Part of the inspiration for my early retirement dream, was the early retirement dream of my father.  My dad George was an aerospace Draftsman, and he didn’t really like his job.  He also hated the Rat Race and the long commute.  He felt like he was always on a tread mill, just to pay the bills.  He wanted to do something better with his life.

His Crazy Dream

My Dad’s dream was to retire at 45 and sail around the world.  I remember him reading National Geographic and following the stories of sailors who were circumnavigation the globe.  My Mom thought he was crazy and to be honest so did we.  If our dad sailed around the world, who would take care of my mom and us five kids?  Who would pay the bills for three years while he was gone?

As an adult, I spent a lot of time talking to my dad and his dream became much clearer to me.  He told me about his frustration from sitting in a desk all day doing a job he hated, while his life was slowly passing him by.  I loved my computer job and career in my 20s and 30s and retirement was the last thing on my mind, so it took me a while to understand how he felt.  After I had climbed the corporate ladder and reached my 40s, I started to long for my own freedom and started planning my own early retirement dream.  When he told me about waking up in the morning and being the master of his own day, I started to want that life as well.

His Crazy Reality

After my parents got divorced, my dad moved to the Marshall Islands and bought a Hobie catamaran.  He didn’t get to sail around the world, but he did get to sail around the atoll a couple of days a week.  He didn’t get to retire at 45, but he got to live and work in a much more peaceful environment.  Even though he had to keep working until he was 55, he had effectively escaped the Rat Race and the daily commute.  At 55, he did retire and moved to a beautiful island in Micronesia.  He passed away at 65, so he would have gotten no retirement, if he hadn’t retired early.

The Bottom Line

When you have an audacious dream, you need to protect it from the doubters, who do not share your vision and will try to dissuade you.  You must have the courage to pursue your dreams, despite your own fears and doubts.  You have an obligation to your future self to become the person you have always dreamt of being.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.  Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the start to change the world.”

– Harriet Tubman

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