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!
For the last two years, I've been living a semi-retired lifestyle -- spending my time as I wish and earning a casual income if-and-when I choose to do so.
This last two years of semi-retirement have been the best years of my life. The freedom to spend my days as I wish has been absolutely amazing. I have time to breathe and to think, to deepen my relationships with my friends and community, to explore new directions, and to live my values and my dreams.
In reflecting on the second year of my new lifestyle, I'm reminded that I've had a hell of a lot of wonderful experiences in the last year, including:
- traveling to Turkey
- exploring Vancouver Island
- biking from Mexico to Canada along the Sierra-Cascade Mountains
- riding naked in the Fremont Solstice Parade
- meeting a wonderful man named Ferit
- learning to draw
- simplifying my life by getting rid of my rental property
- satisfying my curiosity of what it would be like to work at REI
- helping to socialize hundreds of kitties by volunteering at the Seattle Animal Shelter
- sharing my passion for touring by teaching classes on how to bicycle tour and
- exploring housesitting (I love it!)
So, yeah, suffice it to say that it's been a good year.
My new lifestyle has given me a level of perpetual contentment that I never could have imagined. Simplicity has brought with it a richness that money cannot afford.
Happy Re-Birthday to you! Hope to eventually, actually meet you in person, somewhere down the road :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ocean. I look forward to meeting you as well. :)
DeleteHappy Days, Sarah! You always inspire me!
ReplyDeleteThanks, MaryJo! :)
DeleteHappy birthday to both us :)
ReplyDeleteI'll start officially wishing you happy re-birthday when you take the *final* plunge -- you're only "practicing" semi-retirement now. :) Looking forward to your *real* plunge a few years from now, Ferit Bey!
DeleteLove it, envioous and impressed and so lucky to have met ya. Happy rebirthday lady!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tony. Lucky to have met ya' as well. :)
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