afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2018—2022

The deadlines disappeared quickly. The professional identity took longer.

A former aerospace manager enjoyed quiet days and more time with family. Four years after leaving, retirement felt comfortable, though the loss of workplace friendships and pride in completed missions still mattered.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2018-04-01 · Personal
$5,024,000

Source table totals $5.024 million at retirement, including the home and cash. The $4.142 million investment subtotal is not total net worth.

Source
Posts2
2018
Post 01Recalled in 2023

Deadlines disappear

“It felt like I was ditching school and being naughty.”

ESI Retiree 41Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Reading, television and daytime walks replaced deadline-driven work.
  • Retirement allowed time with a gravely ill father.

How it felt

  • Freedom felt blissful, even oddly illicit on weekdays. “was bliss”
  • Work-related dreams lingered after the job ended. “being naughty”
IdentityFamilyFriends
ESI Retiree 41 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Earlier period recalled in the account published 2023-03-06; this is not a separately published contemporary update.

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: was bliss

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: being naughty

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

2022Year 4
Post 02

Letting go of a professional identity

“It took a few years to be comfortable with saying that I am a retired person.”

ESI Retiree 41Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Walks, speaker-building and family visits filled a loose schedule.
  • A retirement association and old colleagues supplied some social contact.

How it felt

  • A retired identity had taken years to accept. “comfortable with saying”
  • The work itself was not missed, but shared accomplishments were. “sense of pride”
IdentityFamilyFriends
ESI Retiree 41 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Dated first-person reflection; the observation date follows the interview month where stated, which can precede publication.

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: comfortable with saying

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: sense of pride

Retirement overview and reported duration.

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.

  • These are selected first-person accounts, not a complete life history. Later circumstances may differ.
  • Financial figures and household circumstances are self-reported and are not independently verified.
  • The first moment is a retrospective account of an earlier period, except where explicitly identified as a reproduced journal entry.

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