afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2025—2026

A year without work proved the exit was real.

u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy turned a layoff into a trial retirement. The days were easy to fill; finding company while friends worked was harder. After a year, a relationship and the chance to rebuild earnings drew him back to employment. The difference was knowing the exit was real—and available again.

Finances
Investments at retirement2025-07 · Personal
$535,000

Reported investment portfolio at the trial’s start, plus a separate cash runway; the later rounded $600k starting total uses a broader basis.

Source
Posts3
2025
Post 01

The layoff becomes breathing room

“It has been 2 weeks since my last day of work and I've really enjoyed the time off.”

u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_AwyRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Began a deliberate trial of life without work.
  • Kept cash accessible instead of immediately paying off the mortgage.

How it felt

  • Enjoyed the first two weeks away without a return date looming. “I've really enjoyed the time off.”
  • Wanted financial flexibility while testing whether the break could continue. “I simply don't want to tie up the money”
RecoveryFreedomChange
u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy (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.

Two-week check-in: time off and cash decisions.

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

2026Year 0.5
Post 02

An open day is easier than an available friend

“Filling my day has not been a challenge.”

u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_AwyRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Continued the retirement trial for six months on a modest budget.
  • Friends and relatives largely remained in work.

How it felt

  • Had little difficulty filling the day without employment. “Filling my day has not been a challenge.”
  • Extra free time had not automatically produced more time together. “Friends/family still working means I don't see them much more than normal”
RoutineFriendsFreedom
u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy (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.

Six-month reflection: filling days, friends and portfolio.

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

2026Year 1
Post 03

Returning with an exit still open

“That freedom is a wild feeling.”

u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_AwyRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Returned to employment after a year away.
  • Considered a partner’s wish to retire together and keeping professional skills current.

How it felt

  • The trial had increased confidence in the option to leave work. “That freedom is a wild feeling.”
  • Was evaluating employment week by week rather than assuming a long commitment. “Right now I'm taking employment week by week”
WorkPartnersFreedom
u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy (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.

Final update: relationship, employment and week-by-week approach.

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.

  • This is an explicitly temporary retirement trial followed by renewed employment. The first post’s title says 2026 but was published in 2025 and describes the first two weeks. Portfolio and cash-inclusive totals differ.
  • This is a selection of reviewed updates, not a complete account history. No later life outcome is inferred from the absence of another indexed post.

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