Why I chose to retire at 38… = 6.5

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retirement-is-a-journey

Winter 2009 –  I feel very privileged to have the choice to retire at the very young age of 38.  My family had just gone through an ordeal because of the accident of one of  my nieces, Cadence, in China.   Her ordeal was mine as well because I made an immediate decision to fly to China to be with her and to be there for my baby sister.  I felt like I went through life and death with my 18-month old niece, indeed.

This experience made me re-evaluate my priorities. It totally turned my hierarchy of values upside down. Whereas before I thought money and power would solve every concern I had.  Until this accident. I realized certain things are way beyond money and power, such as witnessing the pain my sister, brother-in-law and my sweet little niece had to suffer while I could do absolutely nothing about other than just being there and helping with some decision making…..

Latin America
Latin America

Now that I no longer need to worry about putting food in the fridge for my kids or about paying the mortgage, I have the luxury to uphold my value for “family” instead.  Therefore, I decided that work and making money would not take priority again over my family and the people I love dearly.  I had already missed out spending time with my older 2 children because of my 18-hour per day work cycle back then while they were growing up.  I don’t want to let this happen again with my youngest child.

So, I decided to stop working and to start bonding with him in a unique way since. And that unique way was travelling the world since I live by the “all in or all out” theory.   But I will still need to see through the last phases of the construction of some houses before I am officially retired.

On the other hand, I know that 38 is too young to be permanently retired and just wait to migrate to heaven but I honestly don’t know or have any plans about what to do after the travel. I don’t even know when we would end the travel.  All I know is that I am confident in my ability to make money again the day I am ready to go back to work so I have no fears around that.

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Why I chose to retire at 38… = 6.5

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