El Encanto Resort, Home of the 2015 Chautauqua (photo by The Bobs)
This past October I flew half way around the world to Ecuador to attend and present at the 2015 Chautauqua.
I joined 3 other speakers and nearly 30 attendees for a week of culture, service, and financial musings.
When Jim Collins asked me to attend, I was elated. I couldn’t wait to participate, and my expectations were very high.
Was the experience valuable? Did it meet my expectations? Would I recommend it?
Let’s see.
The Chautauqua
In the real world, people seldom talk about money or share their true dreams or fears. We can spend years with coworkers and neighbors and still not know much about them or feel close. In a world hell bent on consumption, many find it difficult to find their tribe. Trying to do unconventional things can be met with resistance or resentment.
Now imagine spending a week of adventure filled days with people who are not only encouraging and non-judgmental, but who are of like mind; a place where you can share ideas and goals, fears and concerns, and smiling faces reply, “Me too.”
Yes, we talked about investing and wealth building strategies. We discussed tax minimization and geographic arbitrage, real estate and stock markets. We debated portfolio longevity data and inflation. We talked about life purpose and happiness.
All of those things happened. But more than anything, to me… the Chautauqua was where human bonds were forged.
The Experience
The first morning I woke early and watched the fog fade away as the sun rose over the valley. I hiked down through the cloud forest to a small waterfall, saw amazing iridescent butterflies the size of my hand, and then did sun salutations on the equator with Ricardo.
Sunrise Over a Cloud Forest (photo by The Bobs)
Breakfast was one of the group’s first meals together, and the conversation flowed like the strong Ecuadorian coffee. As the days passed, camaraderie grew with each shared meal and experience.
Some days we stayed at the resort and talked, attended the Presentations, or had one-on-one sessions or free time. On a few occasions, Mr. Money Mustache led hikes to the nearby waterfall. Others gathered on the terrace or relaxed in the pool.
Other days we would go on an adventure to a chocolate factory, zip-line through the jungle, or tour Cheryl’s coffee farm. The bus rides were a great time for conversation and site seeing.
Cheryl’s Coffee Farm
In the evenings many would gather at the hot tub or dining hall to discuss the days events over all manner of beverages. One favorite was Black Thompson whiskey (a local Johnny Walker knockoff, as far as I could tell.) Stories and jokes were shared, and I laughed until my side ached so many times I lost count.
Jim Collins Presents as MMM Draws Slides
1:1s
If I had to pick a favorite part of the Chautauqua it would be the one-on-ones, where I was able to sit down and chat with people individually. In theory these were scheduled for an hour, but they often went much longer. A few times these conversations carried over into group discussion, and we crowd sourced ideas.
Some people were early on their journey to Financial Independence and some had already arrived. Each session was rewarding in its own way, and covered a dizzying array of topics including taxes, health insurance, visas, asset allocation, safe withdrawal rates, happiness, marriage, children, and more. There was no question off limits.
A few hours after one session, one of the attendees came up and said, “I can’t stop smiling and it has everything to do with our 1:1.” Which then meant that I couldn’t stop smiling. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to help someone design their ideal life.
A Love Story
I waited to write my Chautauqua story to see if the experience or bonds were diminished with time. They weren’t.
Since all of the speakers and attendees have returned to their separate lives, the community has carried on. We have a Facebook group with regular posts about travels, accomplishments, and inside jokes. People have gathered for dinners in multiple States and Countries. A few attendees are traveling together to SE Asia, and will be visiting us in Malaysia next month.
Was it valuable? Without question. Did it meet my expectations? Met and exceeded. Would I recommend it? If financial independence is a goal and you can attend in a fiscally responsibly way, then yes, yes I would.
The Chautauqua brought together a diverse group and created a community of wealth builders. I loved it!
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For more details about future Chautauquas, check out the official site by Above the Clouds Retreats.
This is the post I wrote before attending: Chautauqua 2015, Una Fiesta Ecuatoriana.
More Photos
(No actual photos of human bonding are on display, in order to preserve the anonymity of attendees.)
Yours Truly Sporting a Handsome Name Tag on the Equator (photo by The Mad Fientist)
A Local Swimming Hole
Animal Rescue – We saved this baby’s life after he fell out of a tree
Local Lawn Mower
Bamboo Grove – the Ecuador Cloud Forest has incredible biodiversity
Reading Bedtime Stories via Skype (I missed this little guy)
I’m not totally sure I get what you mean about the bonds – but I loved the photos. Especially the one with Jim Collins and MMM. The contrasts and intensity make for a great photo. However, I encountered a problem – That image, and a couple others come up rotate or inverted when I click on the image linked. Thought you might want to know.
Great post! Sounds like a cool group. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone about FI without them looking at you like your crazy!
Being crazy is half the fun! With a whole bunch of other crazy people
I wasn’t ready for all the feels when I clicked on this article. I’d give anything to go back! I’m glad your week went just as well as ours :)
Sounds like an awesome time! I imagine it would be rewarding to connect with all the wonderful people there (whether they are the big names who already reached FI or the “ordinary” folks who are on the path to FI).
