Questions about life after FI/RE
Life after work raises plenty of questions. See how different people answer them through the lives they’ve built.
38 questions · 101 people · In their own words
Travel & home
Will full-time travel stay enjoyable?
Some people love extended travel, while others discover that the planning and movement eventually feel like work.
Slower stays can make travel deeply rewarding
Near the end of five months in Britain and Ireland, monthly rentals supported cooking, reading, hiking and tennis. She described freedom, gratitude and a stronger marriage.
“Still grateful, still in disbelief.”
You may want a break from constant movement
He paused nonstop travel to spend time with family and build healthier routines, trying a temporary stay in Tulsa while retaining his Texas home.
“Travelling nonstop was starting to feel like a chore”
u/ihasanemail
Aug 2024 · Year 6
Read original by u/ihasanemail (opens in a new tab)
The itinerary changes while travel stays appealing
The couple extended RV travel during the pandemic and continued to consider overseas destinations.
“The RVing part of this plan was extended for another 9 months due to COVID.”
Should I keep a home base?
A home can support family and familiar routines, but ownership and maintenance can also restrict a life built around travel.
A home base can coexist with continued travel
A year after establishing a home base near family, she reported feeling settled while still planning substantial travel with her now-retired partner.
“I think we’ve settled into it nicely.”
A Purple Life
Oct 2026 · Year 6
Read original by A Purple Life (opens in a new tab)
Managing a house can become more burden than benefit
They sold their Argentina home and continued traveling. The work attached to the house had become less worthwhile to them.
“more trouble than it was worth”
Rent before choosing another permanent base
Winter rentals let the couple explore different locations without immediately buying a second home.
“we have now opted to rent (Airbnb) instead”
Does moving abroad make retirement better?
A move can create a satisfying life, but it also changes social connections and can turn out differently from the plan.
The community can be what makes a place work
An art studio, newsletter and farm kept them engaged. They described joyful lives and valued the people around them as a reason to stay.
“the people are what keep us here”
A change of country can compound the adjustment
In Cyprus, improved sleep and exercise coexisted with doubts about retirement. Making local connections was slow, and worries about money and employability remained.
“I’m finding this really difficult”
Building community remains part of the move
She enjoyed retirement in Lisbon while working to create local connections and maintain ties back home.
“I don’t want to have the biggest bank balance in the cemetery!”
Is it normal to want less travel than I expected?
Some people shorten trips or stop seeking travel because home life becomes more satisfying.
Shorter trips can fit a life with roots
Long journeys made them miss home. They settled near friends and beach activities, combining trips of a few weeks with bounded consulting work.
“we missed home too much”
A satisfying daily life may reduce the urge to get away
Walking, cycling, cooking and handling repairs suited Chris. With life already satisfying, he felt little need for more travel or higher spending.
“nothing to escape from”
Questions reflect recurring discussions about life after financial independence, not a measured ranking of search volume. Answers are editorial readings of selected self-reported accounts, not statements written in response to these questions. Quotes retain the wording and attribution recorded in our existing research. Experiences differ; dates refer to the documented life moment, with recollections labeled where applicable. Updated with September 30 interview research. Single snapshots and accounts of semi-retirement, work after FI and later-life retirement are labeled; these comparisons are not predictions of individual outcomes.