Funny how plans change... I had always planned to retire at 55, but it looks more and more like I'm going to push that back to 58 or 60. Costs are going up, and my plans to retire overseas are pretty much out the window with COVID...

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Quote *Touring Ted*
Work 30 years... ARE YOU MAD !!!! I was planning on retiring at 40...

I retired at 40 (well, 39 actually). Also at 53. Not to mention 45, and even 21. Retiring doesn't mean you'll never work again; it might mean a change of career, a return to schooling, or just a couple of years farting around, with or without world travel included.

I've now been un-retired for almost 10 years, which is a looonnnnng time. Good thing I like my current work, as has been true most of my life. COVID has me restless, however, and it's made me think about my eventual mortality and what I'd like to do between now and then. There may be another "retirement" in store, who knows?

Thinking in terms of rigid, narrow categories--you work, then retire, and that's that--hasn't really served my purposes. Various accidents of birth which I did nothing whatsoever to earn (e.g., white, American, male, boomer) have combined to make that ok.

And that is the truth.

At home, I'm just an average kind of guy living comfortably.

But when I start crossing borders I find that I'm rich- wealthy beyond the dreams of the people I'm meeting. I have powerful motorcycles and can travel anywhere I want, whenever I want, on a whim. I don't worry about working.
The cost of hotels and restaurants does not faze me at all. I can go for months and never worry about money.

It's not really in my emotional make-up to see myself as rich- but I must if I'm to have an honest relationship with other people in the world.

Am I off topic? Forgot what we were talking about...

..........shu

I feel for you.

I am one of those who came back from a trip with debt and it took me 2 years to become debt free after the trip.

I have been debt-free for a little while and now I am battling consumerism demons (wanting a new car and a new bike etc..)

So far I am resisting and the money is piling up in the bank account.

By my estimation by the time travel becomes sane again I'll have just enough money set aside for another year off on a bike.

For a lot of us, these long trips take a lot of planning, financial planning yes but equaly important is planning the unplugging from your regular life. Plenty of people have the monetary means to travel long temr but they cannot (or often will not)shut down their life to leave and travel.

If you are still wanting to do a long trip the best time to start planning for it is now.

Every penny spent on that trip was worth it's weight in gold and then some.

I am at that age where the generation above mine is starting to retire, get sick and some are leaving this earth. I am noticing that for a lot of people in their '60s and '70s money is not a problem but they dont have the health or the will to do anyhting interesting with the funds they have.

Do I dream of being 65, retired and buying a brand new 60k fancy pick up truck so I can look at it from kitchen window? Not me.

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

O.M.G
(private joke- Ted knows!)

I missed that part

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique