Some people are hesitant to FIRE (or even retire at all). They’re concerned about losing their physical or mental health, their purpose in life, or simply being bored.

Fortunately, Allison and I haven’t had any of these problems since FIRE’ing in early 2015. Our biggest challenge seems to be trying to whittle down which projects we want to focus on!

In early 2019 we wrote a blog post titled “10 Cool Things We’ve Done Since Achieving FIRE (& 5 We’re Planning).” At the time, we were celebrating our 4-year anniversary of achieving FIRE. Fast forward to 2022, and we’ve done even more “cool” stuff! While the pandemic slowed things down for a little while, it didn’t keep us contained for long.

Here are 21 fun and interesting things we’ve been up to in the past three years. If you’re on the fence about retiring, hopefully this will give you some inspiration.

 

Travel 

One of the best things about achieving FIRE is having the time and fitness to travel the world. We love to explore, see new places, and meet interesting people. Our travel goals include 50 states by age 50, 60 countries by age 60, and seven continents by age 57.

 

1. Spain & Portugal

In November of 2019 we took off for a 72-day trip in Europe and South America. The first leg was to Spain and Portugal. We started in southern Spain, took a bus to Portugal, then flew to Madrid, and finally Barcelona.

Although the weather was a bit chillier than we expected, the food, people, sights, and sounds were all amazing! From there, we…

 

2. 30-Day Trans-Atlantic Cruise

…hopped on a cruise ship for a back-to-back 30-day cruise. The first leg sailed from Barcelona to Miami, stopping in a number of islands along the way. The second leg made its way through the Panama Canal down to Santiago, Chile.

A highlight was meeting six other travelers at the beginning of the cruise and spending the whole 30 days together. We called ourselves the G7, and the name just stuck! We’re still all friends to this day.

 

3. Chile, Peru, & Ecuador

This was our first time in South America, and we wanted to make the most of it. We spent time in Valparaiso and Santiago, Chile. Valparaiso is beautiful with its vibrant colors and street art.

Next up was Peru, where we enjoyed a few weeks in Lima and Cusco. From Cusco, we explored the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.

We eventually made our way up to Ecuador, staying in Quito before and after a week in the Galápagos Islands.

 

4. Northwestern US Road Trip

Like most people in 2020, we started going a little stir crazy from the pandemic lockdown. Since international travel wasn’t happening, we decided to take advantage of our new-to-us car, Lola the Corolla.

Despite living in California since 1996, we had never visited the next state up. It was time for a road trip up through Oregon and Washington! Along the way, we got to see some killer National Parks and visit good friends.

 

5. 41-State Cross-Country Road Trip

It turned out that the Northwest road trip would pale in comparison to our next outing. The following summer, in 2021, we mapped out a 41-state 12,500-mile cross-country road trip.

What an adventure! We saw so many long-lost friends and family members, and soaked up everything we could about our vast great country. It also helped us achieve our goal of visiting all 50 states by age 50!

 

6. Puerto Rico

We were done driving after the cross-country trip, but we weren’t done traveling! What better way to put a cap on our 50x50 states goal than to visit the “51st state,” Puerto Rico?

PR is such a cool place! It feels like you’re in Central or South America but with the amenities of the United States. We toured the whole island and spent some memorable days on their own little islands (Culebra and Vieques).

 

Self-Improvement

Another advantage of FIRE is having the time and energy to work on yourself. This includes maintaining and improving your mental health, physical fitness, and relationships.

 

7. Writing THREE Books

One way we made the most of our COVID down time was by writing books. We didn’t expect to write three books in two years, but we found ourselves with a lot of time on our hands…

We actually started our first book, Start Your FIRE, while on our trans-Atlantic cruise. Writing little bits here and there, we completed about 20% of the book by the time we returned home.

Shortly after FIRE came out, our publisher approached us with the idea of Investing for Kids. We were hesitant at first, but we’re really glad we went for it. In its first year and a half, it’s sold over 50,000 copies and has over 2,000 Amazon reviews!

The successes of our first two books led to writing our third book. We’re very excited about its release on September 27, 2022, so keep an eye out!

 

8. Hip Replacement

In March of 2019, I finally fixed my arthritic hip, which had been causing me major pain for several years. My only regret was not getting it done sooner!

After putting in a lot of physical therapy, my hip feels as good (if not better) than ever. I can now do just about anything I did before it started hurting in the first place. Yay for science and medicine!

 

9. Learning Spanish & Portuguese

Allison and I will be traveling to Argentina and Brazil soon, so we’re brushing up on the languages now.

We’ve been using Duolingo, which has its pros and cons. It’s free, which is great, and we can learn at our own pace. The downside is being locked into the lesson plans they lay out. We’ve been at it for several months and are only now learning to count to ten!

On the flip side, I know how to say about 20 different animal names in Portuguese. I may not be able to recite the alphabet, but I know how to say armadillo, lion, and elephant.

 

10. Social Committee Chairman

Before the pandemic, I tended to be a little more introverted than extroverted. I would be up for the random get-together, but I was typically ready to leave before Allison.

I think the lack of personal connection during COVID has given me a new perspective on human interaction. I now embrace opportunities to connect with others and genuinely enjoy hanging out with people more than before.

This led to me taking on the mantle of our condo building’s Social Committee Chairperson. It involves working with a committee to plan and organize parties for the folks in our building. It’s been fun, and our neighbors seem to really enjoy interacting with each other! 

 

11. Committing to a Fitness Program

There was a joke during COVID that you either became a “Drunk, Chunk, or Hunk.” Allison and I decided we were going to try to be hunks. This is in large part because we want to be healthy and fit for traveling.

