Thought Experiment #5 – The grid? What grid?

I’ve not participated in the Saving Ninja’s ‘Thought Experiment’ series to date, so this is #1 for me. The premise is a stream of consciousness amble through your response to a hypothetical question. For this one:

“Life is good. You finally did it! You pulled the plug on your day job after reaching financial independence. You never have to work for money ever again. But, you’re bored. You need something to do… You need a project! You grab a piece of paper and a pen and start thinking. Now that you’re financially free, what projects do you want to complete? However ambitious, however small, you now have the time to pursue anything that you like, what will you accomplish?“

The Expanse

Not the epic sci-fi show now on Amazon Prime. I’m talking about the sudden expanse of time available to me for long awaited projects. Like many other FIRE bloggers, a lot of the things I want to do, the projects, are already started or integral to my current path. I’m not actually sure I’d even retire. I wear many hats in my day job, and some of them I enjoy sufficiently that they don’t feel like work. Even if I didn’t have to work for money I’d probably try and continue a few days a week out of intellectual curiosity.

Beyond the sphere of my work, I have a list of semi-started projects which bring me happiness or satisfaction that I could dedicate more time to. I would:

• Learn how to and then practise welding and sheet metal working. To spend some of my time buying rotten classic cars and restoring them from the ground up. Maybe racing them, maybe selling for a profit, maybe just to drive. Do some sculpture work in metal.
• Continue learning languages. But be able to dedicate more time to it, maybe evening classes.
• Build a suitable vehicle and then go overlanding. Probably some sort of Kamaz or Bedford 6×6. Spend some time, as long as it took, driving the Silk Road, the Panamerican Highway. Maybe Aus and trans-Africa. Detours on the Trans-Siberian Railway and travelling the US and Canada by rail. No rush, no goals, just the road to see. Sate my wanderlust.
• Return to the UK and complete some more property renovation projects. Working through phases and styles. Maybe convert some industrial buildings. Build an eco house working with a friends company; off mains electric and water, incorporating space for family and guests.
• Grow, cook, bake and brew. More time on each, growing more food, keeping more animals, experimenting brewing, funding a friends micro-brewery (which doesn’t really need funding as it’s going from strength to strength).

Kids would change the approach but not the direction of travel. There’s other targets in my goals list which don’t feature here, perhaps they’d feature too, there would be no rush. Living for joy and contentment would be my project. Soppy bugger.

Others thoughts:

1. Indeedably
2. Cashflow Cop
3. The Caveman
4. A Way To Less – a new blog to me
5. Dr Fire
6. Marc at Finance your fire
7. GFF
8. Sam at A Simple Life – also new to me
9. Merely curious

References:

1. https://thesavingninja.com/what-will-i-do-when-i-retire/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlanding
3. https://indeedably.com/whats-next/
4. https://cashflowcop.com/beyond-financial-independence-tracing-my-roots/
5. https://ditchthecave.com/when-i-grow-up/
6. https://awaytoless.com/thought-experiment-5/
7. https://drfire.co.uk/what-will-you-do-when-you-retire/
8. https://financeyourfire.com/2019/04/15/thought-experiment-fire-now-what/
9. https://gentlemansfamilyfinances.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/saving-ninja-thought-experient5-from-gff/
10. https://asimplelifewithsam.com/2019/04/15/ninja-thought-experiment-5/
11. https://merelycurious.me/post/thought-experiment-projects-when-fire