afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Single interview snapshot 2026

They stopped waiting and built a smaller way home

Three years of full-time travel brought long stays and control over time. A small condo reduced the cost of returning to Arizona, while distance from family remained the harder tradeoff.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2023 · Household
Not established

The essay reports selling a home and the husband's physical therapy business but does not disclose values or retirement net worth.

Source
Posts1
2026Year 3
Post 01September 30, 2026 essay

Three years of travel and a small home base

“a video call isn't the same as a hug from one of my grandkids.”

Shelly PetersonRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Long stays replaced short vacations, including two months learning to surf in Sri Lanka.
  • A small Arizona condo became a base between trips and a rental while they were away.

How it felt

  • She was glad they stopped postponing the life they wanted. “Deciding not to wait was.”
  • Distance from family remained the hardest part of traveling full-time. “control over our time.”
TravelHomeFamilyFreedom
Shelly Peterson (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Publication day. The essay describes the author's current experience and looks back on the household's 2023 transition.

Closing reflection

It's tough being away from family, but we're glad we took the leap

We ended up buying a condo to use as a home base between trips

At 53 and 56, we retired early and sold our house

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

Research

Last checked Oct 2026. The accounts are self-reported. This is one interview snapshot. It does not establish a follow-up history or present circumstances.

  • One retrospective snapshot; the couple's finances, exact retirement dates and intervening chronology remain unreviewed.

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