Onward
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
- Messages
- 1,934
Well, this is a very strange moment. I've been lurking on this board devotedly for eight long years. I even remember dryer sheets. I'm a 46-yr-old single guy living in Southern California.
Eight years ago I was flat broke and unemployed, despite a grueling, six-month-long job search. I was living in a friend's spare bedroom, and I was miserable.
I had been raised to believe that money was an afterthought, a necessary evil, and that friends and being a good person were all that mattered. Eight years ago I learned that that attitude is punished mercilessly in this world. I learned that, while friends and goodness are what make life worthwhile, financial independence is an absolute prerequisite to peace of mind and anything resembling real freedom.
All along I resisted posting anything here. Part of it was that I didn't feel qualified, since I wasn't early-retired. I was definitely a Young(ish) Dreamer, but I told myself I wouldn`t post until I was really FIRED, no matter how long that took. So I just keep reading the board night after night, year after year. I did register a while back, just to reserve a screen name I liked. And I FireCalced, FireCalced, FireCalced, over and over, up, down, and sideways. Of course, I Bogled, Bernsteined, and ESR-Bobbed too.
Today I gave 30-day notice at my job as a software developer. A 3-4% withdrawal rate will give me the lifestyle I want: simple, free, nomadic, and global. I've lived and travelled extensively overseas and know that I love it. The Terhorsts and Kalderlis are on my short list of heroes.
So I'll spend the spring fishing with my dad, and the summer travelling in one of the many (cheaper) regions of the world that I'm thirsty to explore. Afterwards, I'll rinse and repeat. I'm sure there will be some setbacks, but nothing I can't overcome. To be honest, right now I'm experiencing a strange mix of terror and joy.
So at last I've written the post that was eight years in the making! In those eight years there were many, many moments of darkness and doubt, and coming to this board each night helped pull me through. You folks reminded me that there truly is a way out of the corporate meat grinder, and that real freedom and clarity are achievable. Thank you.
Eight years ago I was flat broke and unemployed, despite a grueling, six-month-long job search. I was living in a friend's spare bedroom, and I was miserable.
I had been raised to believe that money was an afterthought, a necessary evil, and that friends and being a good person were all that mattered. Eight years ago I learned that that attitude is punished mercilessly in this world. I learned that, while friends and goodness are what make life worthwhile, financial independence is an absolute prerequisite to peace of mind and anything resembling real freedom.
All along I resisted posting anything here. Part of it was that I didn't feel qualified, since I wasn't early-retired. I was definitely a Young(ish) Dreamer, but I told myself I wouldn`t post until I was really FIRED, no matter how long that took. So I just keep reading the board night after night, year after year. I did register a while back, just to reserve a screen name I liked. And I FireCalced, FireCalced, FireCalced, over and over, up, down, and sideways. Of course, I Bogled, Bernsteined, and ESR-Bobbed too.
Today I gave 30-day notice at my job as a software developer. A 3-4% withdrawal rate will give me the lifestyle I want: simple, free, nomadic, and global. I've lived and travelled extensively overseas and know that I love it. The Terhorsts and Kalderlis are on my short list of heroes.
So I'll spend the spring fishing with my dad, and the summer travelling in one of the many (cheaper) regions of the world that I'm thirsty to explore. Afterwards, I'll rinse and repeat. I'm sure there will be some setbacks, but nothing I can't overcome. To be honest, right now I'm experiencing a strange mix of terror and joy.
So at last I've written the post that was eight years in the making! In those eight years there were many, many moments of darkness and doubt, and coming to this board each night helped pull me through. You folks reminded me that there truly is a way out of the corporate meat grinder, and that real freedom and clarity are achievable. Thank you.