Happy 2017 & 2nd Blog Birthday!
Happy New Year from the Florida Keys! I hope everyone’s year ended on a great note & you achieved some of what you set out to do a year ago. If not, there’s no time like the present to reaffirm your goals!
This entire year was dedicated to further simplifying our lives toward the final step – leaving our jobs & the country to pursue diving and retirement from the corporate world. While 2015 was full of travel and adventure, 2016 was business time…
A look back on 2016
2016 started in the Florida Keys and ended here. Two years ago when I started this blog on a frigid Mid-Atlantic New Year’s Day I had no idea how much longer we’d be there but I definitely thought it’d be more than 2 years. Things change though; we fell in love with the Keys and we learned some things about our former state that pushed our move a little earlier.
If I could pick one quote that stuck with me this year it’s this one:
“Sometimes the fear won’t go away so you’ll just have to do it afraid.”
What a great quote to always keep in the back of your mind! I’ve included it in posts before but it’s worth including again. Big life changes can’t and don’t happen inside your comfort bubble. Change isn’t easy. Even change that you brought on yourself, even good change – still not easy. It’s not easy to leave a familiar and comfortable life. Anyone embarking on a similar lifestyle knows that. I’m going to bring this quote into 2017 with me too – especially as the end of our lease approaches and we figure out what the heck we’re going to do next!
Here’s what we did this year to move forward…
We made a ton of progress on the plan…
- We sold our house & moved to the Keys, bittersweet for sure. We loved our old neighborhood & our life in the mid-Atlantic but that house & lifestyle weren’t sustainable without two full-time jobs so onward and upward! J said it best when he said: “while we’re living here it’s the only life we can live.” This was a great life. We did it for 11 years and I’ll always cherish our time there. We’re on the cusp of complete freedom right now and that’s a really good feeling.
- We got rid of pretty much all of our stuff. Everything we currently own fits in/on our two cars and we’ll be getting rid of a lot of that too.
- We moved to a state with no income tax which is key to leaving the country and not getting hounded for state taxes that you don’t owe. The burden of proof that you no longer live in a state is on you & our state is well known for being one of the worst to convince of it. So we removed the problem all together and became official Florida residents.
- We took the next step in achieving our dream of working in the dive industry by becoming PADI Divemasters. All that’s left now is the IDC & MSDT which we’re planning to do in the spring.
…and had some fun along the way
- We watched a lot of gorgeous sunsets, we live in the Keys after-all!
- And took some great weekend trips…
A look forward to 2017
In our old life in the Mid-Atlantic, the years ticked by with their own rhythm and schedule. Having family nearby meant yearly traditions we could count on. Our house marked the time in its own way with each season bringing familiar chores for the time of year.
Heading into 2017 is uncharted territory for us. We don’t have the familiar year markers that made our old life hum along. Our lease here ends in July. At this point, we don’t know if we’ll stay here a bit longer or not. And if we leave, where will we go? We have some options in mind but we haven’t made any concrete decisions yet. This is the first time in my life that I can ever remember heading into a year with such a high level of uncertainty and it’s an extremely exciting feeling! For the first time in our lives, we’re not tied down by anything, We don’t have any debt or commitments other than our jobs, leaving us free to do whatever we want. What will that be? Stay with us to find out.
I’ll leave you with this quote to start the year …
“You’re always one decision away from a completely different life”
Now’s a great time to figure out what you want to do and how to get there!
We wish you all a healthy, happy & prosperous 2017!
Stay warm friends!