I basically just did the same. My story went like this. I retired early from the military in 2014 at 35 with a serious, but manageable condition. I had a decent stash, but nothing to brag about--we were comfortable, but not content. I immediately took the highest paying job I could find in DC, realized it wasn't what it was cracked up to be and started reading about MMM and the FIRE crowd (I was in a HCOL, wage slavery, stuck in traffic area etc.). For the next year, I saved and planned the exit. We moved in with my folks (my kids were 3 and 6 at the time) and for the 3 years afterwards, I worked part time at a small non-profit and built my own house. It's a beautiful house on a lake and I owe very little on it. At the conclusion, my wife and I looked at each other and said, "what should we do next", we can stay and enjoy what we've built or we've always wanted to go back to Europe to live and travel for a bit. I got online, applied for a job in France, got the job and moved to France six weeks ago. The work is very low stress, pays well and all my housing, kids schooling, language lessons etc. are all paid for by the employer. The income is tax advantaged and the best part is that its a term job--3 years extendable to 5 and I can leave after 24 months with no payback so it fills a need to travel, experience a different culture, replenish some savings used while we were building a house and give me an opportunity to learn some new skills. I don't have to give notice or explanation why I'm leaving at the end because its already expected. I'm not worried about promotions, raises, licenses or certifications since I'm going right back to my house that I built and life in the US when we're done. The employer said, "we'll try to get you something back here in Ohio" and I said "thanks, but that won't be necessary".
Been lucky. Great wife great young kids. Big stash. We live in an HCOL and spend more than I would like, but nothing particularly extravagant. Childcare is our largest expense by far. Wife and me are 40'ish and we both work and like our jobs. While I like my job, I also like a lot of other things--choosing what to spend time on is the tough part.
I did a mini-FIRE a few years ago for about 6 months and ended up going back to work. I think I missed some of the things that came with the corporate job--working with my colleagues, managing complex projects, etc. And I think the time off has made working again much better because I have a different perspective--doesn't feel like a rat race anymore but more like a choice as to where I can best grow and have an impact. If I did leave the corporate life again I think I would approach it a little differently and make sure I had the right mix of activities to keep me sufficiently engaged, including something that involved working with and managing people/relationships. That was a part of what I did that I didn't sufficiently appreciate in retrospect.
I also think FIRE might be more fun in a few years when my kids are older because it will be easier to travel. The nice thing about working is the stash continues to grow at a good clip. If I do make the leap again in a few years things like college and what not will be well covered! Anyway, I know I've been lucky. I never wanted fancy things and my wife doesn't either. And I've worked hard to grow the stash. But there's also been a lot of luck along the way. It's nice to feel like I'm on the other side of a lot of those challenges.