6 Months FIREd: An Update

[megacorp-firee]

I have crossed the 6 month mark of being FIREd. I am still grinning from ear to ear. I am too busy (and don't have the inclination) to answer the question 'what do you do all day?'. My friends and former colleagues still can't believe I did this and are starting to really become envious now that they know I am not going back to w*rk. One of my good friends and colleague from my megacorp days (he went out on his own, a consulting firm) said I'm the only person he knows that has not called to ask him for a job. I have been traveling around the globe for about 1/2 the time and am enjoying the heck out of it. I think I'm really gonna like this FIRE stuff.


My apologies if it seems that I am glouting...
Have a Happy New Year

[Want2retire]

Originally Posted by megacorp-firee

I have crossed the 6 month mark of being FIREd. I am still grinning from ear to ear. I am too busy (and don't have the inclination) to answer the question 'what do you do all day?'. My friends and former colleagues still can't believe I did this and are starting to really become envious now that they know I am not going back to w*rk. One of my good friends and colleague from my megacorp days (he went out on his own, a consulting firm) said I'm the only person he knows that has not called to ask him for a job. I have been traveling around the globe for about 1/2 the time and am enjoying the heck out of it. I think I'm really gonna like this FIRE stuff.


My apologies if it seems that I am glouting...
Have a Happy New Year

Well, you have every right to gloat, even if you aren't! I think this is very reassuring to hear, and I hope my ER in a couple of years turns out to be as much fun.

Happy New Year to you, too, even though it's obvious yours is going to be very happy.

[retiringat50]

so what do you do to keep yourself busy?

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by retiringat50

so what do you do to keep yourself busy?

Who says you need to be "busy" in retirement? Sounds like someone has poisoned your mind...

[Bikerdude]

Happy New Year! Now, what do you do all day? besides what ever you want to do , whatever seems like fun at the time , other stuff that you do not have to have working people in your way to do , taking a nap if you want . Travel to where there is no snow or to where there is snow when you want . Need I go on .

[Jake46]

I've been ERd since June 1. It's been the best time of my life. I don't worry about keeping busy. If I need to do something, I do, if not, I don't.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by retiringat50

so what do you do to keep yourself busy?

(FAQ archive) But... what will I do all day?

[megacorp-firee]

Originally Posted by Jake46

I've been ERd since June 1. It's been the best time of my life. I don't worry about keeping busy. If I need to do something, I do, if not, I don't.

ditto ... busy is the wrong term for me to use. I guess it's a carry over from my w*rk days.
I go to sleep when I want to... I wake up (to the chagrin of my DW) when I want to ... unless of course we are meeting friends or family for something fun ... I have gotten up earl(ier)y for that.
I am currently 'out of the midwest' where it is 0 degrees or lower and snowy and in a climate where people are complaining about it being cold at 59 degrees and actually have down coats on (thinned out blood I guess )
Traveling and visiting friends and family have taken up the bulk of my time ... 2 months in Las Vegas (to get it out of my system ... with NO success ... i.e. want to go back again soon). Been through Hong Kong and parts of China ... planning on going back (it's a big place).
...sounds like a very hectic schedule, ... but actually we are doing this rather leisurely ....
...oh yes did I mention we are having a GREAT time? Just had dinner in an exotic location with 2 of my DWs friends that I have not seen in 3 years.

Thanks to all... I hope this encourages more to LBYMs and continue to save and plan for FIRE.

[Dawg54]

"Your gonna be bored. You might feel like your on vacation for a few months, but you will become bored." At least that is what one friend told me. Of course he is still working so how would he know?

[megacorp-firee]

Originally Posted by Dawg52

"Your gonna be bored. You might feel like your on vacation for a few months, but you will become bored." At least that is what one friend told me. Of course he is still working so how would he know?

Possible, but I DON'T think so. Will report back at the 1 year mark. Time does seem to be flying by though. Tell your w*rking friend to keep that nose to the grindstone.

