Finally chose my path!

[Automatika]

After over a year of waffling on how to reconcile my lust for travel and need to continue generating some kind of income I think I've made my decision. One of the things that helped me decide was reading posts on the Kaderli's website retireearlylifestyle. I realized that I can easily take a couple/few months off of work every year and travel on a much lower budget than I have been used to. So much of my travel budget has been taken up by transportation costs, I typically fly 6-8 times a year and only stay at my destination for a few days because of my available vacation days. If I didn't have that restriction I would be able to take fewer trips for longer periods of time.

I've decided to stay at my current j*b until next December and then pull the plug. After enjoying family time through the holidays I plan on starting a trip through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama and spending a couple of months traveling "on the cheap" similar to the adventures described on the Kaderli's website. After returning to Nashville in the March timeframe I will start contracting as an engineer through the spring, summer and fall. I probably won't be able to make as much money as I do now and I'm really not sure what I am going to do about health insurance yet, but I think the stress and happiness trade will be worth it.

This is also something I haven't discussed with DW yet. She is used to the shorter trips that we take throughout the year and may not be up for "roughing it" in which case I may be on my own on this first trip. If all works out well she may be more interested in the following year's plans for Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam. I am hoping to make this a regular event, traveling during the winter months and contracting for 1/2 to 3/4 of the rest of the year. Kind of a "Semi-Retirement" I guess. I have realized though that life is definitely too short and if not now, when?

[Onward]

I've found that the funny thing about travelling is: the less you spend, the more fun you have. That applies down to a very low level of spending (maybe $50/day for two, which is the Kalderli's budget).

Have a great trip.

Do you have the Kalderli's ebook on early retirement? If not, get it. After all that travelling, the prospect of coming back and j*b hunting may seem a bit, uh, unappealing.

[lhamo]

If you haven't done so already, you should check out the website "The Art of Non-Conformity" and more specifically the author's "Become a Frequent Flyer Master" guide. I haven't yet read the latter, but the website is a great resource for low-cost travel and location-independent lifestyle advice.

Hope this works out for you. I'd start discussing with your DW sooner rather than later....

lhamo

[Automatika]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lhamo If you haven't done so already, you should check out the website "The Art of Non-Conformity" and more specifically the author's "Become a Frequent Flyer Master" guide. I haven't yet read the latter, but the website is a great resource for low-cost travel and location-independent lifestyle advice. Hope this works out for you. I'd start discussing with your DW sooner rather than later.... lhamo

Thanks for the tip, looks like an interesting site and book. And the discussion with DW has already started, though she doesn't know the full extent of my nefarious plans... Part of the reason I am giving myself a year before making the leap is to read some of these books and get more advice and tips. And as onward mentioned, looking for work when I return may seem more unappealing after traveling, so plans are subject to change.

[happy2bretired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Automatika . This is also something I haven't discussed with DW yet. She is used to the shorter trips that we take throughout the year and may not be up for "roughing it" in which case I may be on my own on this first trip. If all works out well she may be more interested in the following year's plans for Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam. I am hoping to make this a regular event, traveling during the winter months and contracting for 1/2 to 3/4 of the rest of the year. Kind of a "Semi-Retirement" I guess. I have realized though that life is definitely too short and if not now, when?

I hope you discuss this with the wife very soon.

[TeeRuh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Automatika This is also something I haven't discussed with DW yet. She is used to the shorter trips that we take throughout the year and may not be up for "roughing it" in which case I may be on my own ...

Just curious; how long have you been married?

t.r.

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2bretired I hope you discuss this with the wife very soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeRuh Just curious; how long have you been married? t.r.

Wow. Good luck with your marriage. This is a huge decision. You made it without even discussing it with your wife?

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Automatika This is also something I haven't discussed with DW yet. She is used to the shorter trips that we take throughout the year and may not be up for "roughing it" in which case I may be on my own on this first trip.

I assume you realize that this sounds like the lead-in to a joke? My 63 year old friend retired and immediately applied to the Peace Corps, without telling his wife. I think she found out about it when he asked her to sign a release the Peace Corps required of married entrants who are going alone. When she told me about it she cried.

Your DW might consider this to be abandonment. Don't be too surprised if there are new locks on the doors when you return.

Ha

[Automatika]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeRuh Just curious; how long have you been married? t.r.

25 years. And we discuss everything, but we also do a lot of things independently of each other. As an example, she is a member of a different church than I am (she is from Japan as are most of the church members) and attends many church events and travels with church members. I am involved with music and perform at many events that she doesn't attend. We are both fine with this and after discussing our plans usually end up with some kind of mutually beneficial compromise. I have also had to travel extensively with work so we have been separated for months at a time many times in the past. It really hasn't been a problem so far, though this is a bit different... Last year she was considering going to Namibia for a couple of months after leaving her job and decided against it, but I would have been fine with it. It appears that our relationship is probably quite different than most others on this site.

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Automatika ....This is also something I haven't discussed with DW yet. She is used to the shorter trips that we take throughout the year and may not be up for "roughing it" in which case I may be on my own on this first trip....

For some reason this reminds me of that old joke:

A guy runs home and bursts in yelling, “Pack your bags, honey! I’ve just won the lottery!”
She says, “Oh wonderful! Should I pack for the beach or the mountains?”
He replies, “I don’t care…just get the **** out!”

[Rambler]

Yes, it is mores common for Japanese women to allow their husbands some freedom. That's because they also want freedom. It is also very common for them to file papers for divorce on the day their DH retires...just saying'...

Full disclosure: my DW is also Japanese...

R

[Automatika]

An update... I actually left this forum for a while, I was kind of torqued at what I felt was the hijacking of the thread to discuss perceived marital relations rather than what I considered the point of the thread, but at this point I realize just how lucky I am in my relationship with both wife and kids.

In any case we did discuss my traveling alone or together and my DW had no idea if she would enjoy traveling in the way I described, but almost simultaneously my daughter decided in January that she was going to South America for a while. Despite the fact that she has traveled extensively, I expressed my concern about traveling alone for so long and came up with an interesting concept. I told her I would have loved to go with her but couldn't due to other commitments, but that I would help pay her way if she took Mom along! DW waffled a little at first but then started to get excited about it and, long story short, they have been gone for a week on a 53 day trip through South America! My daughter has started a blog that can be read at Just a Silly Little Adventure and it seems like they're having a great time. This helps solve one issue of DW deciding whether "roughing it" is her cup of tea. I'm sure they'll have a lot of stories to tell when we head off to Japan together on 4/28!

[DangerMouse]

Wow, that should be some great mother-daughter time for them to share. I am sure they will learn lots of things about each other that they never knew.

Don't forget to update what your wife feels about that type of travel on her return.

[Moemg]

That was a great idea . My daughter & I travelled together before she got married and it was great . We both have great memories from those trips .

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Automatika An update... I actually left this forum for a while, I was kind of torqued at what I felt was the hijacking of the thread to discuss perceived marital relations rather than what I considered the point of the thread...

Sorry about that.

Aren't you the sly one to get your DW interested in travel by sending her on a journey with your DD!

She will probably be happy to go with you on your Central American trip next winter.

[Automatika]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever Sorry about that. Aren't you the sly one to get your DW interested in travel by sending her on a journey with your DD! She will probably be happy to go with you on your Central American trip next winter.

Unless she gets a bad empanada or cooties!