So we committed to walking an hour every single day. We also hit the gym three times per week, and I swim three days as well. It helps that we have a gym and a pool right in our building, so it’s just a matter of going down a few floors on the elevator.

 

Getting Outside Our Comfort Zone

When you’re busy working all the time, you may not have a chance to get out of your comfort zone. Due to time constraints, you may create routines for everything in your life. You also might be too tired or stressed to do anything outside your comfort zone. After FIRE, you have the time and energy to put yourself out there and try new things!

 

12. Machu Picchu

Visiting Machu Picchu had been on our bucket list for awhile, and we finally got to experience it. The natural and historical beauty of this place is awesome!

In order to fully appreciate it, you need to plan your trip well and be in good physical shape. It’s also important to prepare for altitude sickness. Several people in our group did not fare well, including one young woman who was very fit. She actually needed medical assistance to come to her hotel room!

 

13. Galápagos Islands

After a 3-day guided tour of the Galápagos Islands, we decided to stay an additional four days on our own. It was a very cool experience exploring the islands and bonding with the local wildlife. We mingled with turtles, iguanas, sea lions, and even an unexpected elephant seal!

We spent hours lounging on the beaches, hiking in the hills, and mountain biking on the back roads. It was our first time in a while just enjoying several days of nothing but nature!

 

14. SCUBA Diving Certification

We’ve been wanting to get our SCUBA certification for quite some time. We finally signed up for a course in Bonaire in September 2022 (next month!). It’s such an interesting and elaborate process.

You start with an extensive online training course and ultimately spend several full days of open water training. Hopefully we’ll enjoy it and want to dive all around the world while we can!

 

15. Podcast Guests

We were guests on our first podcast back in 2017 with Andy Hill from Marriage, Kids & Money. We didn’t do any more until our books were published, and then we started getting a bunch of requests. Since 2020, we have been on seven more podcasts to talk about FIRE and investing for kids.

While we’re not looking to become famous, it’s fun to be able to talk to listeners directly about money matters!

 

16. Speaking at Public Events

When I spoke at my first FinCon in 2018, I thought it might be a one-and-done event. It was a fun way to introduce myself to the “money nerd” crowd and tout RetireBy45.com a bit.

Then in October 2019 I was invited to speak to the Financial Planning Association of SF. It was to discuss “alternative retirement planning.” I got to share the inside scoop of how to retire early to a room full of old-school financial planners.

When FinCon came back live after the pandemic, Allison and I spoke on a panel about “Life After FI.” I’ll next be speaking on a panel at this year’s FinCon about writing and publishing books.

 

Connecting with People

Your connections with other people are really what form the fabric of your life. Without those connections, life would get pretty lonely and boring. So, we make it a point to get together with friends and loved ones as often as we can.

 

17. Educating Kids with Our Book

One of the coolest bonuses of writing Investing for Kids was seeing real kids benefit from the information. Two instances stick out.

The first was when a group called YALA (Young Ambassadors Leadership Academy) reached out to us in early 2021. They provide young males of color the opportunity to learn about leadership, entrepreneurship, and self-improvement. We were honored to donate books to their curriculum.

The second was when a local elementary school teacher contacted us. Miss Chapman explained that she found our book on Amazon and decided to buy it to teach her 4th and 5th graders about money. Two students came in 1st and 2nd in Northern California in the Stock Market Game thanks to this program!

 

18. Meeting the Mayor

Miss Chapman’s students were even honored by the local news, which got the attention of Oakland’s mayor. We were all invited to meet with Mayor Libby Schaaf, who was blown away by these amazing kids.

We talked about Oakland’s youth, our book, and even got to try on her three Golden State Warriors championship rings!

 

19. Reconnecting with Long-Lost Friends

A byproduct of our two road trips was having the opportunity to reconnect with many of our old friends. These were folks we hadn’t seen or talked to in years, and in some cases, decades.

We met with friends and family in 14 different states! It was like being on that old show “This is Your Life.” We saw former classmates, teachers, co-workers, family members, and even old boyfriends/girlfriends.

 

20. Helping Our Neighbors

When COVID struck in 2020, we decided to take action and help our older neighbors buy their groceries. It was the least we could do to keep them safe and supplied.

We got such a great reaction from this small act of kindness that we continue doing it to this day. Whenever we go to Costco, we contact many of the seniors in our building to see what they need. We also help them with tasks around their home.

 

21. Finally Meeting Zoom Friends in Person

Before we went to Puerto Rico this year, we spent a few days in Savannah, Georgia. The purpose was so that Allison could finally meet (IRL) a group of 10 women she had met on Zoom. They met through a FIRE-related Facebook group and found they had a lot in common, mainly all being FIRE with no kids.

Their weekly video chats (which are still ongoing) had been going on for about 1.5 years before meeting in person. I was even honored to crash their all gals meet-up on the last day in Savannah!

 

In Conclusion

We totally understand that retirement (especially FIRE) can be scary. The “one more year” syndrome is real, and we know several people who are victims of it. MMM recently had a great post about this conundrum.

Fortunately, we’ve found that with just a little effort, you can create endless fulfilling experiences after FIRE.

Being a lover of spreadsheets and planning, I have even created a long-term planning spreadsheet. It lays out our travel plans by month, quarter, and year through 2025. It’s flexible, and I regularly update it, but it keeps us constantly excited and looking forward to what’s to come next!

What are some of your concerns about FIRE? Are you concerned that you’ll be bored too? If you had the time and means to do whatever you wanted, what would those things be? Make a list and use it for your own inspiration. If the why is strong enough then you’ll eventually figure out the how.