Congratulations!
Congratulations!
John Welsh said:Who makes a Monday, and the first day of the month, their last day?
May 1st is Labor Day in most countries, it's a fitting choice 
John Welsh said:Who makes a Monday, and the first day of the month, their last day?
My wife retired on a Tuesday last year, May 3. It was the exact day she hit 30 years. That's how burned out she was. I did mine on April 29, as it was the last working day of April.....
It appears the future is NOT bleak at all. Conga rats man!
I figured I'd update this thread, as it's been a while. I'm several months into "retirement" and am enjoying the living hell out of it!! Ironically I think I put in more hours now than I did when I was in my career. However, I do it because I want to. I'm traveling the country helping people make bucket list dreams come true and drive an exotic car on a racetrack. Best of all, I do it with my wife. She works front of house for them. We have taken amazing adventures together, just came back from 3 weeks out west. We leave Wednesday for 2 weeks in Ohio and Michigan.
When I'm not traveling with them I work at Porsche, driving and instructing in some of the best cars on the planet.
I still participate in Lemons.
Racing and instructing season stops mid-December and doesn't start until mid-February. We are going to spend those two months traveling... much if it in Florida, some in PA, etc.. No work, except a few days here or there.
We have sold our properties and are just renting at the moment. Waiting for my twins to graduate high school in 2025 and see where they go. Also waiting on interest rates. Good chance we will move to PA and snowbird in FL, with CO still an option.
Yes, life is good. I'm so fortunate and can't believe this is my life. I was in such a dark place just 3 years ago.
Congrats!
Glad to hear it's working out well for you and your family.
Wait. Did you buy then immediately re-sell that historic house.. or did that deal never materialize?
Where in PA? We could use some more car guys around here.
OHSCrifle said:Wait. Did you buy then immediately re-sell that historic house.. or did that deal never materialize?
So, long story short the house was found infested with bats. That wasn't a deal breaker. However we were also accepted to work a ton more events with Xtreme which we jumped on. We felt it would be an injustice for the house to sit neglected while we were on the road 70% of the time. We found a buyer who gave us what we had into it (including agency fee) and they will take good care of it. We're basically nomads now 
ddavidv, I am originally from Bucks County PA. I lived all around the Philly area, including downtown, until I moved to Atlanta 9 years ago. I'd like to go back to Bucks, or to the East Greenville/Red Hill area (20 minutes south of Allentown).
Retirement is something that I have pondered for a while. Even just achieving financial stability and still working is a milestone in anyone's life. It is such a weird feeling. Really good but still weird.
Hard to believe it's been a year since I updated this. I'm now almost 18 months into retirement and still have to pinch myself. As I joked in another thread about retirement, I find myself working more than I ever did before. The major difference is I'm doing all of it because I want to instead of have to. Here's my current life status:
We bought a condo in Indian Harbour Beach FL and will be leaving Georgia in just a few weeks. It's a block from the beach, go me!! We're also going to appear on the HGTV show My Lottery Dream Home, with filming to happen at the end of October. No, we didn't hit the lottery. It's a modest inheritance from the passing of my MIL.
I'm working 3-4 weekends per month with the exotic car driving company, traveling the country with my wife. There's all kinds of opportunities opening up there and I have to restrain myself from biting off more than I can chew. I'm still working for Porsche, but that may have to end when I move. I am doing insurance claims consulting work, both remote and on site. They pay me a E36 M3 TON of money so it's hard to say no, and it's super easy work. In my spare time, LOL, I do HPDE instructing (have my MSF2) and am working on starting a small business. Whew... Sounds like a lot, but I couldn't be happier. I'm not a traditional retirement kind of guy who wants to golf and fish (of which I've never done either), I love being active.
As you can tell from the cars for sale section, my wife has given me full permission to play with relatively cheap cars. We're both enjoying it. My garage is too full right now, need to slim it down.
Only negative thing to post is my health. While my Crohn's is well under control, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are showing their ugly head. Going to specialists to see what we can do. It's why I've told my financial planner that I want to live for today. No, I'm not spending every penny and will be broke in old age (if I get there). I just don't want to be 75 years old, in a wheelchair, with lots of money that I can't use to do activities I always wanted to. I'm 52 now and want at least 10 more years of high level activity.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Dang, and you're still young enough to enjoy it!
