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Vidya Rangasayee's avatar

That’s a great write up Jos and I totally relate to it. The industry we are in is forcing the rat race and there are very few options for a happy medium. I don’t want to be in the rat race but I don’t want to stop moving either (because 1. I am not old enough to retire yet and 2. Because my healthcare is tied to my employment). So where does that leave me 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Cody Ray's avatar

Congrats on the new job, I guess? :D

I've been deep in the FIRE movement (which is all about getting out of the rat race ASAP). But there does seem to be some value to continuing work (even after you're "work-optional"). As I've been getting more into the longevity literature I see that for many people work (and, critically, the relationships and purpose it provides) is substantially correlated with one's longevity. A while ago I read a book by the director of the Stanford Center on Longevity where she advised people plan to work til they're in their 80s... but with lots of long breaks (mini-retirements, in Tim Ferris lingo).

If people in 90% of the US can't afford NYC "fried rice balls", maybe the trick is to go live amongst those who can't afford them? Maybe you can have the best of both worlds - moving after your "accumulation" phase in the "winner takes all" areas - NYC, SFO, Chicago, Boston, etc?

The hard part seems to be mindset/identity: if you felt successful enough in "the big leagues" it's going to be hard to adjust to live in these more small-town environments. You feel "better than" those living in these areas (in real estate we even refer to these as "secondary"/"tertiary" markets). Even if you can relate, you may still find it non-exciting/boring and struggle to find a way to "down-shift" your ambition (to be a winner-that-takes-all).

Tricky stuff. I'm trying to figure this all out myself... :)

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