Senator
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
You did a great job in the OP, Senator....
My own story rambles on in another thread, but I can identify with every one of your points.
I have read that thread, several times.
It was certainly an inspiration. It was great that you could share your experiences, and you appear to have certainly lived a great life. I look forward to the same. It's a bit scary to come up with a 'final' financial number, but so was kindergarten. And 7th grade. And 10th grade. And joining the USAF. And getting out of the USAF, and ...
It does show that if you are determined, in no matter what you do, you can make that thing happen.
In preparation for my final FIRE date on 7/5, I have been having lunches with retirees that I know, co-workers that are getting close to FIRE, and reading retirement stories. It's as much of a mental challenge as a financial one. No amount is ever good enough, and yet most amounts are plenty good. In the end, all the money in the world cannot buy time.