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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.

Age
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31–40 of 48 posts

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

Oct 2021 · Year 1

Life at the time

  • Explored nearby nature and spent time with family after the pandemic canceled international travel.
  • Took almost a year to start sleeping well and waking rested.

How it felt

  • Enjoyed the open time without missing the job or feeling bored. “I haven’t had one SECOND of thinking ‘I’m bored.’”
  • Felt calmer and more curious as energy returned. “I have my curiosity and love of life back.”

Birdwatching and pickleball while travel waits

Sep 2021Interview snapshot · published 2022-02

Life at the time

  • After retiring in June 2021, he and his wife took up birdwatching and pickleball while pandemic conditions constrained travel.

How it felt

  • He remained eager for travel and volunteering, but acknowledged that their activities were still restricted. “we are still limited in our activities.”

The worry about boredom gave way to crowded days of discovery

Jul 2021Recalled in 2021

Life at the time

  • Both quit their jobs and began a nomadic life.
  • They returned to their home countries in Europe.

How it felt

  • She wondered whether she would become bored. “I thought I would get bored”
  • They wanted room to discover what made them happy. “take our time”

Pickleball joins the home-project list

Feb 2021Interview snapshot · published 2021-06

Life at the time

  • After leaving nursing in September 2020, she tackled home projects and household work, then joined a gym and began regular pickleball.

How it felt

  • She was surprised by her happiness in retirement, though she still wanted interests beyond an eventually finite project list. “I definitely need to find some new hobbies.”

Retirement began with relief. Belonging took more effort.

2021 · Year 1

Life at the time

  • Moved into a slower routine of cooking, yoga, skiing and reading.
  • Spent the first retirement holidays at home instead of traveling between celebrations.

How it felt

  • Finally had room to recover from the pressure of working life. “It was a relief to finally decompress and relax.”
  • Money was taking up much less of their daily attention. “it has mostly ceased to matter very much!”

Engineering remains a pleasure after retirement

Sep 2020Interview snapshot · published 2021-02

Life at the time

  • Retired from full-time engineering business demands, he continued teaching and working on selected projects.

How it felt

  • He enjoyed keeping a connection to the firm he had co-founded, primarily for fun even when projects earned income. “Primarily for fun”

A home routine built around health, learning and people

Jul 2020Interview snapshot · published 2020-11

Life at the time

  • The Financial Freedom Countdown author described a retirement routine of the gym, home cooking, naps, inspiring projects, social time and reading.

How it felt

  • He had traded higher earnings and visible assignments for more control of his time before fully retiring. “This is my current routine when I am at home and not traveling.”

Retirement and divorce arrived together. A different life still took shape.

Apr 2020Recalled in 2023

Life at the time

  • Divorce followed soon after his corporate departure.
  • The change brought simultaneous financial and emotional demands.

How it felt

  • Divorce overshadowed any feelings about leaving work. “emotional and financial challenges”
  • He did not consider returning to employment. “earned a good salary”

Retirement became a return to school and a new kind of work

Jan 2020Recalled in 2022

Life at the time

  • She began a master’s program after her December exit.
  • Financial-literacy projects continued alongside study.

How it felt

  • The pandemic made her first retirement year feel strange. “super weird”
  • She wanted an academic fresh start. “academic do-over”

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