It looks like you got to stop at the Intinan Museum next to Mitdad del Mundo. I hope you liked their “exhibits” (especially the swirling water one). It looks like you had a great time in a wonderful country.
Excellent use of quotes, John. It was definitely a bit of a show but still a good time.
When and where can I register for the conference in 2016? I would love to attend! FI has been my dream since I stumbled on your blog about 6 months ago, and you and MMM have become my FI idols. Seems like a great opportunity to not only get a vacation with my husband, but to also learn very valuable information with like minded people.
Check out the link to Above the Clouds Retreats. The dates are already up. I’m not sure when registration will be open.
Sounds like a good time. Ecuador is definitely on my travel bucket list.
Thanks for organizing the mini California Chautauqua prior to the real one. Meeting you and being able to talk freely and openly about finances with so many like minded people still has me smiling as well. Looking forward to reading about all your 2016 adventures. Cheers!
That was a lot of fun! Maybe Round 2 in September
Would love to know when the next one will be, and how to register for it.
Check out the link to Above the Clouds Retreats. The dates are already up. I’m not sure when registration will be open.
I strongly oppose these Chautauqua gatherings on risk management grounds. Virtually all the world’s best early retirement bloggers gathered in one place? We were but one Ecuadorian volcano eruption away from losing the lot of you!
If we all only still had jobs we could have prevented this tragic occurrence.
Indeed volcanos were erupting! http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/cotopaxi/news.html
Hoping I can make it next year! Will you be attending next year? (I hope so!)
If you can make it, you will have a great time!
I will not be attending this year, although we may actually be in Ecuador at that time.
We were two of the attendees during the 2nd week of the Chautauqua 2015. At first, we considered ourselves crazy for considering such an event as did our families. One of us was preparing for retirement while neither had been out of the country, much less a developing country.
The trip turned out to be a fantastic bonding experience with others. The presenters/bloggers GCC, JLCollins, Mad FIentist and MMM were all friendly, engaging, and very helpful to all that attended. Since we were already familiar with the respective blogs, the event brought much more insight into the authors by engaging face to face. We also enjoyed our 1 on 1 session with our selected blogger.
Overall, it was an enlightening experience to hang out with like minded individuals that had the same FI and retirement goals in mind. The activities were interesting as well and we had a great time together. Everyone attended the presentations, swam in the same waterfall, attended the same Chocolate Factory tour, etc. We had our opportunities for individual smaller tours as well. Cheryl and Rich, our organizers, were fine hosts for the event. It was a great mix of people from all over the US and from different life and financial stages. I believe there were about 28 of us in total. In the end, we felt like family. Friendships were made to hopefully last years in the future.
Would we go again, absolutely! If you are seriously interested in (F)inancial (I)ndependence and Early Retirement, don’t miss out on this trip. You won’t regret it. It’s a great opportunity to learn and apply these concepts to day to day life.
Great post, Jeremy…
and you nailed it!
While I love it all, the 1-on-1 meetings are also my favorite.
Gonna miss you this year!
What kind of baby did you save?
“…imagine spending a week of adventure filled days with people who are not only encouraging and non-judgmental, but who are of like mind; a place where you can share ideas and goals, fears and concerns, and smiling faces reply, “Me too.”
Dream come true! Sounds like what happened to us when we met a bunch of other authors at Book Expo America in NY. Finding your peeps is the BEST feeling in the world!
You’ve convinced me. Must get ourselves to one of these finance meet-ups/conferences STAT!
Each time I read stories on fincin or this event, I can’t stop thinking: one day I need to go there… Hopefully, one day.
Talking at home with family or friends on fire topics is not evident. Not all understand it, or they assume you need to be rich already.
Reading a bed time story via Skype must be a special experience. Me too, I miss the kids, even when away only night. Must be they are really important to me!
This is amazing. Mrs. Mortimer and I are going to have to find a way to make it to the next one.
Sounds wonderful! I would love to have someone to share ideas and dreams with who was also on the path to FI. The few friends who I have shared my dreams with don’t totally get it and certainly don’t want to follow the same path. I am hoping that someday my husband and I can make this trip.
I’ve always wondered, when you and Winnie travel, do you still maintain a primary residence in Taiwan? If not, does that mean you have find a new place to rent every time you go back there? Or if so, do you do anything to try to recoup the extra housing cost, like subletting it short-term or something?
We don’t own any Real Estate. We are renters for life.
So what do you do with, say, winter clothes that you don’t need to bring with you to a warm location? Or baby stuff that don’t travel well or that GCCjr doesn’t need until he’s older? Do you ever have trouble finding a place to rent in Taipei when you want to stay there for longer periods of time? Sorry about all the questions, I’m truly curious about some of the logistics of being nomadic.
Weather specific clothes, items that don’t travel well, etc… are all available for sale around the globe. There is little reason to carry these things.
Same with time based items. There is no reason for us to own stuff that we don’t need in the present.
This same idea extends to Real Estate. There is more than enough property for rent, in any location we choose to stay.
I’m registered for the second one thats coming up this year, can’t wait.