It hits us all! You’ve survived all those slaving years with that company, retailer, unit, classroom, squadron, crew or other tough job. At the retirement party, you resisted the urge to tell them where to stuff all the cheap farewell presents.

You go home, relax, put your feet up, turn on the idiot box, watch idiotic soap operas, phony reality shows and/or grossly-overpaid thugs play ball. Ah, those happy sunset years! Then it happens. Maybe it’ll take a week or a month, but the inevitable realization suddenly slams like a door in your face.

Awakening: Is this what I’m going to do with the rest of my life? Before you panic and beg to go back to work, consider five instant suggestions on how to celebrate your new freedom with adventure:

That recent headline is rare, but should give senior travelers a warning. The court case is pending, and could result in heavy jail time on this case involving group travel scams. At least 99% of travel agents, hometown and online, we’ve used are totally honest.

However, as with a bad apple in any business, travel crooks target vulnerable seniors. When making plans, follow a few simple rules to protect yourself.

1. Research the travel agency. Check it out with online reports from regulatory agencies and other frequent travelers. If there are pending legal problems, stay away.

2. When purchasing a trip, don’t pay cash, even as a down payment. Don’t pay extra up-front fees for special rooms, airline seats and other upgrades. They’re usually just promises, but no guarantee you’ll actually get them. You can pay when and if they happen on your arrival.

3. Before you book, especially an overseas trip, go to travel.state.gov to learn about current scams, terrorism, political unrest and other potential dangers. Then consider adjusting plans to avoid them.

4. Be extra careful with your credit card. While traveling, it can be vulnerable to many rip-offs. Except for major purchases, such as air tickets, cruises and hotel rooms, do daily purchases with currency of the country you’re visiting.

We’ve read all kinds of theories about how traveling seniors can regulate their sleep-wake cycles. Long night flights can disrupt normal habits, and there are ways to deal with the problem.

Some medical gurus recommend special prescriptions. For example, they advise you to take sleeping pills if flying at night. Too often, the prime benefit of the pills is to keep overpaid pharmaceutical company execs happy.

Of course, flying does affect you when it goes against regular sleep/wake habits. However, unless you have a real medical condition, there are natural ways to combat the problem. Here are some suggestions:

Prepare: Your body says sleep when you’re tired at the end of an active dozen hours. On the day of your flight, be sure to hike, jog, swim or hit the gym. Also, your body craves sunlight, so give it plenty before you fly.

Been on dozens of cruises since retiring, and made dozens of senior moment errors until I wised up. Consider ways to make your next cruise more economical, enjoyable and healthier.

1. Travel light. After the first couple of post-retirement cruises, I stopped dragging loaded suitcases and the need to check bags everywhere. Since then, I take a carry-on and a knapsack, and no longer check anything. No more paying high airline baggage fees, and waiting and wondering what happened to my luggage.

2. Nix on shore excursion fees. Cruise lines charge $100 or more, too often for a couple of hours circling in a bus to the usual local tourist traps. Hire a taxi with a couple of other cruisemates, and tour for much less money. If you’re in a big city port, just go ashore and wander free for as long as you like.