Two years gone
Since retirement I’ve managed to write a decent web app, start and stop a business, lived in Portugal, read a lot of books, learn how to snatch and how to do the clean and jerk, start to learn Kung Fu and Tai Chi, and unfortunately have also seen the inside of more Emergency Rooms in hospitals than I care to.
I’m not going to talk about my health issues as it’s depressing. Maybe one day.
When I look back 2 years I can definitely say I’m a different person now. The amount of experiences and knowledge I’ve been able to cram into my head compared to having stayed working is huge. Once you know your job it’s pretty much the same day in and day out (more or less). Yes there are new scenarios presented but it’s not new, your just regurgitating the same thing in a different way.
For me and at this stage of my life, the ability to explore, learn, experiment and enjoy things that I would never have tried if I was working is the most important part of Financial Independence (FI). Jeez everyone should be working towards FI as soon as they start working.
Some of the best things I’ve learnt and experienced:
Living in Portugal: Learning Portuguese language and eating those special lunches from the little mum and dad shops - so cheap and yummy.
Developing a Web App: The adage ‘If you build it, people will come’ doesn’t apply with web apps.
Starting and stopping a business: I’m not good at marketing.
Olympic Weightlifting: I found that my body was indeed aging.
Kung Fu and Tai Chi : Are a great source of movement for the aging body.
