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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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521–530 of 541 posts

Freedom gives a generalist time to recover

Jun 2014 · Year 2

“Even after two years, I am still in the recovery phase”

Ermine · Simple Living in SuffolkRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • He built shelters, repaired tractors and worked on irrigation and coding projects.
  • Photography and recording brought some incidental earnings.

How it felt

  • He was surprised still to be recovering from work stress. “still in the recovery phase”
  • General interests could now flourish outside a restrictive workplace. “free rein”
RecoveryCuriosityCreativity
Ermine · Simple Living in Suffolk
Read original postsimplelivingsomerset.wordpress.com

He escaped Sunday-night dread. A decade later, even freedom needed downtime.

Mar 2014 · Year 0.5

“Now I don’t have Sunday nights anymore.”

Justin McCurry · Root of GoodRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Read, cooked, learned, played games and cared for three children.
  • Built a household routine while his wife continued working.

How it felt

  • Enjoyed losing the Sunday-night countdown to another working week. “Now I don’t have Sunday nights anymore.”
  • Was content with ordinary days rather than pursuing a grand replacement mission. “Just enjoying life each day.”
RoutineFamilyFriends
Justin McCurry · Root of Good
Read original postsachachua.com

The search for useful days eventually became an overflowing calendar

Mar 2014Recalled in 2025

““Feeling useful” is probably the single most important attribute I've needed to experience during this time away.”

Sam Dogen / Financial SamuraiRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Used a morning production schedule to write before enjoying the rest of the day.
  • Experimented with a book, extended travel and an advertising business.

How it felt

  • Wanted to feel useful after leaving full-time work. “Feeling useful”
  • Found writing particularly satisfying and missed it after days away. “extremely satisfying”
PurposeParenthoodRoutine
Sam Dogen / Financial Samurai
Read original postfinancialsamurai.com

Flying and service gave an unexpectedly early exit direction

2014Recalled in 2019

“really missed the people more than the job.”

ESI Retiree 10Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • An unexpected contract layoff ended full-time office work.
  • Flight training and familiar causes filled some space.

How it felt

  • He initially missed colleagues more than the position. “missed the people”
  • Occasional boredom accompanied the adjustment. “a little bored”
PurposeFreedomRoutine
ESI Retiree 10
Read original postesimoney.com

He kept accepting offers. Real retirement began when he started declining them.

2014Recalled in 2020

“not at all what I had expected”

ESI Retiree 26Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • A final visit with his father was followed by transition work and coaching.
  • Consulting filled much of the first eighteen months.

How it felt

  • His own interests kept being postponed. “almost nothing that I wanted”
  • He realized appealing requests could still be poor fits. “not at all what I had expected”
BoundariesMoneyPurpose
ESI Retiree 26
Read original postesimoney.com

A home fit for a while. Traveling light fit better later.

2014 · Year 30

“more trouble than it was worth”

Paul & Vicki TerhorstRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • They had sold the Argentina house in 2012 and continued traveling.
  • Travel interests had shifted toward Europe while retaining visits to Thailand.

How it felt

  • Managing a house had felt more burdensome than worthwhile. “more trouble than it was worth”
  • They were more concerned about remaining time than running out of money. “We're running out of time”
SimplicityTravelChange
Paul & Vicki Terhorst
Read original postretireearlylifestyle.com

They retired to travel the world. Then family life rewrote the plan.

Dec 2013 · Year 1

“We left the stresses and inconveniences of the working world behind, and found happiness and contentment through everyday experiences.”

Jeremy Jacobson · Go Curry CrackerRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Traveled through Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and the Pacific Northwest.
  • Combined travel with language lessons, cooking, new skills and friendships.

How it felt

  • Described the first full retirement year as a success. “our first year of early retirement was a great success”
  • Found satisfaction in ordinary experiences as well as the larger adventures. “found happiness and contentment through everyday experiences”
TravelCuriosityContentment
Jeremy Jacobson · Go Curry Cracker
Read original postgocurrycracker.com

Retiring from first careers opens a life overseas

Nov 2013Interview snapshot · published 2020-08

“We moved overseas so that we can be professionally engaged and yet do the things that we are interested in such as traveling, arts, entertainment.”

ESI Millionaire 197Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • After early retirement from their first jobs, the couple moved overseas to combine continued professional engagement with travel, arts and entertainment.

How it felt

  • They enjoyed the mix of work and leisure and were unsure that staying home without work would suit them. “We moved overseas so that we can be professionally engaged”
WorkTravelHome
ESI Millionaire 197
Read original postesimoney.com

Freedom came easily. Finding nearby friends took more work.

2013Recalled in 2019

“I felt a huge relief, and the absence-of-stress was amazing.”

ESI Retiree 1Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Unstructured days replaced project-management demands.
  • His wife had already retired; he initially kept his departure private.

How it felt

  • Relief exposed how much stress he had absorbed. “lack of structure”
  • Enjoying solitude was easier than explaining retirement to working friends. “huge relief”
FriendsFreedomFamily
ESI Retiree 1
Read original postesimoney.com

They imagined months away. Home, friends and flexible work changed the plan.

Jun 2012

“we love it”

Steve & Lynn MillerRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • They had moved from Denver to a Florida condo.
  • Steve reduced work to a few transition-consulting hours as their sons prepared for college.

How it felt

  • They loved their new home and anticipated longer journeys. “we love it”
  • Raising their sons was their proudest accomplishment. “our greatest accomplishment”
HomeFamilyChange
Steve & Lynn Miller
Read original postretireearlylifestyle.com

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