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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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51–60 of 88 posts

Owning more places can mean having less free time

May 2021Interview snapshot · published 2021-07

Life at the time

  • Retired while her husband still worked, she handled cooking, cleaning and upkeep across a home and vacation properties.

How it felt

  • She found the maintenance burden substantial and questioned whether they could use everything they owned. “the work involved with taking care of all these assets is tremendous”

A frightening market coincided with a reassuring new community

Jan 2021Recalled in 2021

Life at the time

  • Community fees replaced her cheaper former living arrangement.
  • She awaited a safe return to volunteer tutoring.

How it felt

  • Her new home exceeded expectations. “I am calmer”
  • She felt calmer knowing she could afford to stay. “exceeds my hopes”

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!”

A damaged RV, a market slump and a new home change the dream

2021Recalled in 2026

Life at the time

  • They sold possessions and began RV life in February.
  • An interstate collision left them living at a repair shop for weeks.

How it felt

  • Reaching their financial target initially felt wonderful. “Life was good!!”
  • The repeated setbacks made the start harder than expected. “a challenge”

He quit the job. The laundry never ended.

Nov 2020

Life at the time

  • Confirmed that the household had retired. “We pulled the trigger”
  • Traveled for a couple of months, then settled in a lower-cost area.

How it felt

  • Said the transition was going well but life was unexpectedly busy. “just busier than I ever expected.”
  • This was a brief early confirmation, before the fuller account of family pressures.

A flooded first home did not undo the appeal of quiet retirement

Nov 2020 · Year 1

Life at the time

  • Fills time with digital entertainment, small projects and afternoon naps.
  • Plays a weekly online role-playing campaign while in-person activities are shut.

How it felt

  • Enjoys being alone most of the time and reports no boredom. “living a boring, relaxing life”
  • Wants a relaxing life and has no wish to change it now. “no desire to change it anytime soon”

Travel opened the world. Deciding where home belonged proved harder.

Nov 2020 · Year 4

Life at the time

  • Travel, skiing, cycling and blogging widened his interests.
  • They were testing a split between France and the UK.

How it felt

  • He enjoyed becoming more willing to try things. “a new mindset”
  • A settled sense of home remained elusive. “where home is or should be”

A home built for family became the base for a surprisingly full calendar

Aug 2020Recalled in 2025

Life at the time

  • They had moved into their custom home in late 2019.
  • Golf and several board positions filled the week.

How it felt

  • The house brought them joy. “brings us joy”
  • They anticipated returning to travel after restrictions. “looking forward”

Two homes, and two different weekday routines

Aug 2020Interview snapshot · published 2020-11

Life at the time

  • He split retirement between northern and southern homes, reading and swimming while his wife continued working remotely.

How it felt

  • He loved the island lifestyle while recognizing the contrast with his wife's indoor working days. “Love the island lifestyle.”

Six quiet months came first. Then a long trail—and a grandchild—changed the pace.

Jul 2020Recalled in 2023

Life at the time

  • Television, games, reading and long sleeps filled six months.
  • An approaching Appalachian Trail hike prompted regular training.

How it felt

  • Rest felt good after intense demands. “the time off felt good”
  • He eventually wanted activities that felt more fulfilling. “not accomplishing anything fulfilling”

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