Lately I’ve been thinking about selling my home, selling most of my possessions, buying a small trailer and living off the grid.
If I did this right, I could retire (to a life of austerity).
This was not a possibility when my wife Ellen was alive. When I told her I could retire early if we did this, she’d laugh and say, “You’re crazy. I’m not doing that in a million years.”
That was OK. I adored her and was happy to dedicate my life to caring for her – even if that meant working long, hard hours at jobs I didn’t love. If I had the chance, I would do it all again for her.
But now she’s gone.
For the first time in 3 decades, I can go anywhere and do anything I want.
I don’t know where I want to live.
It won’t be in Florida. Although I love the weather, I’m not willing to sign up for a lifetime of expenses like astronomical homeowners insurance, roof replacements that cost 5x as much as anywhere else, car insurance that is triple the rate in the midwest, and property taxes that are the highest I’ve ever paid.
Maybe I should move somewhere rural. Maybe I should consider a small town. Maybe I should buy a remote cabin. Maybe I should get a city apartment and be car free.
I always wanted to explore the Western US. Perhaps now is the time for me to explore Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and California.
I could visit Seattle and Portland to see if a hipster bicycle -centric life appeals to me.
I’ve never camped, fished or hunted, but have heard that Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are great places to do all of these.
I don’t know what I want to do.
I can’t imagine interviewing for a job right now. I have lost all interest and ambition.
If an interviewer asked me, “Why do you want this job?”, today I would honestly reply “I don’t.”
I don’t feel like rejoining corporate America.
The thought of building another “high volume sales machine” makes me want to gag.
Working and striving to achieve made up sales goals is equally unappealing.
My lack of enthusiasm is undoubtedly related to my wife dying. It’s also because I loved being self-employed. Working for someone else would be a letdown.
Most importantly, I see the world through a different light today than I did before.
For most of my adult life, I was working and sacrificing to create a better future for my family. I was driven at times by a mixture of ambition, love, responsibility and even fear.
That future disappeared the day Ellen died.
One friend said,
“I understand you’re going through a tough time. I’d be thinking about going Ted Kaczynski too and isolating. Don’t do it. You helped a lot of people when you were managing sales teams. You belong here and we need you. When you are ready, you should come back”
Another friend said,
“You’re being crazy. If you’re calling to ask me to support you selling everything and moving into an RV, you’re not going to get it. THis is the exact opposite of what you should do. Don’t make any rash decisions. I predict you’ll be working for someone within 18 months. You’re highly skilled and marketable.”
My mom said,
“It’s OK to think about this, just don’t take any actions that you’ll regret later. I think you need to look for a job so you can keep your mind busy.”
Maybe they are right. They would be if Ellen was still alive because I would have done anything to keep her here near our son.
My life could be much simpler if I sold my home, moved into a travel trailer and lived for free on BLM land.
I would save some serious money by cutting my cost of living drastically. So much, that I could retire early.
I wouldn’t be the first person to do this.
It would allow me to explore the country. I might find a place I want to settle in permanently.
I’d learn new skills surviving without the familiar comforts of home like AC, running water, electricity, WiFi and in-town living.
I might like it better living much closer to nature.
At the very least, I’d stop romanticizing this idea of living super simple and super cheaply. Real life has a way of doing this.
On the other hand, I might even find that a minimalist, nomadic life on the road is the next chapter of my life.
I’m a man of action. I don’t do well just worrying about things.
I know I can’t afford to stay in my home without getting a job. So it’s time to take some action.
- My first step is to contact a real estate agent and get some comps run.
- I’ve already researched travel trailers, RVs, vans and campers. I’ve narrowed my options down to a Scamp or a Casita trailer.
- Unfortunately, I’m not sure my trusty Scion can tow either one so I may need to sell it and get a used towing vehicle. I’ll start that research next week.
If I decide to do this, I’ll be selling almost all of our stuff on ebay and craiglist soon. I’m not looking forward to that process at all.