We have some loose plans, in no specific order.
- Sell our current house because we need the stash it represents and invest it in index funds. Use spare time/FIRE time to make it attractive for sale to get a so high as possible price. The sales process might take some time, because it not an easy to sell house (steep roads, difficult in winter). We also think it is a house that for those reasons is not easy to rent out and would have a very high rental cost. So we would prefer to just sell it. We could even do this before FIRE, or when working part time for a year and then rent a house in the vicinity until full FIRE.
- Live a whole year in the very far north of Norway (70-71 degrees north). We have been there many times during summer, but not during winter. DH wants to try this as an experience, living through the dark time. We want to combine living there with outdoor activities, summer and winter. In the summer it is great for hiking and fishing for trout, grayling and char (salmon fishing is very expensive). DH has caught red king crab when free diving in the sea. That is delicious food. In the winter there is a snow scooter culture there. We'll might have to get one as well just to get you into the mountains for cross country skiing, but we'll see. We should rent a house there during that time.
- Make (a) long active journey(s). On the list is a long cycling tour (2 months?) through Europe, while sleeping on campsites or cheap airBnBs. Maybe also make a long mountain hike (Norway in the length or something like that) while camping in the wild. Having some place at home to return to. This could be a very small place.
- Figuring out what to do with our mountain cabin. It has an actual cost per year: property taxes, garbage, electricity fee, snow cleaning, private road. And it doesn't generate any money. As long as we haven't decided where to settle and want to spend time travelling, it is good to have some place to return to and where can can store our essentials. But this cabin does not have water. Waters needs to be carried in in tanks. Clothes must be washed be hand. This is doable in the summer, as there is a river close by, but would be a pain in the winter. We have been talking about selling it and renting a small apartment somewhere to have as a home base during travel period. But this is all not decided.
- Stay for a longer time (a month or more?) in the south of Europe in some place with dark sky, close to nice snorkeling/diving site. Bring along telescope. Live some place cheap, not in a hotel.
- When my mother or FIL wants to sell each of their houses (in the Netherlands), we could move in with them for some time and help make the house look representative. Both houses could use some refreshing.
- Move out into the country and find a cheap place where we want to live in the future. Some place where you can do cross country skiing, fishing in sea and lakes/rivers, hiking in mountains and forest. Close to national parks. Shop on cycle distance with safe roads. It should be close enough to a larger city to have short distance to a hospital and to potential customers for consulting jobs. I want to live some place where it is dark at night (in the winter), as I do astronomy. There should also be enough clubs to join (in various fields) to make new acquaintances, as we are both a bit introvert.
- Becoming more of a mushroom expert. Doing guided tours. Being able to pick mushrooms often during season, study a lot and have contact with experts. Largest community for this is in Oslo. But there are some other places out in the country with good local communities.
- Foraging food, especially fish to eat healthily and cheaply. Also growing food in the garden. Continue to brew beer, but that is something we have been doing for decades.
- Live in New Zealand for some months? DH has been here once for 2 weeks and would like to go back. Difficult with parents still living. MIL has very frail health. We wouldn't want to have to fly back from the other side of the world for some emergency. But I think she will not make it until we FIRE (December of 2019 in best case scenario). FIL is 76 or so and healthy but is getting notably old. My mother is 67 and healthy. Maybe this will have to wait until parents are gone. But we might be getting old by then.