There comes a moment in many of our lives when the soul asks a dangerous question: “Is this all there is?” For me, at age 57, after a lifetime in a high-paying career, the answer was a resounding “no.” My spirit was crying out for a great reset, for the healing rhythm of the ocean I remembered from my years in Hawaii. But the mind, ever the cautious accountant, immediately countered with a question of its own: “But can you afford it?”
This is the story of how the answer became “yes.” It is a financial map for a 15-year journey, designed to show how a man can walk away from a six-figure salary and, through careful planning, end up not just happier, but wealthier than when he began.
Chapter 1: The Great Sabbatical (Ages 57-58)
This first year is the most radical act: a leap of faith. The goal is not to earn, but to heal. Upon arriving in my chosen sanctuary of Da Nang, Vietnam, the only tasks are to walk the beach, to meditate, and to joyfully begin building new, passion-driven online ventures without the crushing pressure of needing them to pay the bills.
To do this, I gave myself the gift of a zero-income year. This is funded by my “Flowing River,” a liquid travel fund of $20,000 I had set aside.
- Monthly Income: $0
- Monthly Cost of Life: A comfortable $1,200. This isn’t bare-bones survival; this is a life of abundance. It includes a modern apartment near the sea, eating delicious meals out daily, health insurance, and even the cost of a quarterly “visa run”—a mini-vacation to a city like Bangkok every three months to renew my visa.
- Total Spend for Year 1: $1,200 x 12 = $14,400
At the end of my first year of pure freedom, my Flowing River still has $5,600 in it. Most importantly, my “Sacred Grove”—a separate reserve of $47,000 in long-term savings and retirement accounts—remains completely untouched.
Chapter 2: The Creator’s Rhythm (Ages 58-62)
After a year of healing, the journey shifts. This is the four-year bridge to a lifetime of security. My new online ventures begin to bear their first fruits. In this plan, I use a worst-case scenario: what if my new businesses only ever make $1,000 a month?
- Monthly Income: $1,000
- Monthly Cost of Life: $1,200
- The Monthly Shortfall: A tiny $200
For the first two years of this period, that $200 shortfall is easily covered by the remaining money in my Flowing River. For the final 20 months, I take my first, gentle sips from my Sacred Grove. Over four years, I use a mere $4,000 from my main savings.
By my 62nd birthday, the Flowing River has served its purpose, and my Sacred Grove, which began at $47,000, still contains $43,000, plus all the interest it has quietly earned. I have lived freely for five years, and my core savings are barely touched.
Chapter 3: The Perennial Spring (Ages 62-72)
On my 62nd birthday, the entire financial landscape transforms. The great river of my Social Security benefits begins to flow. This is the decade of profound and effortless abundance.
- My New Monthly Income: $1,000 (from my passion projects) + ~$2,000 (from Social Security) = $3,000
- My Monthly Cost of Life: Still a comfortable $1,200
- My New Monthly SURPLUS: +$1,800
The story is no longer about spending; it’s about accumulating. Every month, I am not just living my dream life by the sea; I am saving more money than I ever thought possible.
By age 72, the numbers are staggering:
- My Sacred Grove of $43,000 is still there, having grown for a decade.
- I have accumulated a new mountain of savings from my surplus, totaling over $216,000.
The Journey’s End
This was never a plan for “burning through funds.” It is the plan of a wise farmer who uses a small portion of his stored grain to get through the planting season, knowing that the great river will soon return to flood his fields with abundance for the rest of his days.
By trading a life of high stress for one of high intention, I will arrive at age 72 not depleted, but wealthier, healthier, and infinitely freer than the man who left America all those years ago. The path is sound. The foundation is unshakeable.
