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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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421–430 of 541 posts

He could go anywhere. Six years later, he wanted to stay home.

May 2019 · Year 1

Life at the time

  • Volunteered as an English teacher in Bangkok and returned home after about ten months.
  • Accepted a small remote role from a former employer.

How it felt

  • Looked back positively on the travel, volunteering and people he met. “Regret nothing, would do it all over again.”
  • The paid role still felt manageable because it had stayed limited. “it hasn't grown into anything bigger yet”

A busy move eased the exit. Then they had to protect some quiet time.

Apr 2019 · Year 2

Life at the time

  • Exercise, home projects and civic activities filled flexible days.
  • Their new social circle was far busier than before retirement.

How it felt

  • They valued spending time together and separately. “me time”
  • An overflowing calendar could feel stressful to him. “we actually have to scale back”

He could choose his projects. Their shared adventures were still on hold.

Apr 2019 · Year 0.75

Life at the time

  • Writing, pro bono consulting and household tasks shaped his days.
  • Travel and an overseas move remained plans for after his wife stopped working.

How it felt

  • Creative interests were returning. “I feel like I’m in limbo”
  • He felt guilty about adventures she could not share. “a part of me feels guilty”

Losing the job was painful. Life afterward was mostly good—and sometimes boring.

Apr 2019 · Year 4

Life at the time

  • Gym visits, friends and outings filled a relaxed week.
  • The couple regularly visited their second home in the Southwest.

How it felt

  • He sometimes felt bored or obliged to work. “there are days I’m just bored”
  • His wife remained content without another job. “she loves not working”

The bucket list did not run itself. Neither did the friendships.

Apr 2019 · Year 3

Life at the time

  • Regularly initiated invitations and renewed friendships from earlier stages of life.
  • Kept separate morning activities and shared dates, volunteering and later plans.

How it felt

  • Recognized that a social life needed someone to make arrangements. “designated planners”
  • Made reaching out to other people an almost daily habit. “I try to reach out to someone almost every day”

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

Apr 2019Recalled in 2023

Life at the time

  • An unexpected layoff ended his treasury career.
  • He began building a travel agency around an existing interest.

How it felt

  • He disliked losing control of the departure date. “wasn’t happy”
  • Leaving an unfulfilling job opened a more enjoyable direction. “something now I enjoy”

She recovered her sleep and good mood. A bigger purpose could wait.

Mar 2019 · Year 1.5

Life at the time

  • Breakfast with her working partner anchored the morning.
  • Exercise, housework, photography and cooking shaped ordinary days.

How it felt

  • Lower stress improved life together. “My stress level is way down.”
  • Questions about a larger purpose remained unresolved. “bigger purpose”

Freedom came easily. Finding nearby friends took more work.

Mar 2019 · Year 6

Life at the time

  • Home repairs and helping relatives filled parts of the week.
  • His wife pursued yoga, food preserving and fiber arts.

How it felt

  • New friendships required deliberate effort. “Still working on it.”
  • Formal volunteer roles felt too much like work. “Working as a volunteer is still working.”

Freedom did not transform him overnight. Parenting made it real.

Mar 2019

Life at the time

  • Prepared meals, helped with schoolwork and volunteered while Mindy worked.
  • Built much of his routine around the children’s day.

How it felt

  • Sometimes found family life frustrating enough to imagine being back at the office. “On some days, I wish I was at work”
  • Also felt he had worked too long; gratitude and irritation coexisted. “I also worked too long.”

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