I loved:
‘Sure, I’ll never make the kind of money I’d have made if I’d stayed in the corporate world. But then, I don’t need a psychiatrist, and I think I might have if I’d stayed’.

Good on your for knowing who you are and being brave enough to be that person and live the life you want.

Cheers!

My first “mini-retirement” came when, after ten years in the corporate world, I decided I didn’t belong, and I took off for six months to wander Australia (covered about 20,000 miles — great trip — I wrote about it in my book Waltzing Australia, which you might enjoy if you like a bit of adventure or need inspiration for your next destination). I then took off a year to start my career over. I’m now a sufficiently successful writer that I’m able to support my travel habit (usually at least three trips a year, at least one outside the U.S., generally for anywhere from two to four weeks at a time).

Sure, I’ll never make the kind of money I’d have made if I’d stayed in the corporate world. But then, I don’t need a psychiatrist, and I think I might have if I’d stayed. It just didn’t suit my personality. I save some money (don’t want to work forever), but spend a fair bit on “living now.” (I’ve been to nearly 40 countries on six continents, some of those countries several times.) I do, however, avoid spending any money I don’t have — keep those credit cards clean — don’t want debt to cut into my lifestyle. I am careful with my money so it’s there for what matters.

So if you don’t need much structure, and you have enough discipline to stay focused on the real goal, regular mini-retirements are possible. But not everyone can cope with the uncertainty (will there be work after this outing?) and lack of structure. But so far, it has worked for me — and I’ve been doing it for close to twenty years.