George Soros, March 2013 – (photo courtesy of GeorgeSoros.com)
About 6 years ago we started traveling the world nearly full time.
“How can you afford this?” they asked. “Where does the money come from?”
It was so easy to say we “retired early” and that we were “financially independent.” It seemed so credible, and it was safer and easier than admitting the truth… even my own wife believed it.
But it has been a heavy burden to carry. Recent calls for more transparency in the Financially Independent / Retire Early community, my own conscious, and perhaps the future of our country require that I come clean.
GCC: This past summer we met Mr & Mrs Crazy Kicks at the GCC Meetup in New York City’s Central Park. They introduced themselves by offering a handful of fresh picked cherry tomatoes and a fine summer ale, so of course we hit it off immediately :) Their approach to early retirement is a wonderful mix of amazing food and world travel, and I hope you enjoy learning about it as much as we did.
Early Retirement on an Urban Farm
When we got married, my wife and I made a hard plan to retire early. It was 2008, and we were both working at the same company where we’d met. It wasn’t so much the work itself as the high stress, man-child egos, and lack of vacation time that set us on a path to financial freedom. Our plan at the time was to reach financial independence then move to a homestead near a community college. My wife, who loves school, wanted to teach and we both wanted to get away from all the traffic and crowds – to slow down and grow our own food.
I know this to be true, because it is only in the last year or two (now in my 40s) that I’ve finally (maybe?) come to peace with those implications myself.
About 16 years ago I started on a journey towards Financial Independence and Early Retirement. There weren’t a lot of resources available back then, so I pieced together a plan and strategy as best I could. In essence I applied my engineering degree to a personal finance and lifestyle problem. In some areas I did well, and others not so much, but overall it seems to have worked out.
Since you don’t know what you don’t know, I also sought out people who had been down this path; I was fortunate to be able to meet with Billy & Akaisha Kaderli in Thailand, who retired in their 30s in the early 80s. Winnie and I had our 2nd honeymoon in Hawaii and were able to have brunch with Doug Nordman (aka Nords!) who retired at age 41 after a career in the military. They were kind and generous with both their time and knowledge, but their greatest gift was simply instilling confidence in some young dreamers. Standing on the shoulders of giants, indeed.
When we ultimately opted out of the rat race ourselves, I told myself that I would always pay it forward. Over the past several years I’ve met with 100+ people for coffee, hosted multiple group meet ups, and did a Reddit AMA. Here are the mostly frequently asked questions.
Time… is on our side, yes it is (Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France)
A common way of thinking is that world travel is something only for the childless and empty nesters. “I would love to do what you do, but I have kids” is something we heard once or twice before becoming parents ourselves. Responsibility for a small human is absolutely life changing, yes, but in a way that opens new doors.
Two year old GCCJr has already been to 28 countries. Since he first boarded an airplane at 5 months old after we figured out how to pack our favourite baby gates up for the various hotels and AirBNBs, he has been putting his 2 passports to heavy use. He has already circumnavigated the globe twice, and enjoyed visits to large swaths of Asia, Western Europe, and North America.
Whether at home or in a far away land, The World through the eyes of a little one is an opportunity not be be missed.
Since having a kid of our own I have often found myself in the company of other parents. And let me tell you, there is nothing in this world parents want to talk about more than the latest exploits of Little Johnny or Young Suzie.
“Oh man, you do NOT want to know what I found in Johnny’s diaper!” (you’re right)
“Oh my gawd, Suzie said the cutest thing today! Let me tell you all about it.” (that’s, uh… really cute)
And my personal favorite:
“Yeah this kid is wicked smart… probably gets it from his old man, hehe. So anyway, I opened up a 529 plan for him last week. We even did that thing where you contribute 5 years’ worth all at once. You knew you could do that, right?”
Me: “Yeah, uh.. Jr doesn’t have a 529.. And we have no plans to start one.”
