Thanks for posting cautionary tales, you guys! I have only been out of school for two years, but I have seen the work force eat up my coworkers and spit them out. They are overweight, stressed, sleep-deprived, and... perhaps unhappy. That is not the life I want! In reading about MMM and Jacob from ERE, I can see that it is possible to survive on a very small income. I will have more than enough money to attempt this experiment, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out in the future. This classic story inspires me:
A Little Story
The businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The businessman complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while.
The businessman then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The businessman then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time? The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos; I have a full and busy life, seņor."
The businessman scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But seņor, how long will this all take?" To which the businessman replied, "15-20 years." "But what then, seņor?" The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions." "Millions, seņor? Then what?" The businessman said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"
-Author Unknown
I want to be that wise fisherman! :)
Slow travel: Getting from point A to point B at a leisurely pace. Slow travelers, who prefer trains and boats to cars and jets, brag that they take as much pleasure in the journey as in the destination.
Nothing too radical, but I hope to drive to BC instead of flying there, and maybe check out Vancouver Island a bit. I have a bunch of friends and family in BC, and I miss them always. I don't like flying, or the cost of flying, so I think a nice road trip + audio books could be just the thing. If I have a job that allows me to take time off, this could be a great travel opportunity! (Side note: my car uses diesel so it is very good on gas!)
Thanks for everyone's support! It's hard to opt out of the rat race BEFORE your first heart attack ;)
