Has it been almost four months since I quit the corporate grind? I figured an empty calendar would make it easy to jump back into writing, but early retirement has plenty of distractions—and it isn’t all sunshine.
Overall, though, things are good. Early retirement doesn’t suck. I’m enjoying the freedom to try new things and focus on stuff that actually needs attention.
What’s great is not having to perform in endless meetings that accomplish little or get toxic when stressed colleagues snap at each other. I finally have time to work on the rental properties—thankfully, because maintenance was piling up.
Still, unexpected anxiety shows up, even after all the spreadsheets that told me NOW was the time to quit. How do we replace health coverage? Do we have enough cash for huge, unforeseen bills? And why, for some reason, do I feel like a failure?
Corporate jobs pay well but are rarely fulfilling. I’m grateful for over 25 years in that world—good friends, a few laughs, and solid pay. What schools don’t teach you is how to cope with the endless churn of public companies. “Strategic” decisions often exist only on slides.
In healthcare services, strategy can feel like spaghetti thrown at a wall: it looks promising for a moment, then slides off and gets forgotten until new leaders toss another batch to see if it sticks. It rarely does. That gets old fast, and I don’t miss it. Sure, there were meaningful wins, but a lot of “productivity” felt wasted—probably enough to pay for a few kidney transplants.
Now, innovation is often just buzzwords about AI and a return to command-and-control management. Good leaders were shown the door; the rest are mostly managers. I won’t even get into return-to-office mandates and commuting woes—I’ll happily work from a coffee shop or my little home office.
One big distraction this summer was getting a real estate salesperson license. It seemed useful for the rental business, so I figured, why not? It’s almost embarrassingly doable. The hardest part was sitting through 90 hours of on-demand classes (much of it dull) and dealing with test proctoring. I finished the final exam yesterday and checked that box.
Why real estate? Maybe I should’ve been in the field all along—construction, property management, architecture. I talk about residential real estate a lot on this blog because it’s a passion. That’s the beauty of retiring early with financial independence: you can change direction without fearing you’ll hit rock bottom.
The goal is to be more useful and effective without the downsides of corporate life. Part-time buying and selling, and working toward a broker’s license, will keep me engaged and bring in extra income to give away. We don’t retire to swing in hammocks and drink piña coladas all day—the world still needs work, and our time is limited.
I expect buying and selling homes will be fun, but I don’t expect steady big pay—competition is fierce. As the local saying goes, “You can throw a rock and hit a realtor.” The long-term plan is to become a broker and build a small boutique property management firm. You can throw two rocks before you hit a property manager, right?
Health care has been a headache. Even with the Affordable Care Act making options more affordable, leaving a company plan is scary. We chose a Bronze HSA plan with about a $1,100 monthly premium for two adults and two kids—roughly what I budgeted. We still had to find new specialists and dentists under the plan, and drugs don’t always transfer the same. Sorting it out felt like a second full-time job. We could use an early retirement concierge.
My health took a minor hit this summer from anxiety about the change. Stress after big life moves—even positive ones—is real. Part of my worry came from how some managers reacted (or didn’t) when I left. Maybe they were relieved I was gone, or annoyed I announced my resignation right after getting a bonus. I don’t know. I did stay three months after resigning, and I think it mainly comes down to corporate survival instincts—managers look out for themselves.
As someone who managed people, I would have done more to acknowledge 17 years of service. It would’ve been the decent thing—and an easy way to avoid another negative former employee. I would have taken an exit interview if offered. Alas.
Thankfully, the anxiety has faded recently. Finishing the real estate coursework and a clean bill of health at my annual physical helped. No colonoscopy this year—small victories.
So no, I don’t feel like a failure. That’s a warped thought. The company I left has trouble moving past a consulting, eat-or-be-eaten culture and keeping good leaders. Sometimes even a big paycheck can’t make work interesting. Maybe I failed at corporate politics, but I hope my kids avoid those glass offices when their job searches begin.
The summer wasn’t great for the so-called “Airbnb cash cow.” Revenue is down about 25% this year after strong years in 2021–22. Oversupply and inflation jitters are to blame—lots of new hosts since COVID are driving bookings down and worsening housing shortages. I’ll write more on that this fall. It’s a stressor when a key source of post-retirement income slips.
But we don’t sit and sulk—we take action: new listing photos, a pricing tool (PriceLabs), and better furnishings.
I also met up with my FIRE friend Carl from 1500 Days to Freedom in Minneapolis for a beer. His perspective helps, and he’s always busy—a good reminder I’ll find productive ways to fill my time. With colder months coming and summer drama behind me, I want to reboot this blog more consistently. There are always topics to write about; it’s motivation that sometimes runs out. C’mon, Cubert!
Stick around—the ride is just beginning.