afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2017—2022

It took a year to believe the vacation would not end.

After repeated extensions to his working life, this retiree gradually unwound. Later, spontaneous trips and time with a granddaughter made him wish he had trusted the plan sooner.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2017-05 · Household
$3,173,000

Includes rental and personal property, with rental mortgages deducted.

Source
Posts2
2017
Post 01Recalled in 2023

A vacation that keeps going

“The new freedom was super exhilarating, but didn’t seem real for the first few months.”

ESI Retiree 43Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • The final departure followed another seventeen months of work.
  • His wife adjusted more quickly, drawing on an earlier career break.

How it felt

  • Freedom was exciting but initially felt temporary. “super exhilarating”
  • Unwinding took him a year or more. “didn’t seem real”
RecoveryTravelFamily
ESI Retiree 43 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Earlier period recalled in the account published 2023-04-20; this is not a separately published contemporary update.

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: super exhilarating

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: didn’t seem real

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

2022Year 5
Post 02

Trusting the new normal

“I now understand that I lost valuable time “making sure” we were prepared.”

ESI Retiree 43Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Travel, exercise and a nearby circle of friends filled their weeks.
  • They made room for grandchildren and spontaneous RV trips.

How it felt

  • He valued being able to leave plans open. “we love retirement”
  • He regretted extra years spent making sure they were ready. “I lost valuable time”
RecoveryTravelFamily
ESI Retiree 43 (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: we love retirement

Retirement life / personal reflection; exact short excerpt: I lost valuable time

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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