I didn't know it at the time, but I was only a year behind.
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Thanks for the update! [Almost] all that is awesome. I'm really happy for you.
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Also a Crohn's guy. Bummer on the RA- curious what meds you're on for Crohn's.
love hearing about your retirement success. I'm walking though a rough year currently and your story is encouraging.
SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) said:Hard to believe it's been a year since I updated this. I'm now almost 18 months into retirement and still have to pinch myself. As I joked in another thread about retirement, I find myself working more than I ever did before. The major difference is I'm doing all of it because I want to instead of have to. Here's my current life status:
We bought a condo in Indian Harbour Beach FL and will be leaving Georgia in just a few weeks. It's a block from the beach, go me!! We're also going to appear on the HGTV show My Lottery Dream Home, with filming to happen at the end of October. No, we didn't hit the lottery. It's a modest inheritance from the passing of my MIL.
I'm working 3-4 weekends per month with the exotic car driving company, traveling the country with my wife. There's all kinds of opportunities opening up there and I have to restrain myself from biting off more than I can chew. I'm still working for Porsche, but that may have to end when I move. I am doing insurance claims consulting work, both remote and on site. They pay me a E36 M3 TON of money so it's hard to say no, and it's super easy work. In my spare time, LOL, I do HPDE instructing (have my MSF2) and am working on starting a small business. Whew... Sounds like a lot, but I couldn't be happier. I'm not a traditional retirement kind of guy who wants to golf and fish (of which I've never done either), I love being active.
As you can tell from the cars for sale section, my wife has given me full permission to play with relatively cheap cars. We're both enjoying it. My garage is too full right now, need to slim it down.
Only negative thing to post is my health. While my Crohn's is well under control, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are showing their ugly head. Going to specialists to see what we can do. It's why I've told my financial planner that I want to live for today. No, I'm not spending every penny and will be broke in old age (if I get there). I just don't want to be 75 years old, in a wheelchair, with lots of money that I can't use to do activities I always wanted to. I'm 52 now and want at least 10 more years of high level activity.
Congratulations on doing it right! I'm a bit older than you and hankering to follow a similar path ASAP. Our 2nd kid is in college right now so I'm sticking it out until he graduates. After that, it's game on!
Please keep us posted regarding the broadcast of your HGTV show! My wife and I watch that show regularly and it will be cool to "know" the couple!
grover said:In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Also a Crohn's guy. Bummer on the RA- curious what meds you're on for Crohn's.
love hearing about your retirement success. I'm walking though a round year currently and your story is encouraging.
I'm on Stelara and it works great. I started 20+ years ago with Remicade. It worked for several years until I developed a nasty adverse reaction to it. Switched to Humira and used it for about 12+ years until it became ineffective. I'm 4+ years with Stelara and doing great. Hang in there, light will show at the end of the tunnel. One day at a time, one step at a time.
I presume the show will air next summer but I'll find out.
SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) said:I'm on Stelara and it works great. I started 20+ years ago with Remicade. It worked for several years until I developed a nasty adverse reaction to it. Switched to Humira and used it for about 12+ years until it became ineffective. I'm 4+ years with Stelara and doing great. Hang in there, light will show at the end of the tunnel. One day at a time, one step at a time.
Heh, opposite direction for me. I started with Humira, used it for 5-ish years til it stopped working, and it's been another dozen on Remicade since then. Still working fine, fingers crossed it stays that way!
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Nice! I had a "cardiac episode" on remicade while getting my infusion. I was thankfully getting it in day surgery and woke up in the cardiac unit.
I've been on entyvio for 2+ years now and am in the best health of my life. Very thankful I was forced to switch.
I'm way off from retirement (35 currently with 1 year old twins) but also have Crohns; been on Humira for 12 years and so far it seems to be working but I guess I better pay some attention to how my body is reacting. I generally try to eat clean-ish and when I stray from that I start getting symptoms.
