The responses to my last post helped drive home the point that everyone’s retirement and pre-retirement is unique. Both should be tailored to what you crave in life and what brings you the most joy. Recently a friend asked me what my perfect day looked like. After I finished answering her, I realized that I had also described what I imagined a day in early retirement would be like. I’ve written down my retirement plans for a regular day and they were identical. Nothing fancy, just simple pleasures, adventure and lots of love. Here’s what I said to her:
Slow Mornings
I would awaken without an alarm clock ready and happy to greet the day. After pulling on my slippers, (I currently have an insane amount of slippers – I need to work on that, but I digress…) I would walk to the kitchen, make a cup of tea, sit by the window and watch the day start to unfold. Depending on where I am in the world that month, I imagine looking out on an ocean, a forest or a mountain range. Then I would get dressed, grab my partner if he’s willing, and walk out the door.
Walking The World
Just like what I imagine I would see when I stare out the window, the nature of this walk would be tailored to where we are during that moment as continuously traveling nomads. If we’re in a cabin in the woods, it would be a leisurely stroll to see what’s changed in our surrounding woods. If we’re in the middle of a new, bustling metropolis, it would be wandering down different streets, seeing architecture and history that we would make a note to look up later and eating new food we’ve never tried. This could be at a restaurant or (my favorite) a farmer’s market. We would pick up some fresh ingredients and head back a few hours after leaving, to turn those ingredients into lunch (or, if we let time get away from us, dinner).
More Than Sustenance
I’ve mentioned before how learning to cook delicious food (*cough* butter *cough*) has made me love cooking. But cooking in my current life is stuck being a necessity. You gotta eat! Instead of a necessity, I want it to be a joy. I want to grab fresh ingredients and try to make a new dish I never have before. That is one of my monthly goals for 2018 (make a new dish), but it’s always a hurried affair. Even when the cooking isn’t hurried, the food I make is most often scoffed while responding to emails or working in some fashion and not focusing on what I want to: The Food. Cooking on my perfect day would entail being able to cook and eat slowly without concern for the clock.
Time With Loved Ones
Next I imagine visiting with or speaking to (video chat is a wonderful thing) friends or family. If we happen to be staying in my partner’s home town, this could involve walking over for dinner. If we’re in a random European city, it could be joining a friend for karaoke. And if we’re in our cabin in the woods, it would include video chatting with faraway friends we’ll see soon (my partner says WiFi isn’t allowed in our cabin in the woods, but I’m putting my foot down on that!) I want my life to be filled not only with more time with the people I love, but with uninterrupted, less hurried and more present time with them.
Feeding The Film Beast
The last activity of the day would include feeding my film addiction. If we’re near friends and family, it would be an event, and if it was just me and my partner it might just involve me with a cup of grapes and some seltzer – living the dream! I absolutely love film and am ridiculously behind on the amount I want to see. After a day filled with going, doing, eating and chatting I want to be able to get back to my old love and expand my mind through film.
And Lastly, The Internet
One activity that has been absent from this day is the Internet (outside its necessity for the video call and streaming Netflix for my movie). I absolutely love the Internet and the connectivity it has brought us all, but with the world at my fingertips, I don’t want it to be the distraction it is to me currently. I want to be experiencing the places I see on Instagram instead of ‘liking’ them and so I plan to limit myself to only using the Internet when the sun has set and all activities are done. I’m currently taking steps to back away from the Internet at certain times so it’s less all consuming and it’s so far been a success.
In Conclusion
So that’s how I imagine my perfect day – that’s how I imagine a day in my retirement. What struck me is how simple it seems. I didn’t imagine meeting animals on safari or swimming with whale sharks (though I’m totally doing both of those!) That will be part of my experience, but it won’t be EVERY day. Days like the above sound just perfect to me.
So that’s my perfect day – what’s yours? Does it differ from how you imagine your days will be after FI?
Didn’t we talk about this?! Awesome post, as usual. My perfect day would also start with a quiet, slowly sipped cup of tea and window gazing or porch sitting (we should probably join forces on that). And then a big breakfast, time spent writing, and finally a walk through a natural area with the dogs. At night we’d make a big dinner with friends and family with homegrown veggies and local ingredients, and sit by a woodstove and talk/knit/play chess. Totally with you on the limited internet thing.
Yes indeed we did! And thank you! That sounds like a wonderful day. And I’m totally down to join forces.
Your day sounds nice and relaxed! My dream is to drink my entire cup of coffee while actually sitting down and before it gets cold. I am glad I found your blog and I look forward to reading more from you!
Haha – aiming high 🙂 . I imagine that would be a luxury with everything you have going on. Thanks so much for stopping by!
