A Stormy Situation in Barcelona

It's stormy here in Barcelona. Though the skies are perfectly clear, the political situation is not.

A few days before leaving for Spain, I heard something on NPR about a vote for independence in Catalonia. My ears perked up. In just a few days, I would be traveling to Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia.

If you don't have any interest in Catalonia's political situation, I'll give you the 30-second elevator version and you can call it quits for this blog post: The vote for Catalonian independence, which was held four days before I would arrive in Spain, was deemed illegal. Temporary hell broke loose, and more than 800 people were injured. 

Posters I have seen displayed around Barcelona.
"Democracy! If you do not go, they win."
(Note: This poster is in Catalan -- not Spanish.)

For a slightly longer version of the story, read on.

My Interview with "Eyes on the Goal" Blog

I was recently interviewed by Eyes on the Goal blog.

Run by Katerina Apostolova, Eyes on the Goal is about "personal finance for freedom seekers." Katerina has a goal of reaching financial independence within five years, and her blog is all about keeping her eyes on this goal.

In learning about financial independence, Katerina had listened to My Interview for "The Voluntary Life" Podcast. She then reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to provide a guest post for her interview series. Click on the image below to read the interview:

Thanks for the fun interview, Kate. I wish you the best in achieving your financial independence!

Happy 3rd Re-Birthday to Me!

Happy 3rd Re-Birthday to Me!

It's cupcake time, my friends! It's time to celebrate!

It has been three years since I quit the rat race. It has been three years of semi-retirement bliss. It has been three years of waking up on Monday mornings, endlessly grateful that I don't have to drag my butt into the office after a nice weekend. Nope, siree -- my life now consists of perpetual weekends!

Fuck-You Money vs. Fuck-You Time

A few days ago, I got together with a good friend of mine, Justin. We met at Caffe Ladro in Fremont, bright'n'early at 7am. We talked virtually non-stop for two and a half hours, pausing briefly only to breathe and to sip our drinks.

As we hadn't seen each other in two months, we had lots to share -- new favorite podcasts, interesting developments in the world of technology, and profound insights about early retirement. Justin also filled me in on his recent bike trip to Cuba, and I apprised Justin of my recent bike guiding experiences.

I had really been looking forward to guiding bicycle trips for a local company this summer. However, after guiding the first two trips, I realized that the company wasn't a good fit for me. The company had some business practices that I wasn't comfortable with. And so being the principled person that I am, I decided I would no longer work for the company.

"It must be nice to have fuck-you money," Justin said, with a covetous smile.

I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows: "Fuck-you money?"

My Interview for "The Voluntary Life" Podcast

Over the years, I've consulted a number of resources about voluntary simplicity, financial independence, and early retirement. One of my most favorite resources has been The Voluntary Life podcast.

The podcast, hosted by Jake Desyllas, covers a number of topics related to entrepreneurship, financial independence, and freedom. Jake's podcast has been immensely helpful at providing inspiration and encouragement in pursuing my early retirement lifestyle.

I have spent literally hundreds of hours listening to The Voluntary Life. So, you can imagine my thrill in having the tables turned; Jake wanted to interview me about my early retirement story and how housesitting fits into my early retirement lifestyle.

Happy 2nd Re-Birthday to Me!

Happy 2nd Re-Birthday to Me!

It has now been two years since I took the plunge and quit my job. As this event was pivotal in achieving my new lifestyle, I like to celebrate this re-birthday! Happy 2nd re-birthday to me!

Claiming Your Unclaimed Property

When I was a kid, I'd pick up the stray pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters on the sidewalk. Others overlooked these coins, considering them to be petty. But to me, they were worth something. I'd put them in my pocket and say "Every little bit helps! Now I'm 5¢ closer to retirement."

I'm still picking up these coins, and I'm still acknowledging that they are helping to inch me closer to retirement. Nowadays, I chuckle as I ponder how fortunate I am to have started my retirement in my mid-30s.

Admittedly, scanning the sidewalk for dropped coins isn't going to get me too far. On the other hand, scanning the Departments of Revenue websites to see if I have any unclaimed property may get me a bit farther.

The Valuation of Intangibles

I recently sold my house.

This place ain't mine no more.

I bought this place a little over six years ago. I lived in it for 1½ years, and then I rented it to amazing tenants for the next 4½ years.

The house sold quickly, thanks to my awesome realtors, Sarah and Jamie Reece. As Shakespeare would say, Sarah and Jamie made the process as smooth as monumental alabaster.

    February 25: Tenants move out
    March 5: List on market
    March 10: Accept offer
    March 28: Close

Happy Re-Birthday to Me!

Happy Re-Birthday to Me!

I'm not one who enjoys celebrating my birthday. But this is an occasion I'm proud to celebrate: it was one year ago today when I took the plunge and quit my job. This event was pivotal in achieving my new lifestyle. Happy re-birthday to me!