afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2020—2022

Six quiet months came first. Then a long trail—and a grandchild—changed the pace.

A retired military physician first did very little, then trained for and completed the Appalachian Trail with his wife. Family and learning later supplied structure as they considered a permanent home in Houston.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2020-07 · Household
$3,000,000

Reported financial net worth excluded any home; an indexed military pension was an additional major income source.

Source
Posts2
2020
Post 01Recalled in 2023

Six months to slow down

“I can’t do this for the rest of my life.”

ESI Retiree 42Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Television, games, reading and long sleeps filled six months.
  • An approaching Appalachian Trail hike prompted regular training.

How it felt

  • Rest felt good after intense demands. “the time off felt good”
  • He eventually wanted activities that felt more fulfilling. “not accomplishing anything fulfilling”
RecoveryFamilyHome
ESI Retiree 42 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Earlier period recalled in the account published 2023-04-03; this is not a separately published contemporary update.

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: the time off felt good

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: not accomplishing anything fulfilling

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

2022Year 2
Post 02

A long trail and a new grandchild

“Of course time with our family has been priceless.”

ESI Retiree 42Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • After completing the trail, they moved near their grandchild.
  • Language study, coding, exercise and family visits structured his days.

How it felt

  • He enjoyed learning and greater control of his time. “time with our family has been priceless”
  • He wanted roots before investing in new local friendships. “my job was not me”
RecoveryFamilyHome
ESI Retiree 42 (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: time with our family has been priceless

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: my job was not me

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.
  • An exact age at final departure was not established; an age reported later is not substituted.

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