Retire Often

If you have ever been curious about taking an epic yearlong road trip, Heidi's story of how her and her family embarked on a year-long mini-retirement traveling all around the US, will inspire you and give you practical tips for planning. They took an intentional break from work and school, with no W2 jobs and no traditional schooling for their three kids. They experimented with different experiences to prepare, such as traveling in Hawaii for three weeks and renting an RV. These experiments helped them make decisions and prepare for their mini-retirement.

They saved enough money to travel for a year, but ended up extending their trip to 15 months. They budgeted for $70,000 to $90,000 but ended up spending around $60,000. (Heidi mentions they spent $45,000 during the interview but let me know it was close to $60,000) They were surprised by how well they got along and how close they became as a family during their adventure.

Takeaways

• Link to Heidi's additional resources: https://ordinarysherpa.com/lifestyle

• Taking a mini-retirement or family gap year can be a meaningful and impactful experience.

• Experimenting with different experiences can help in making decisions and preparing for a mini-retirement.

• Budgeting and saving enough money is important, but it's also important to be flexible and open to unexpected opportunities.

• Finding joy in everyday novelty and valuing different types of experiences can enhance the mini-retirement experience.

• Spending quality time together as a family can strengthen relationships and create lasting memories.

Dr. Corey Allen and his wife embarked on a month-long mini-retirement, traveling in an RV and exploring national parks. The idea originated in 2010 when they considered taking their kids out of school and traveling full-time. However, they decided to wait and eventually started taking one month off every summer. Corey is a marriage and family therapist, while his wife is a CPA. Learn how Corey's wife negotiated a month off every summer as part of her contract. Cory maintained his work responsibilities while traveling, and his wife took occasional days off to catch up on work.

In this conversation, Corey Allan and Jillian discuss the benefits and challenges of taking a mini-retirement and traveling as a family. They emphasize the importance of framing the experience in a positive way and viewing it as an opportunity for personal growth. They also discuss the normalcy of conflict and the need for space in relationships. The mini-retirements strengthened their marriage and created lasting memories for their family. Cory shares the reactions he has received from friends and family about his lifestyle and encourages others to make intentional choices to create the life they want. They also discuss the value of flexibility and the benefits of traveling with young children.

Takeaways

• Asking for what you want and taking risks can lead to great experiences

• Maintaining work responsibilities while traveling is possible with proper planning and delegation

• Mini-retirements can strengthen marriages and create lasting memories for families Frame a mini-retirement as an opportunity for personal growth and positive experiences.

• Conflict is normal in relationships, and it can be an opportunity to learn more about oneself.

• Create intentional choices to design the life you want.

• Flexibility is key in making the most of travel experiences.

• Traveling with young children can provide valuable learning opportunities.

• Taking mini retirements and traveling can be a transformative experience, providing opportunities for personal growth, self-discovery, and reimagining life.
• Open-ended travel allows for flexibility and the freedom to explore new destinations and experiences.
• Staying in hostels and utilizing budget-friendly accommodations can make long-term travel more affordable.
• Transitioning from saving to spending mode can be challenging, but having a budget and financial plan in place can help maintain financial stability.
• Taking the leap to pursue your travel dreams requires courage and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone.

Brent and his wife were on the path to financial independence, planning to retire early at 40. However, they realized that their plan wasn't serving them well and decided to take a mini-retirement. The challenges of asking for unpaid leave and shifting from saving to spending were overcome by their desire for change. Brent's mini-retirement involved a two-month road trip with his wife and eight-month-old son, inspired by Canadian hero Terry Fox. The trip had its challenges, but it allowed Brent to fully enjoy time with his family and sparked a desire for a more flexible and lifestyle-friendly career. The mini retirement provided the space for Brent to reimagine his path to financial independence and prioritize quality time with his family. He now embraces the idea of retiring often and being open to different seasons of work and rest. Brent encourages others to take the leap and try something new to get unstuck and gain clarity.

Diania shares her experience of negotiating a mini-retirement to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. She initially planned to support her uncle on the journey but ended up going alone. Diania discusses the financial preparation she made, including paying off debt and learning about financial independence. The time off was full of self-discovery and awareness, including recognizing her weak internal compass and susceptibility to external influences. She emphasized the importance of community and in-person connections, which led her to create the Economy Conference. She is a great example of how to negotiate a leave of absence and how time brought her closer to financial independence.

In this episode, we accompany Cosmin on his remarkable journey from the brink of burnout in his career to embracing a life of nomadic adventure. After years of high-intensity work, he took his first month-long mini-retirement. Cosmin returned with a new perspective: continue on a path of stress and exhaustion or forge a new way of living. He chose the latter, setting off on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and global exploration. Cosmin shares the challenges and triumphs of transitioning to nomadism, the insights gained from diverse cultures, and how he redefined his notions of success and happiness. His story is a compelling testament to the transformative power of breaking free from societal norms and choosing a life filled with travel, exploration, and personal growth.

In this conversation with my friend, JL Collins, we take a look at a professional journey that defies convention, punctuated by career breaks and the power of 'F.U. money.' His career began marked by intense work periods that eventually led to inevitable burnout. But through these experiences, JL began taking mini-retirements, illustrating that stepping away can often add more meaning in life. This episode isn't just a look into JL's path of financial independence; it explores his philosophical pivot from earner to explorer. We chart his transition from a traditional careerist to an unconventional path, where extended travel and periods of freedom became the norm. JL unveils the strategies that enabled his shift towards a life less ordinary. He doesn't just share tales of his travels; he provides a thoughtful perspective on redefining success, the value of time over money, and how to wisely navigate the financial tides to craft your own path of liberty and discovery.

In college, Joe fell in love with hiking and climbing. He loved the community and time in nature. He tried pursuing a corporate life, but a mini-retirement where he hiked the Appalachian Trail shifted his path. He realized that corporate life wasn't how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. But he also wasn't drawn to the "dirt bag" life of taking odd jobs to pay the bills between adventures. So he rapidly saved money from the corporate job to pursue financial independence. After taking another long mini-retirement to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, he made an even more significant life shift.

Getting diagnosed with a brain tumor during her residency helped Dawn refocus on who she wanted to be as a person and what she wanted her life to look like.

Instead of losing herself in her profession, she consistently course corrected by using mini-retirements. The medical profession, like many others, can become an all consuming identity. Instead of accepting the prescribed narrative to what her life should look like based on her job, Dawn carved out a whole new path.