Congrats on retirement+18 months being a positive thing - I'm a financial weirdo and have been worried about saving enough to retire since my first job so hopefully that means I'll actually get there someday with my health mostly intact :D
Brokeback (Matt) said:I'm way off from retirement (35 currently with 1 year old twins) but also have Crohns; been on Humira for 12 years and so far it seems to be working but I guess I better pay some attention to how my body is reacting. I generally try to eat clean-ish and when I stray from that I start getting symptoms.
Congrats on retirement+18 months being a positive thing - I'm a financial weirdo and have been worried about saving enough to retire since my first job so hopefully that means I'll actually get there someday with my health mostly intact :D
I have twins... now 17 years old.
You've been busy my man! Somehow I missed this the first time. Good job.
On the Crohn's topic I was about to go on meds a few years back and tried going to a naturopath (and nutritionist) as a last ditch effort to avoid meds. So far, I've been able to keep medication at bay (fingers crossed). My GI specialist was skeptical at first, but can't argue with the results being shown in my colonoscopies and abdominal MRIs. Happy to share details with anyone who's interested.
Probably time for a fresh update. I guess this is my build thread, just for my life instead of a car.
It all still seems very surreal, as if I am going to wake up and find myself back at my office. I periodically go back to all those mortgage calculators and plugging in the numbers over and over. I always err on the side of caution and it always comes out smelling like a rose.
I guess I'm on the FIRE coast thing. I do have to wonder if I call it retirement, a second act or what. I don't have to work at all if I don't want to. I'd have to live somewhat conservatively, but I could do it if I wanted. I don't want to. I love what I'm doing, the money is just an added bonus. I turn 53 next month and I don't see myself sitting around anytime soon.
I am now a full time resident of Indian Harbour Beach FL and love it. Literally 6 minute walk to the beach. I'm just over an hour from Disney, which I know would be a negative for most here but it's my jam. The only two negatives are that I had to leave the Porsche Experience Center and the Atlanta airport. Yeah, Hartsfield is crazy but I could fly anywhere in the country with no layovers. I'm only 15 minutes from the Melbourne airport but it's not quite the same.
I am still an instructor for Xtreme Xperience and love every second of it. I did 35 events last year in a 45 weeks schedule and I anticipate similar things this year. It's a lot of travel but I enjoy that. My wife works hospitality for Xtreme, so we get to travel together. Still doing a small handful of audits for auto insurance. I may try to start my own business and/or branch out into automotive product demonstrations. So I've got plenty on my plate, the wonderful thing is I get to pick and choose the who, what, when and where.
We filmed the TV show My Lottery Dream Home and it aired last week. That was weird to watch myself on TV, but super fun to film. When I'm not traveling, I'm taking walks on the beach, going to Disney, taking naps or just hanging out on my balcony. My wife and I are contemplating a trip to Sweden in April.
There are some challenges. Health insurance sucks, with a capital S. When I was working I had a phenomenal plan. Now it's through the "marketplace" and it's E36 M3. Need referrals for everything, pre-authorization, and 40 other hoops to jump through...all for meh level coverage. I miss my kids. They're still in GA. My oldest is a junior in college so he's got his own busy life. My twins graduate high school this year so they're about to go off to college too. I talk to them constantly and they come visit (or I go to Atlanta) but I still miss them. I still battle some physical and mental health challenges but I do the best I can to take care of myself.
Oh, as for cars... Well, living in a condo really puts a damper on things. I have one carport and one open parking space. My '76 Jeep CJ7 is in the carport, which I am desperately trying to sell. The Mercedes E400 convertible bought at Mecum a few months ago is in the parking spot but my wife has buyers remorse and wants to sell it. She loves the car but wants to spend the money on other things, so it's hitting C&B shortly. My E90 328xi is still my workhorse, now at 296,000 miles and counting. My travel trailer and the F350 that tows it are in a storage facility. The goal is to get down to two cars, one of which is track competent. We want to start doing more hpde together. Maybe Miata and BMW or something like that. One of the two needs to be long haul comfortable...trips to/from Disney, Orlando airport and Atlanta.
Welp, that sums it up. In March of 2020 if you had told me this would be my life 5 years later I would have paid you good money for the crack you were smoking.
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Appreciate the update. Gives hope for the future to us a decade or 2 behind!
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