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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
Wealth
Years
Posts
61–70 of 541 posts

The fun jobs were fun—until the phone could ring.

2026 · Year 4

Life at the time

  • Left both optional jobs to regain control of the schedule.
  • Made more weekday friends and reconsidered a long-running car hobby.

How it felt

  • Decided that working on someone else’s schedule outweighed the jobs’ benefits. “being on someone else's schedule again was not worth the upsides”
  • Found more people available to share retirement time. “I've made several more friends this last year”

The layoff ended the waiting. Retirement became an experiment.

Dec 2025

Life at the time

  • Taught a college course and brought former colleagues into a student discussion.
  • Traveled with friends and family, and attended a first FI/RE meetup.

How it felt

  • Enjoyed sharing professional experience with students. “I enjoyed bringing industry experience to college students.”
  • Disliked the administration involved in managing a class of 250. “I didn't enjoy the administrative overhead”

A move to Spain became a comfortable semi-retirement

Dec 2025 · Year 1.5

Life at the time

  • Combined part-time consulting with life abroad.
  • Built friendships with other families through the children.

How it felt

  • Enjoyed spending more freely with earnings coming in. “massive mental bonus”
  • Felt happy and socially settled enough to extend the stay. “our social life has been wonderful.”

Leaving the last job makes room for both races and rest

Dec 2025Recalled in 2026

Life at the time

  • He won a regional cycling race and completed his first ultramarathon.
  • Cycling and running groups brought friends; park reading restored a slower rhythm.

How it felt

  • The athletic progress felt meaningful after earlier struggles with weight. “a massive achievement”
  • He was getting better at resisting guilt about unproductive rest. “I’m getting better”

A pensionless retirement finds confidence without losing its chores

Dec 2025Recalled in 2026

Life at the time

  • They continued funding expenses through dividends.
  • Managing stock reorganizations and charitable share donations occupied attention.

How it felt

  • They felt little need to react to market volatility. “we were not worried”
  • Brokerage communication failures remained a source of annoyance. “I was extremely annoyed”

Creative freedom did not replace the feeling of making a difference

Nov 2025

Life at the time

  • Has found a state-government job in his field.
  • Continues engaging with his subject while weighing the return.

How it felt

  • Misses feeling relevant and having an impact. “I just don't feel as relevant anymore”
  • Feels ambivalent but believes he may not be finished with work. “I'm not done yet”

Five magnificent years gave way to restlessness. A new season needed a new plan.

Nov 2025

Life at the time

  • Traveled in Greece and Nepal and spent time climbing with a new partner.
  • Considered selling his house; the sale had not happened in this update.

How it felt

  • Had become dissatisfied with relying on self-study to fill the gap. “Bored with self-study”
  • Reported feeling calmer, although anxiety and uncertainty remained. “I’m calmer today than I was a year ago”

Time freedom makes space for recovery and slow travel

Nov 2025Recalled in 2025

Life at the time

  • He and Lorri completed an unhurried road trip across the country.
  • They booked lodging along the way and visited parks, family and friends.

How it felt

  • Traveling without work or school constraints felt liberating. “truly freeing”
  • The podcast and blog remained meaningful contributions and sources of gratitude. “the most meningful work”

Three years to stop needing a productive outcome

Oct 2025 · Year 3

Life at the time

  • Spends mornings on quiet time, stretching and exercise before lunch with his wife.
  • Dropped a repetitive AI project while keeping games, friends and small experiments.

How it felt

  • Feels freer without needing each interest to succeed. “I don't even need a mission”
  • Is surprised that the pressure to accomplish has eased. “feel truly free”

A slower life arrived after the next-business itch

Oct 2025 · Year 4

Life at the time

  • Spends hours on health and learning, with dates and monthly travel.
  • Takes trips with longtime friends and has identified local groups to try.

How it felt

  • Has settled into a slower life. “settled down and into a slower life”
  • Finds it difficult to meet peers and coordinate with working friends. “hard to sync up”

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