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By Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Special to the Financial Independence Hub
Wow! We made it!
Ten thousand days of financial independence!
Now into our 28th year, we just passed the 10,000-day milestone. And all the while our net worth has grown: above inflation and spending. We have been financially independent longer than some of our readers have been alive! Think about that!
Do you know what this is? This is unbridled success!
No one thought we could do this, and many told us we’d fail.
And we have always said that if WE could do this, YOU could too!
In the beginning
It was January, 1991 that we traded our briefcases for backpacks and we haven’t looked back. We were 38 years of age when we ventured into uncharted waters for the great unknown. That sounds dramatic, but it’s true.
At the time there was no internet, no Google, no social media or Youtube, few ATM’s and – with little guidance – we left our secure jobs for a lifestyle of adventure and experiences. We wanted something different for ourselves than what traditional thinking offered.
There was no word for what we were planning to do. In fact, the road we were taking was a barely visible, unmarked trail. Some people thought we were crazy to put our financial and social lives in danger like this. Others just looked at us with pity, “knowing” we’d be back in a few months from our vacation with our tails between our legs, begging for re-entry into the world that we seemed so willing to chuck for the sake of adventure.
But we weren’t designing their dream, we were creating ours. And, after all these years of world travel, we are still here (and with a stronger portfolio! Do you ever hear THAT from the financial pundits?)
Overcoming challenges and moving into the future
The most difficult part of this adventure was that there was no support system in place for “professional vagabonds.” The word “Location Independent Living” hadn’t been invented yet, nor had email, electronic bank transfers, safe withdrawal rates, downloadable books or music.
That was almost three decades ago (seems almost primitive, doesn’t it?), and today the choice to become financially independent and live a lifestyle of travel is So. Much. Easier.
To stay in touch with family and friends, we utilize email, Skype and social media. Our photos are digital and are kept on a hard drive or up in the cloud. Ninety-nine percent of our bills and financial transactions are done online with the click of a key. The snail mail we do get is handled through a mail service. We can get our news in an instant with 24/7 worldwide coverage. We download movies, take online courses, and order music or books from Amazon or from hundreds of businesses who offer what we are looking for.
Things have changed a LOT over the last 3 decades and digital nomads are everywhere.
Freedom was our motivation
While there are many ways to live a life, and we aren’t criticizing anyone’s choice, for us, Freedom was our motivation.
There were plenty of times along the road where we could have given up, could have dissed our dreams and settled for a life that did not make our hearts sing. But instead, we followed our inner push to do something different. Freedom to try something new, to come and go as we wanted, freedom to try different combinations – outside of convention – for our lifestyle.
These days we house sit, rent apartments, live in apart-hotels, are car-free and utilize the many choices for public transport. We’ve lived in mile-high, springtime weather locations, in the tropics, on islands, in Colonial cities and with the indigenous. Our friendships span the globe. We’ve crossed oceans and mountains and our minds have opened up. We have seen the best of humanity with wonderful people and opportunities everywhere!
The longer we lived this lifestyle, the lighter our baggage became.
Sharing all of these experiences and perspectives with YOU, our Readers, is why we have kept our website alive. We want to show you options for living, give you choices that will save you money or open your viewpoints. The world is a grand place and we encourage you to travel and take big bites out of Life!
Now in our mid-sixties, we are experienced travelers, we continue to learn on all levels, and are still enjoying experiences over stuff. We are looking forward to many more days, weeks and years of this lifestyle and we want to continue sharing it with you.
TEN THOUSAND DAYS! Come celebrate with us! We toast to YOU!
Our messages to you are the same as they were from the very beginning:
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams
If WE can do it, YOU can too!
Come celebrate with us and begin your journey to your own ten thousand days of financial freedom
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.
Congratulations Billy and Akaisha. Your journey is an inspiration to many.