Wendy and I rolled into Tucson Wednesday (Dec. 20, 2017) after spending 6 months in Eureka, California where Wendy completed a work contract for St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Hmm. Let me just root around in there.

Surgery co-workers in Eureka

We’re in our pajamas today, but if motivation overcomes us we might change into shorts and bicycle to the store to pick up a few groceries.

Then again, we might just stay in our pajamas because —– (drum roll please) —- we’re officially retired.  Wohoo!  Can you believe it?  On Friday, December 15th, 2017, Wendy saw her last patient.  That’s it and that’s all.

So, on to our next life.  Time to once again reinvent ourselves.  We’ve done this reinvention thing so many times in our lives.  We think up a goal, we research it, we talk about it incessantly, and then if we like what we imagine, we jump in with both feet.

We’ve actually been transitioning into full retirement for several years.  It started decades ago when we became serious about becoming financially independent.  It accelerated 5 years ago when we hired a consultant who asked us lots of questions and helped us envision our future retirement and helped us identify the interim goals needed to get there.

It helps that I have been a lifelong investor.  One core principle I learned at a young age: To become financially independent, you need to be a business owner (i.e., stock holder).  So rather than being the guy who hires/fires employees and invents products and manages services and sweats over the details, you need to be the guy that provides the capital for the business, which in turn manages the people who hire, invent, manage and sweat.  Their work each day produces the income (dividends and interest payments) that we now live on.  And we are very grateful for their daily efforts.

What are we going to do in retirement?  First of all, we’re going to rest.  This first year in particular we’re going to enjoy the simple things that we’ve been too busy to appreciate.  The simple mindfulness that comes from enjoying each day.  I will continue to study history and astrophysics.  Wendy will see if her creative desire to write stories and illustrate her children’s books returns.

Most importantly, we’re going to goof off.  And we’ll continue to improve our health.  Over the past six months, Wendy and I have developed the habit of walking about 3 miles each day.  It takes about an hour.  We listen to books as we walk and enjoy nature.

Northern California had some amazing scenery to walk through from canyons of ferns to  giant redwood forests to spectacular and remote beaches.  We’ve both lost weight this year, so whatever we’re doing seems to be working.

In 2018, our first year of retirement, we’re going to travel, but not too fast.  Here’s our travel plan for 2018:

Be sure to honk and wave as we roll by.  And if you want to hang with us when we’re in your neighborhood just send us an email or text.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of our family and friends!!!

– Clay