People

After moving from Beijing to Vancouver Island, Donna found plenty of travel and family time but still questioned her direction. Nearly a decade later, blogging had created lasting friendships, and a family emergency helped her recognize readiness for another change.

A former CEO’s intended break became retirement once he saw work was optional. More time with his children and improved happiness held up, but five years later he was trying to reduce business commitments that had recreated exhaustion.

Sam Dogen left banking in 2012 and gave writing a scheduled place in his new freedom. More than a decade later, parenting and social commitments kept him constantly occupied, illustrating how the challenge can shift from finding purpose to managing abundance.

Justin McCurry retired at 33 and found satisfaction in school-age parenting, books and days without a Monday looming. His wife joined him later; their children grew, and the trips grew longer. By 2025, money looked less restrictive than the calendar. The recurring question had become how to enjoy an increasingly busy retirement while preserving the unstructured time that made it worthwhile.

With his wife back in teaching, this former researcher took on more at home. Building, caregiving and volunteering filled retirement, though he found giving time easier than maintaining his former level of donations.

A consulting partner used maternity leave to test a different life. Leaving removed the return-to-work deadline, but two small children soon reset her expectations about how much free time retirement would provide.

After leaving a long career, this couple built a large home intended for family gatherings and possible parental care. Golf and board service filled the early years. Later, better health and an even busier calendar made retirement feel both fortunate and unexpectedly crowded.

Janis marked her first retirement anniversary with a flexible road trip and a camera. A decade later, travel still connected her with family and blogging friends, while deaths among contemporaries gave those ordinary visits a sharper sense of value.

Jim’s retirement delivered Panama, an RV adventure and years with his family. It also exposed a stubborn habit of turning freedom into another to-do list. Six years in, he still prized the decision while searching for a stronger sense of purpose.

A police officer left full-time work, took on more parenting and later resumed limited protection work. Early spending anxiety and comparisons with working friends lingered for months. Repeated ordinary days gradually confirmed that the family had chosen a life they valued.