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Explore turning points, everyday joys and unexpected challenges after financial independence or retirement, with the date and original source for each account.

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A little golf-course work after project management

Jun 2025Interview snapshot · published 2025-08

Life at the time

  • After leaving project management, he worked about ten hours weekly at a golf course while his wife changed jobs following their move.

How it felt

  • He described both partners as more relaxed, while losses among friends and family tempered the new stage. “The worst part is losing friends and family to death”

They could afford freedom. Agreeing on what it meant was harder.

Mar 2025

Life at the time

  • Pursued counseling and a couples retreat.
  • Worked on clearer expectations and healthier boundaries.

How it felt

  • Recognized that a better external situation would not automatically repair the relationship. “It Won’t Be Better When”
  • Was still working on separating his own well-being from his wife’s happiness. “I am working on creating and enforcing healthier boundaries.”

He retired. His calendar filled with people who needed him.

Aug 2024 · Year 6

Life at the time

  • Traveled with his partner during her school-year summer break.
  • Returned to a garden that had received less attention during the trips.

How it felt

  • Accepted that his partner still wanted to work, shaping the time they could share. “my spouse has chosen to continue to work for now”
  • The deaths of friends sharpened his sense that health and time were uncertain. “Health is fickle”

The portfolio soared. Feeling free took much longer.

Jan 2024 · Year 3

Life at the time

  • Spent more deliberately on experiences and people close to him.
  • Adjusted to a working partner’s schedule and changing workplace friendships.

How it felt

  • Felt uneasy as returning to a prestigious career seemed less plausible. “a door closing on ambition and prestige”
  • Also reported better health and greater happiness than while working. “I'm a happier, healthier person, with less anxiety.”

The portfolio soared. Feeling free took much longer.

2024 · Year 3

Life at the time

  • Built a steadier morning routine while his partner continued working.
  • Spent time on friendships and personal projects.

How it felt

  • Still missed some professional status and technical conversation. “I sometimes miss the prestige and techie conversations”
  • Found that practical habits helped the household live with different schedules. “a decent morning routine”

She escaped the office. Then burned out planning the next trip.

Oct 2023 · Year 3

Life at the time

  • Planned fewer outings, slept longer when needed and made room for reading. “I planned less things to do and enjoyed a good book”
  • Still spent more than three months abroad, including Singapore and Australia.

How it felt

  • Recognized that an overfull schedule could exhaust her even without a job. “And that just won’t do in retirement!”
  • Valued quiet time alongside travel, rather than treating every possibility as an obligation.

Monday became welcome. Learning helped keep the rest of the week interesting.

May 2023 · Year 1

Life at the time

  • College classes and tour-guide training joined exercise and gardening.
  • Lunches with retired friends and regular calls maintained connection.

How it felt

  • He was rarely bored. “too much to do”
  • Keeping enough intellectual challenge remained a question for the future. “intellectually challenged”

Sharing retirement meant renegotiating the house, the chores and the conversation.

Jan 2023 · Year 4

Life at the time

  • Meals, exercise and Spanish study provided shared time.
  • Travel and individual projects coexisted with deliberately separate activities.

How it felt

  • A new communication approach reduced conflict. “drastically decreased our conflicts”
  • Retirement made emotions easier to handle without eliminating them. “negative feelings”

A layoff became a travel business—and time to help his parents.

2023 · Year 4

Life at the time

  • Travel clients, volunteer boards and trips filled his calendar.
  • He could spend weeks helping his mother recover from surgery.

How it felt

  • He liked the freedom to accept opportunities. “do whatever I want”
  • He looked forward to his wife’s planned retirement, which had not yet happened. “my wife is still working”

She escaped the office. Then burned out planning the next trip.

Sep 2022 · Year 2

Life at the time

  • Spent weeks in Thailand and Mexico, alongside visits to nine US states.
  • Began leaving recovery time between trips and revisiting familiar places.

How it felt

  • Her still-working partner helped put everyday inconveniences in perspective. “Tiny inconveniences are not real problems.”
  • Wanted permission to slow down even with more places available to visit. “I have decided to give myself permission to slow down.”

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