As someone who is already there yesterday’s perfect day was all about rebuilding a utility trailer with my wife. It went pretty well except for the part where a board broke and I fell through hitting the steel frame with my head and shoulder. But all I’ve got is a knot on my forehead today so all is well. Today’s perfect day started with a four mile run at 5:30 AM with wife and friends, then a leisurely breakfast where we read the papers, finishing touches on the trailer and now I’m reading blogs. We’ve got doubles tennis scheduled for later in the day and I may have a consulting call or two. I have about ten grant requests I need to review for the charitable foundation I chair but I’m not really wanting to do those today so I may just be lazy all day, or read. Tomorrow I do need to drive a couple of hours for a short consulting gig meeting and either spend the night if I have more work there or drive back home again. Two weeks ago we hiked all over Italy and last weekend we off roaded with two other couples. There are always plenty of fun things to do and a little work and a good bit of volunteering. Is it better than running the company I used to manage in my 9 to 5 days? Oh yeah!
Thanks so much for sharing your day! It’s super interesting to me to see how post FI people are living. I hope that knot on your forehead isn’t bothering you – ouch! That sounds like a lovely day. I particularly can relate to “I’m not really wanting to do those today so I may just be lazy all day, or read.” It’s great you have that flexibility. Tomorrow sounds like a busy day! And oh Italy – I miss it so much! I studied in Bologna for 6 months. That and off-roading sound wild and awesome. Thanks so much for stopping by!
here’s what i suspect might be the strange part: real retirement might not look much like that but still be very satisfying. i’ll bet it’s likely to change over time too.
that cooking thing really took ahold of me once i had more time. i can testify to that. go get some dry mustard powder and look up everything that has that in it….and shallots.
Totally! Life can’t be predicted a lot of the time, but I have fun trying! I also wanted to write down my expectations so in a few years I can look back and see if it matches with reality.
Awesome to hear you’re on the same page with cooking! I don’t think I’ve ever cooked with dry mustard powder OR shallots! Now I know what I’m doing this weekend!
Trade out the film for books, gardening, and running, and I’m sold. What a seriously lovely picture of life.
I’m with you on the reading! In my mind that was woven throughout the whole day (reading in a park while we’re out, reading before bed etc), but maybe I should actually state that! You can continue with your green thumb over there – I have a horrible track record with plants…and running lol. So glad you like it!
Awesome post! I see a lot of talk about retirement, but few talk about how each one is unique. Personally, I couldn’t see myself retiring as I always like to stay busy, this could change tho. Others love to relax and enjoy the simple things in life like how you mentioned enjoying cooking rather than it being a necessity. We are all different and it was good to read your dream retirement day!
Thank you!! Yes indeed we are all different and it’s fascinating to see those difference – like you enjoying staying busy while I happily exclaim “I did nothing all day!” after reading in bed for hours 🙂 . I’m really looking forward to food not just being nutrition. I cooked for my friends yesterday and getting it all ready after the work day turned it into a stressful affair.
Have you been to SIFF? I’ve always wanted to go for their international films.
I have! Let me know if you want to go sometime.
Mmmmm, sounds like a marvelous day! I think mine would be similar – my husband and I always joke that one day, we will be able to start our day with coffee and reading (our fave thing to do!) and end our day with wine and reading. Preferably on a giant screen porch. Heaven.
You should do it! We usually start and end our days that way now actually. Minus the giant screen porch sadly, but that sounds amazing. See if you can make it happen! 🙂
I’m with you on the slow mornings, walking and generally Just Being. Am sure I’ll keep myself busy doing as well but do not have grand plans to be gallivanting everywhere. Right now I just want to chill (and walk and garden and smell nature).
That’s a great way to put it “Just Being.” That sounds like a lovely plan. I do want to do some ‘gallivanting’ 🙂 but even in other cities I just want to slowly enjoy the world. Thank you for stopping by!
Walking, cooking, eating, and relaxing sounds much like how i’ve imagined an early retirement day. I’ve failed to incoroporate that into my current life though. Also like the idea of no technology when the sun is up… has a nice ring to it! Have tried that a couple saturdays… sabbath from the internet… and trying meatless wednesdays just to add some intention to the day…and say Hi, to God!
Yeeah I have all these big ideas, but also haven’t incorporated them into my current life very much. So we’ll see if this is what early retirement is even like – or I’m just living in a fantasy 🙂 . Very cool you’re incorporating new things into your life. I’m going to use you as inspiration.
I love the idea of walking (and for me biking too) the world. However, as a 5′ tall female I struggle to feel safe. Is that a concern of yours too, and if so what do you do to feel safe on walks?
Hi There – It’s a concern, but I try not to let that stop me from traveling alone or walking alone. I used to carry mace with me everywhere, which helped.