afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2017—2024

Freedom felt oddly disorienting. Local commitments helped give it substance.

Dave Gow’s first year brought relief and a surprising lack of direction. Later, writing, turtle rescue and local planting projects supplied chosen commitments. He still had to watch the balance: useful activities can crowd a free life just as readily as paid work.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2018-04-07 · Personal
Not established

A comparable starting net worth was not established in these sources.

Source
Posts2
2018Year 1
Post 01

Relief comes with a gap

“So it definitely pays to start thinking about what you’ll do afterwards, now, or you’ll end up free, but a little lost as well!”

Dave GowRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Made more room for health, hobbies and unhurried days.
  • Began organizing time without the structure of the old job.

How it felt

  • Felt free but also somewhat lost in the first year. “free, but a little lost as well!”
  • Still wanted productive activity, even without the same need to earn a wage. “I still like to be productive.”
RecoveryPurpose
Dave Gow (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Publication date at available precision. Retirement milestones follow the author’s own count; a missing milestone is not inferred.

Freedom, productivity and adjustment.

Editorial summaries with short, attributed quotations. The original contains the full story.

2024Year 7
Post 02

Useful work, within limits

“I’ll start resenting all the time it’s soaking up”

Dave GowRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Joined turtle rescue and local planting projects.
  • Balanced writing and other activities with ordinary chores.

How it felt

  • Found that worthwhile commitments could still become too much. “So there’s a delicate balance!”
  • Did not see travel or retirement as a list that could be permanently completed. “Travel is not something you can even finish.”
PurposeBoundariesOutdoors
Dave Gow (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Publication date at available precision. Retirement milestones follow the author’s own count; a missing milestone is not inferred.

Turtle rescue, community planting, writing and balance.

Editorial summaries with short, attributed quotations. The original contains the full story.

See how these posts compare with other people’s experiences.

Research

Last checked Sep 2026. The accounts are self-reported. This timeline follows selected accounts, including recollections where labeled; it is not a complete archive.

  • Dave describes a semi-retired life with income-producing writing; his partner also worked part time. Retirement does not mean the household stopped all paid activity.

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