Hello!
Am so appreciative of Bob, the admins, & all members of this community that make it a kind and welcoming place!
Without waxing melodramatic - this forum, Bob's blog(s), & the YouTube videos of many of the members here have really given me hope for a better tomorrow for me.
As for me- I've spent decades trying to be right, do right, & then realized that I sold myself short with regard to my own needs & dreams for a good life for ME.
But- at least I woke up.
I've taken some hits along the way (while gaining insights, too):
I was downsized just 27 days before my pension vested without recourse (trust me, I explored all avenues) - leaving me with nothing for those years of work.
I then sequentially dismantled my own retirement portfolio (from previous jobs) to be available to take care of a widowed father (who created 'rodeos of crisis' for me to remedy as his AD/dementia developed).
(This was before Suze Orman was around to tell me NOT to EVER touch my own retirement money to help others - it's just all gone now.)
There were other things that happened, too... but those will come to discussion as needed.
I've had years where I realized that I was making everyone else's life great, good, & possible, but was not doing so for myself.
It sounds good - to be selfless, to help others, to be the go-to person- but one day you then realize that you're standing on the shore, watching the ghost ship burn, & you realize that the ghost ship that you're observing is your own life.
And you wonder: should you let the immolation continue, or should you just sink the ship?
Some days, I'm still not certain as to what to do.
At least I finally woke up to consider the questions.
I realize that this lifestyle will likely be my best bet as I move forward.
I have concerns about maintaining my health in doing so (am asthmatic) but also believe that I can be the one to come up with answers & solutions if they don't currently exist, too.
Presently I have a full time job.
Am actually grateful for this, as I pieced together temporary gigs from ~1996-2013, and it's presently a relief to have some stability for now (if not desirable forever).
I am also presently living with family, as we needed all hands on deck, with my Dad at home from 2010-2016.
He lived with us, which was a full time /all time after work job 24/7/365 (with appreciation for wonderful adult day care that helped us both to resume full time work as of 11/2013)
He has just now entered the nursing home (as of 11/18/2016), at age 96 (he was 1st hr 1st wave Omaha on D-day - one of the first 400 to land).
His mind is gone, but he's fairly sweet, and has the constitution that will take him to age 100+. The staff love him, and I'm grateful for that, as we love them, too.
We (my sister & myself) still have to manage him/intervene/be his POAs, & are dealing with Medicaid application right now (!!!), etc. but we're decompressing from being full time caregivers while working full time, too.
Am now starting to have my own life as a priority again.
I love to write & have some experience as a freelancer over many years.
I am developing a more- serious side gig as a freelance writer pursuant to being able to hit the road full time and generate sufficient income (am paying down debts & paring away tangible assets to declutter, streamline, & sock away cash for the leap).
I *just* purchased a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium right before discovering this lifestyle. I likely should have gotten the cargo van -aargh -& started the process, but no matter.
Am looking at teardrops or Prolite campers or T@B S campers (want to stay below 1350-1500 lbs, per my car specs).
I would rather have a sleeping situation where I can immediately jump in the driver's seat & speed away if things get scary, but I think it's as important to get my first rig 'out of the way' first rather than delaying my lifestyle waiting for the perfect rig at first.
I think I might be interested in a 19-25' RV eventually (still learning), but think it's important to get going rather than wait for perfection.
Julia Cameron stated (in her book ' The Artist's Way'k:
'Leap & the net will appear.'
My own variation:
'Leap, sprout wings, & fly!'
It will be a little while before I leap & fly.
But I think that I've stopped burning, stopped sinking, and am grateful for that.
Right now I'm learning, considering my needs, iterating, & establishing momentum forward.
Anyway- enough about me!
Thanks for reading this far!
Best to all -
Fairlight
Am so appreciative of Bob, the admins, & all members of this community that make it a kind and welcoming place!
Without waxing melodramatic - this forum, Bob's blog(s), & the YouTube videos of many of the members here have really given me hope for a better tomorrow for me.
As for me- I've spent decades trying to be right, do right, & then realized that I sold myself short with regard to my own needs & dreams for a good life for ME.
But- at least I woke up.
I've taken some hits along the way (while gaining insights, too):
I was downsized just 27 days before my pension vested without recourse (trust me, I explored all avenues) - leaving me with nothing for those years of work.
I then sequentially dismantled my own retirement portfolio (from previous jobs) to be available to take care of a widowed father (who created 'rodeos of crisis' for me to remedy as his AD/dementia developed).
(This was before Suze Orman was around to tell me NOT to EVER touch my own retirement money to help others - it's just all gone now.)
There were other things that happened, too... but those will come to discussion as needed.
I've had years where I realized that I was making everyone else's life great, good, & possible, but was not doing so for myself.
It sounds good - to be selfless, to help others, to be the go-to person- but one day you then realize that you're standing on the shore, watching the ghost ship burn, & you realize that the ghost ship that you're observing is your own life.
And you wonder: should you let the immolation continue, or should you just sink the ship?
Some days, I'm still not certain as to what to do.
At least I finally woke up to consider the questions.
I realize that this lifestyle will likely be my best bet as I move forward.
I have concerns about maintaining my health in doing so (am asthmatic) but also believe that I can be the one to come up with answers & solutions if they don't currently exist, too.
Presently I have a full time job.
Am actually grateful for this, as I pieced together temporary gigs from ~1996-2013, and it's presently a relief to have some stability for now (if not desirable forever).
I am also presently living with family, as we needed all hands on deck, with my Dad at home from 2010-2016.
He lived with us, which was a full time /all time after work job 24/7/365 (with appreciation for wonderful adult day care that helped us both to resume full time work as of 11/2013)
He has just now entered the nursing home (as of 11/18/2016), at age 96 (he was 1st hr 1st wave Omaha on D-day - one of the first 400 to land).
His mind is gone, but he's fairly sweet, and has the constitution that will take him to age 100+. The staff love him, and I'm grateful for that, as we love them, too.
We (my sister & myself) still have to manage him/intervene/be his POAs, & are dealing with Medicaid application right now (!!!), etc. but we're decompressing from being full time caregivers while working full time, too.
Am now starting to have my own life as a priority again.
I love to write & have some experience as a freelancer over many years.
I am developing a more- serious side gig as a freelance writer pursuant to being able to hit the road full time and generate sufficient income (am paying down debts & paring away tangible assets to declutter, streamline, & sock away cash for the leap).
I *just* purchased a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium right before discovering this lifestyle. I likely should have gotten the cargo van -aargh -& started the process, but no matter.
Am looking at teardrops or Prolite campers or T@B S campers (want to stay below 1350-1500 lbs, per my car specs).
I would rather have a sleeping situation where I can immediately jump in the driver's seat & speed away if things get scary, but I think it's as important to get my first rig 'out of the way' first rather than delaying my lifestyle waiting for the perfect rig at first.
I think I might be interested in a 19-25' RV eventually (still learning), but think it's important to get going rather than wait for perfection.
Julia Cameron stated (in her book ' The Artist's Way'k:
'Leap & the net will appear.'
My own variation:
'Leap, sprout wings, & fly!'
It will be a little while before I leap & fly.
But I think that I've stopped burning, stopped sinking, and am grateful for that.
Right now I'm learning, considering my needs, iterating, & establishing momentum forward.
Anyway- enough about me!
Thanks for reading this far!
Best to all -
Fairlight
