decath,

I'm still working and far from 875k in FIRE assets. But what has also changed is watching my children grow up with one giving 2 grandsons by now. I don't really want to live a frugal subsistence lifestyle. DW and I want to be engaged with the family and that cost $. I want to be the "pa pa" that takes his grandkids to Disney World for a week, as well as many other things. How cool would it be go parachute jumping with your grandkids as an example.

That would be really cool! :)

I think things are fundamentally different when you have a family life. I think if I had a family, my main motivation would be to have a stable job with the lowest possible hours so that I could spend as much time as possible with my SO and kids. I get where you're coming from.

However, I never wanted kids, and the truth is I never actually wanted a SO. I've been in some happy relationships but after the last one ended, I didn't go hunting for someone new, and nothing just happened by chance, so I'm now alone, which is fine by me. I am pretty happy being alone when I can spend my time doing what I want. I think a lot of my unhappiness comes from being alone and having too little free time to do what I want. I have a friend who teaches and takes off every summer to go traveling. That lifestyle is very attractive. Unfortunately, I really don't enjoy teaching. I haven't been able to think of any other way to do something similar.

My teacher friend is the one that I mentioned in the original thread. She's the one who advised me that I'd be able to retire with $100K; she really has no financial chops (plus she practically has no savings). Anyway, she has suggested to me that I could do contract work (I'm in IT) part time, and travel part time. I guess she knows some young people who do this in NYC.

This may be fine if you're younger, but I wonder how realistic it is for us "elderly" folks. IT is highly competitive, and the older you get the harder it seems to be to find a job. I've been unemployed a few times and it has taken me 3-6 months of steady job seeking to find a new job. I wonder how these people she knows are able to do it (I always ask her but she never has the details).

OK, just rambling now :)

Rocannon