Here's the questions to the description below: Were any of you in this situation 10 years ago? How has it worked out? Any surprises or other issues to watch out for? Anything you'd do differently?
Here's the description:
Am I missing something here in Paradise?
I ER'd 18 months ago (age 42) on a small govt pension that permits lifetime unemployment. Married, kid finishing elementary school, frugal lifestyle, with a retirement portfolio (& spouse's pension) overcapitalized to survive at least another six decades. We've survived & prospered through the bear market (so far). Life is good & worry-free.
Life is busy, too. Parenting, home improvement, exercising, reading, investing, and surfing (both ocean & Internet) more than fill our days and leave us happily exhausted by nightfall. Our to-do list is getting longer, not shorter. With all of these compelling interests, I can't imagine how I used to find the time to go to work.
Work was fulfilling and (mostly) enjoyable, but I don't miss it a bit. During the retirement process, we were heavily conditioned on how to seek further employment. Admittedly most of my less-frugal compatriots, with more kids and debts, will be employed for another 20+ years. And some of the others just can't imagine NOT being employed. One or two have even tried to retire and gone groveling back to their offices. But my father & father-in-law, my mentors, have been happily retired for 17 & 8 years with no issues. I feel lucky to have their help in overcoming the brainwashing.
So I can't believe that it's been 18 months already. I don't miss commuting, business clothes, meetings, suffering fools gladly, and 50-hour workweeks. I enjoy the tasks we've set before us but I can see that they'll dwindle in the next five years. I'm pretty sure that new interests will arise (and our kid will be a licensed driver by then!) so I don't see life getting less busy.
What the heck is my problem, right? Well, I'm a bit surprised to discover that I don't have one. Apparently I rightfully ignored the "You'll be so BORED!" and "But what will you DO all day?!?" warnings and I'm happy to say that I see plenty of self-imposed challenges in my busy future. I don't think I'll never chase a paycheck again and I don't think I'll ever revert to the office environment. I raise this issue more from an engineer's paranoia than from angst.
Advice? Comments?
Here's the description:
Am I missing something here in Paradise?
I ER'd 18 months ago (age 42) on a small govt pension that permits lifetime unemployment. Married, kid finishing elementary school, frugal lifestyle, with a retirement portfolio (& spouse's pension) overcapitalized to survive at least another six decades. We've survived & prospered through the bear market (so far). Life is good & worry-free.
Life is busy, too. Parenting, home improvement, exercising, reading, investing, and surfing (both ocean & Internet) more than fill our days and leave us happily exhausted by nightfall. Our to-do list is getting longer, not shorter. With all of these compelling interests, I can't imagine how I used to find the time to go to work.
Work was fulfilling and (mostly) enjoyable, but I don't miss it a bit. During the retirement process, we were heavily conditioned on how to seek further employment. Admittedly most of my less-frugal compatriots, with more kids and debts, will be employed for another 20+ years. And some of the others just can't imagine NOT being employed. One or two have even tried to retire and gone groveling back to their offices. But my father & father-in-law, my mentors, have been happily retired for 17 & 8 years with no issues. I feel lucky to have their help in overcoming the brainwashing.
So I can't believe that it's been 18 months already. I don't miss commuting, business clothes, meetings, suffering fools gladly, and 50-hour workweeks. I enjoy the tasks we've set before us but I can see that they'll dwindle in the next five years. I'm pretty sure that new interests will arise (and our kid will be a licensed driver by then!) so I don't see life getting less busy.
What the heck is my problem, right? Well, I'm a bit surprised to discover that I don't have one. Apparently I rightfully ignored the "You'll be so BORED!" and "But what will you DO all day?!?" warnings and I'm happy to say that I see plenty of self-imposed challenges in my busy future. I don't think I'll never chase a paycheck again and I don't think I'll ever revert to the office environment. I raise this issue more from an engineer's paranoia than from angst.
Advice? Comments?