Go from burnt out to FIREd up.
I’m in the midst of a blogging sabbatical – so why am I coming off the bench to write this article? WCI is a savvy entrepreneur, and real estate is a sexy topic. I had increased my asset allocation to real estate and invested in several syndicates shortly before the pandemic, and continue to enjoy reading up on the topic. …
I started this blog in 2016 to document and share my journey toward financial literacy, to maintain a writing practice, and to hold myself accountable to my publicly stated goals. Early on, I was thrilled to nerd out over cool strategies like front-loading my retirement contributions each year, backdoor Roth IRAs, and conceiving of creative ways to fund a child’s …
Planning international travel with my wife and kids is one of my greatest pleasures out of proportion. When you plan something far out in the future (whether a trip or a purchase) and spend time anticipating the joy it will bring you over a long delay period, you enjoy it all the more when it comes to fruition. I can …
Back pain led me to sell my beloved surf kayak that first summer of COVID. Ever since, I’ve been riding a bicycle nearly every day I’m not working. It was hard to give up the kayak. It led me to accept that my body will have different activities it can tolerate at different stages. Understanding that everything is by its …
When I was 17, just before my final year of high school, the Painted Cave Fire consumed over 600 structures, including our family home. First lesson in impermanence. As I watch the destruction and suffering associated with the Palisades Fire in LA, I track those friends and family under mandatory evacuation, while still others spend sleepless nights with the flames …
I recently reinvented my work schedule. It was an idea that began to marinate months ago as my father faded away in front of me, gaining momentum in his final days. It required taking a big risk, and being willing to live with the consequences if things did not go my way. The decision to act was rooted in the …
I’ve been through some recent tumultuous events that made me more volatile around those I love, and in an attempt to learn new tools to manage that volatility, I’m a student all over again. Here’s a simple overview of pattern recognition skills I am trying to develop in order to ensure I get a handle on my reactions in moments …
On my morning bike ride, I pass a number of homes that like to go all out on the holiday decorations. Holiday decor never been my bag, although I have fond memories of making a paper mache spider one Halloween long ago with my daughter, and crafting a DIY piƱata with a couple of toddlers certainly made for one of …
The surgeon general declared that the US suffers from an epidemic of loneliness. Our society’s emphasis on self-sufficiency and rugged individualism certainly place us at risk for alienation. A growing body of literature has emerged suggesting that the connections that determine whether an individual feels isolated or enmeshed with their community comes not only from the deep social contacts, but …
[This piece was written some time ago. Publication was held until after the trial concluded.] I began this week with a fear of the unknown. I am going to trial for the first time in my career. The weird part is that it is for the legacy of a career I’d already left behind. Nearly three years ago, I made …
Long ago, I dated a woman with an unusual family custom. She and her family were privately nudists at home – parents and multiple siblings hung out together in the buff. While I don’t quite come from Puritan stock, it was a very foreign experience to hear her accounts of her upbringing (I never witnessed it, and can’t say if …