left) said she retired without ceremony. Courtesy of Ellen Acconcia. A move to a small coastal town meant leaving my successful career behind. I questioned my identity after leaving the workforce, wondering who I was without my career. My days no longer tick down through meetings and Zoom calls, but I know I can still feel fulfilled. One morning, after my husband drifted to his home office, I started a load of laundry and stood listening to the machine hum, the familiar hiss of…