I was talking to a good friend recently about old times. Reminiscing about things that I hadn’t talked about or even thought about in years. In conjuring up these memories it felt as though I were talking about another person, another lifetime, a forgotten chapter that even myself had somehow tucked away for no good reason. Some of these events are hidden away in my mind and I don’t talk about them with anyone; not that they are all bad…
In 2003, on my way back home from deployment to the Middle East, I had one of the best movie experiences of my life; I went to see a movie without any knowledge of the plot or even its existence. This happened on the island of Oahu as our ship pulled in on its final port of call before heading back to Bremerton, Washington. Back then, and probably still, the Navy didn’t allow any correspondence back into “civilian life” while…
Once again I’m taking off with my family and heading overseas. As I write this our backpacks are half stuffed and waiting for a final check over before we load them onto our backs and head to the airport in the next few days. I’ll be turning 40 next week and we’ll be celebrating in Munich, at Oktoberfest more specifically. I plan on having my first beer in years to mark the occasion. I can’t deny having mixed feelings about…
I go out sailing once or twice a month now. My skills have drastically improved over the course of nearly two years since picking up this hobby. I still have some moments out on the water where things can become hectic by the intense wind that rushes in from the Pacific during the summer afternoons. Gusts of up to 30 knots and sustained winds of 15-25 knots (17-30mph) are normal in the summer. Small Craft Advisories are issued daily by…
I don’t check my pay stub too often. When I was an hourly worker I inspected each pay stub with great care, ensuring my time given to my company was paid for. Nowadays, being on salary means I can get complacent as long as the amount my company deposits into my bank account is consistent. Still, every so often I go over my pay stub and lament over all the deductions I have going on. But there’s one deduction that…
My beloved 2011 Honda Civic is gone. This wonderful commuter car that hummed along the Bay Area freeways consuming only 35 mpg, proudly displaying 200k miles on her odometer…is dead. I purchased my late Honda in 2014 for around $10k. It was used and had 75k miles on it. I got lucky a few years after buying the car and an insurance company paid off the car early for me. Having two cars paid off has been a joy for…
I wake before dawn each morning and stumble out of my warm bed and into the cold morning for money. I leave my wife and kids for most of the day in its pursuit. I give the best hours of my life to a corporation in exchange for it. And then at the end of the week I don’t even get to lay my hands on the money I’ve been working for. I don’t get to see it or feel…
After what felt a brutal winter by California standards, warm weather has finally arrived in the Bay Area. And with that, the year is nearly half over. Where has the time gone? My youngest is nearly six years old. My oldest is finishing third grade. I will be turning 40 this year. My wife is on the upward trend in her career. We are still working towards early retirement, though it feels as though the future is hazier in regards…
Outside of the house’s front window my green Chinese Vespa knockoff leaned over on its kick stand gleaming under the San Diego sun. The dining room table where I sat fingering the label to my beer was full of paperwork. I’d orchestrated a complex and huge logistical masterplan for my months long trip through Europe and Asia. Trains picked. Hotels booked. Flights purchased. Little did I know at the time that this would lead to me to retiring in my…
I’ve always been attracted to the allure of international stocks and bonds. They get a bad rap these days, and for good reason if we look back over the past decade and compare them to the S&P 500. What draws me towards international markets is as easy as one word: diversification. Boiled down, proper investing is all about solid diversification. Why not invest in economies of other countries that are on their way up or matured with lower valuations? Why…