[SteveR]

It has been a little over 7 months for us and we are still adjusting to the new lifestyle. Now that the dogs are getting older they allow us to sleep until 7:30AM now. After leaving the house at 6:30AM for a couple of decades I welcome the time shift of being able to stay up later and sleep later (which has always been my desired pattern but was screwed up by working 12+ hour days.)

We are still trying to purge our systems of the stress of working for Mega Corps for over three decades and that looks like it will take a while longer.

We are so busy we have a calendar to keep up with our various appointments and projects but we are also trying to get the house ready to sell and that has taken longer due to the holidays. By the middle of Feb. we should be ready and then we will just have to keep the place held together during the snowy winter we are having (forcasting three more storms in the next week).

The downsizing continues and we are on round two of some rooms. We have two closest empty now and a third one about half way. We have culled out books and old papers and can see the floor of the office closet again. I am still dealing with a bunch of stuff my late wife collected and hope to find a home for it soon.

The dogs are in "school" so that keeps us busy but we are starting to see that they are starting to "get it" and life with them is calming down a bit. They are now 9 months old so we believe the worst is behind us.

We have taken three RV trips since May for a total of 10,000 miles and 65 days. We love the RV but still like having a house. One reason for selling the house is getting to a place where the weather will allow us more travel time without having to babysit the house or the yard. We would like to spend 4-5 months on the road and staying with family and we may get to do that in 2008 (once the house sells).

I made two trips to see my mother back East and stayed for several weeks. I would not have been able to do this had I still been w*rking. At 85 years old one never knows how many more years she has left.

We are planning a family cruise in April to the Caribbean. That will be fun with two grandkids and their parents and several of their friends.

We have 3 RV trips partially planned (timing depends on the house sale or Spring)...which ever comes first. One will be a 3 month trip back East along with a couple of months in Hilton Head. Another to Calif. to visit more family and a trip to Oregon again we hope.

Bored? I don't have time to be bored!

[megacorp-firee]

Originally Posted by SteveR

We are still trying to purge our systems of the stress of working for Mega Corps for over three decades and that looks like it will take a while longer...
The downsizing continues and we are on round two of some rooms. We have two closest empty now and a third one about half way. We have culled out books and old papers and can see the floor of the office closet again. I am still dealing with a bunch of stuff my late wife collected and hope to find a home for it soon.

We tried to do that in the 3 months between traveling... without success. I guess we will try that again when we get back
I too busy FIRE'ing

[StJohnsWood]

Congratulations and a question. How long before you started to realize all that info in your head about your job, company, industry was worthless and let it go?

That is the thing I can not wait on when I LCA (Leave Corporate America). You will be able to hear the flush for miles.

[CyclingInvestor]

Originally Posted by StJohnsWood

How long before you started to realize all that info in your head about your job, company, industry was worthless and let it go?

It happened as I walked out the building and started the ride home. That was 14 months ago,
and my only thoughts about work since has been remembering my final meeting with my boss
where he laid out how my job was going to be changing soon (more responsibilities, longer
hours, new XtremProgramming environment) and I gave notice at the end of it.

[Bigritchie]

Originally Posted by CyclingInvestor

It happened as I walked out the building and started the ride home. That was 14 months ago,
and my only thoughts about work since has been remembering my final meeting with my boss
where he laid out how my job was going to be changing soon (more responsibilities, longer
hours, new XtremProgramming environment) and I gave notice at the end of it.

LOL

[megacorp-firee]

Originally Posted by StJohnsWood

Congratulations and a question. How long before you started to realize all that info in your head about your job, company, industry was worthless and let it go?

Great question. Answer: It was about 1 month before I retired. I was doing turnover calls and answering questions about where all the skeletons intellectual property could be found. I realized that I had all of this worthless corporate BS in my head ... and that it was still important to someone .... I was laughing my a** off on these conference calls.... thank god for the mute button.

Thanks for reminding me.