Thoughts and reflections form the past week or so from my own financial independence campaign.
Progress on my goals
Boat plan
We moved aboard!
Well, sort of.
The dog hasn’t quite made it across the gangplank. He’s still in training and living with my mother-in-law, who is (despite all protests to the contrary) keen to keep hold of him as long as possible.
However, we can’t keep living in her basement.
So, for now at least, we’re aboard and using our weekends to walk him and try to train him to join us.
So many mixed emotions
We’re doing The Thing!
But I really don’t like the idea of leaving my dog behind.
But it’s also a great setup for him, because he’s living with a pensioner who spends most of her time with him; and it’s a great setup for her, because she’s using him as a social device to go dog walking with her friends and/or meet other dog walkers at the beach.
But I don’t get to cuddle my dog in the morning…
…but I work long hours and barely see him midweek anyway, except in passing…
…well, fuck.
So yeah, I’m both happy and sad about the situation and really glad it’s temporary.
The dog doesn’t care either way, and the mother-in-law is actually really happy about it and is barely keeping that hidden.
There may come a point where – if we can’t get him aboard – we look to do something else so that we can live with him. Probably rent somewhere, although this is basically not an option in the Channel Islands rental market so we might end up returning to the UK for a while if that happens.
For now though, there’s no reason not to continue with Plan A and train him up.
Distractions and detours
The Post-Christmas Slump
As with 90% of the Western world, I’m presently enjoying not being at work in that slump period between Christmas and New Year, where we all get fatter by eating the leftover Christmas feast/ snack foods that we’d all bought and prepared “just in case”.
First world problems.
Finally moving aboard and adapting to living on the boat permanently has given us quite a few minor chores to keep busy with, but in the grand scheme of things it’s mainly faff.
I’m enjoying the time off from the daily grind.
Current reading
Christmas this year brought Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold “the Governator” Schwarzenegger.
Arnie has had his fair share of controversies, not least the whole secret family thing, but there’s a lot to learn about someone who has seen success in so many high-profile endeavours.
It’s not a particularly cerebral read, but it’s easy and enjoyable reading. While none of the content is particularly new to anybody, it’s still valuable. I didn’t know that Twins was his most lucrative film, so there’s that.
Netflix film
We watched Rebel Moon last night while huddled under a blanket.
It’s a sci-fi film that starts off with some really good world/universe-building, then goes on a downhill spiral after the first 30 minutes.
Lots of characters are introduced, very few of whom provide any value to the story; Charlie Hunnam does a godawful Irish accent which makes very little sense in space anyway and aside from the awesome CGI and choreography it’s just a mess of bad writing and direction.
Solid 3/10.
Non-FIRE goals
My guitar rock god quest (AKA learning to play)
There are no lessons for two weeks. Even guitar teachers take holidays.
I’ve been left with learning major and minor arpeggios, to improve my improvisation. Ooh, fancy!
I’m also learning Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day, but that’s a personal project. It’s quite a long song, there are some cool lyrics to it, and despite the many rhythmic changes there are only four chords in most of it, plus a simple solo and a few minor fills.
Fitness
Fitness this week has been mainly walking the dog and moving stuff around, with a run thrown in.
I’ll need to start in earnest when work picks up.
Speaking of which: my workplace is now 5km from where I live on the boat, so I might start jogging in and showering there. This way, I’ll guarantee getting my fitness into my day, even if it’s just a little bit.
I could also cycle. That’s a solid option. The beauty of jogging is that I can get the bus home, and if it’s wet then I’m only damp once in my day (until I get off the bus and trek across the pontoon to get back on the boat…). With a bike ride, you have to put your wet clothes back on if your waterproofs didn’t protect well enough.
I’m not sold either way yet, but they’re good options.
Final thoughts
It sucks to not see my dog when I wake up and to miss putting him to bed at night, but this is only temporary.
I’m hopeful he can join us on the boat.
We’re still going to see him every week – there’s nothing to stop us seeing him every day if we can manage it – and if it’s just not going to happen then we’ll have to find another way to live.
For now though, it’s pretty good to start getting into routine on the boat and being one step closer to the life we want to live.
My financial independence campaign continues!
