Where does one start? The one sentence elevator speech is that I’m a just-over-50 guy looking to retire early and travel…I am seeking escape.
Of course, “early” is relative. For some, it means the early retirement extreme of their 30’s. For some, early means before they turn 70. With longer expected lifetimes and better lifestyles and health, many people are working past their 70’s. For me, early meant by age 50. That was my goal…by 50. But a life event changed all of that. I got divorced after a 13 year marriage, which had a major impact on our my savings and my income. Turning 50 has came and went, so I missed that goal, but I am trying to retire as soon as financially possible.
Save Crazy, Spend Wisely
How am I going to achieve that goal? I am seeking escape from over-spending. I am seeking escape from trying to impress others. I am seeking escape from bad decisions. I am going to invest every spare dollar and cent. How will I get those spare dollars? I am going to live frugally (which is not synonymous with cheap). I will pre-evaluate purchases to determine if they are needs or wants, and if they are necessary, or if they increase life satisfaction appreciably.
What will I do as I approach retirement and after? I am seeking escape from cold Northern winters. I am seeking escape from materialistic viewpoints, and placing more value on experiences. I am seeking escape from corporate “life”, excessive responsibilities, and embracing freedom. I believe a low-cost, high-quality lifestyle can be lived outside of the USA. My plan is to travel the world, but with an initial focus on the Caribbean.
Sail Away
A few years ago, I stumbled across a blog called Windtraveler. Brittany and Scott opened my eyes to the world of sailboat cruising. No, not on a cruise ship, but on a 35 foot sailboat. I had no idea that you could sail a boat from Chicago all the way to the Caribbean. And this became my goal. I love the water. Nearly every one of my vacations have involved water, from several Caribbean islands, to Hawaii to the Similan Islands in Thailand. Therefore, part of this blog will be about my journey. Learning more about sailing, the process of buying a boat, outfitting it for live-aboard, and the adventure of Seeking Escape.
Seeking EscapeWhile sailing and live-aboard is my goal, it is not set in stone. What is set in stone is my desire to see more of this beautiful earth and the wonderful cultures throughout it. I may accomplish this simply by traveling like a backpacker, spending a few months in each country before wandering to the next one. Or it may begin with sailing, then transition to land. Whatever it is, it will be fun, enlightening, and definitely budget based! I am… Seeking Escape! |
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Theme Song
When I heard “Knee Deep” by Zac Brown Band, featuring Jimmy Buffett, I immediately thought that this is my perfect theme song. It mimics my love of the ocean, buying a boat, and getting away. Some of the lyrics are:
Wrote a note said “Be back in a minute”
Bought a boat and I sailed off in it
Don’t think anybody’s gonna miss me anyway
Mind on a permanent vacation
The ocean is my only medication
Wishing my condition ain’t ever gonna go away
Cause now I’m knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair
Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise there’s a fire in the sky
Never been so happy, Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise
This champagne shore washing over me
It’s a sweet sweet life living by the salty sea
One day you could be as lost as me
Change your geography, Maybe you might be
Knee deep in the water somewhere