When I announced that we were leaving the rat race with no Plan B, I got basically two reactions from readers. Most are completely excited and happy for us because we’ve escaped the golden handcuffs. But a significant number are worried about the practical realities of this move… how is it actually going to work out? In essence, we have become guinea pigs for others who have considered making such a decision but aren’t sure it is safe to do so.

I hope to chronicle this latest adventure in a few different ways, so as to paint as complete a picture as possible. My first rule is to not spend ALL of my time blogging because I want to be fully present in everything we are going through, rather than buried in my laptop. So, at least during August, my posts won’t be as long, and some of them may just be photos with captions.

Posted in about me, anxiety, choices, family, Life, Overcoming Challenges, present moment, Road To Freedom Update 39 Comments »

I love a good road trip… doesn’t everyone?

I remember taking road trips with my parents and three siblings in a van from Miami to Upstate New York, and from Southern California to Vancouver. When I was in college, my dad and I drove from San Diego to Laredo, Texas, and all the way to Costa Rica… just the two of us and the open road.

I’ll never forget being in middle-of-nowhere Mexico and my dad telling me to stop and fill up at EVERY gas station I saw because they were not conveniently spaced. We might go 300 miles without seeing another station, so we’d better have enough gas to make it.

Posted in about me, family, happiness, Life, present moment, Spirit of Adventure 34 Comments »

You have three and a half years left to live… at the most, maybe less. December 21, 2012, is 1,248 days away. Some say that will be the end of time.

What if they are right?

This sort of information is kind of like a cancer diagnosis, when the doctors announce you have a certain number of days left to live. If they are right, you’ve got to make the most of your final days on this earth. But they could be wrong… or you could beat the “terminal” cancer, like Lance Armstrong did. So you can’t just go nuts, live irresponsibly, and blow all your life savings.

Posted in bad habits, choices, happiness, present moment, regrets Comments Off