Would be nice for young folks to live like this and build the foundation and cadence for if & when they decide to have a family, then they might have momentum to continue living dirtbag rich, much easier than reversing. But I'm not convinced it's feasible with kids. And it's not necessarily about the money. I see young families continue van life, world schooling, etc., when the kids are young and portable, but as soon as they hit the tween/tween years, as my kids are, the urge deepens to give them stability and opportunities (like sports team commitments, a base for home/family/friendships). This means plugging into society in some form. We homeschool our 3 and regularly travel (we travelled for all of 2024 on @nowisbueno ) but it can be isolating. even if you find a family or group for a while, before you know it, time expires and your nuclear family is off again, or your favorite peeps have left. This is so draining on parents. We need the village. And the communities and folks I've come across trying to live alternatively are complicated.... I've heard of too many implosions, debt, marriage fails, mom burnout. I sprinted away once when I heard of a group running a Ponzi scheme cuz they were so desperate for cash. I hear ya about retirement, that's how we funded our travel year, by cashing out stocks that others would argue should be for college funds or retirement.... heck, worrying ahead about retirement seems like a good problem to have, just thinking about college funding gives me anxiety.
Yes to this! My hubby and I are dedicated to NOT waiting until retirement to do awesome things (although we are aging towards retirement time, he's 56, I'm 52). Before we met, he had traveled to all 50 states, lived in the back of his truck for awhile and did the vanife thing in Alaska before it was cool. I bounced a bit thru college (it took me 11 years), tried the real world job thing and dove into self-employment 23 years ago. When he and I met in 2011, we moved when it felt right or the place felt wrong. We rafted 225 miles the Grand Canyon with friends, completed a self-supported rafting trip of the whole French Broad River in NC over 13 days, sold everything we owned and took an adult sabbatical living in a motorhome for two years (drove 25,000 miles and covred the US + Canada). Then we kayaked 340 miles across Florida with a couple of friends. Who knows what's next? But it'll be dirtbag fun b/c we are dedicated to keeping expenses low and fun at a premium!
I’m definitely a card carrying member of the retirement cult. ALSO I’ve moved from global consulting to philanthropy in my journey to have a meaningful life where I try and leave the world a slight better place than I found it.
I call myself a card carrying member because I’m certainly constantly worried about retirement. I do my financial planning assuming that I won’t be having health cover and a regular salary post 58. So, I am trying to optimize everything, it seems
This article made me feel a tiny bit more supported in my messy endeavors.
I don't think I have had a paragraph so succinctly describe my own personal path I took in 2017 when I left work, thanks for sharing this Blake.
"It means that you want to redistribute your unearned gifts by living a different kind of life, by tinkering with new notions of “progress,” and by experimenting with new versions of “freedom.” Instead of dwelling in ease and comfort, you will take the chance to make art, innovate with business, build movements, and bridge cultures. Rather than seeking riches and retirement, you’ll attempt make a unique, purposeful contribution to Team Human—today and tomorrow, all the way to your dying days, while enjoying yourself along the way."
I'm curious if you think about that phrase the same way I do.
In my mind, most people grind away at a desk job with the dream of finally doing long-term travel and spending lots of time in nature when they retire. But by that time, most people are too tired, cranky, and comfort-oriented to really go deep into world travel or the wilderness.
"Retiring in reverse" would mean front-loading the nature and travel time, and then spending your later years using the knowledge you've acquired to make a difference (and make money) behind a desk, when your body is kinda broken anyway.
Yes, exactly it! Although ideally I will have passion for the job I choose to “settle down with” by then and be able to comfortably focus on work/making money knowing I lived a life full of passion and adventure and purpose while my body was still able. I fully subscribe to your notion of retirement being something so many people look forward to while simultaneously neglecting the chance to live the life they want in the present moment
Ex-drifter turned suit-wearing drone here. I can't decide yet if I agree with you or not, and I'm not even sure I could explain your argument to someone else, yet I still feel like I needed to read this as someone who is constantly over-thinking retirement. Thank you & I will re-read six more times.
blake you are an amazing writer and thinker. i have enjoyed your posts for 15+ years. i steeped myself in kerouac, thoreau and later rolf potts over the decades. graduated university at 22 then backpacked the world, lived in exotic places and sated all my wants of youth. i'm 53 now and have a 13&12 year old. we just returned to the US after 2.5 year sabbatical in southern spain. i lived "dirtbag" rich for decades. loads of time to do all the stuff i wanted. i was broke most of that time until about 40. i have never done a job interview, sat in a cubicle, or been given a dime from anyone else. i don't say this for my ego but to say i agree with frances that keeping one of the ultimate options as a species open: to have a family. i note all my white american educated privilege. rather than "redistributing" this privilege solely into freedom and holding all options open. to invest some into entrepreneurial skills, capitalism marriage and possibly family. there is a fear of commitment that forms a back drop to many of the stories of dirtbag culture. blake you have written eloquently about your own mixed feelings on family vs freedom, work vs freedom, and the like over the years. observing from afar there is alot of "A vs. B" thinking with little discussion of C, D, and so on. having a family or investing more into building a base of skillls and capital is not for everyone. i am not advocating for my path for all. simply hoping people will challenge what limits they put on their vision of what life can be. regret can creep up on you if you don't check your assumptions. keep living your best life and challenging your thinking. i look forward to reading about your exploration.
Hi Eric, and nice to hear from you again after so long. I appreciate your thoughtful observations.
When I think about redistributing privilege more widely, I think about doing so outside the nuclear family unit, which absorbs so many resources (of all kinds). I envision those who work with the underserved, dedicate their energy to intense creative acts, or push the boundaries of what's possible in a sport. This feels categorically different to me than merely keeping options open and committing to nothing.
I do agree that fear of traditional forms of commitment is a dirtbag trait! But it's replaced by another kind of commitment, rather than no commitment at all.
I also agree that regret can surprise us when we don't check our assumptions—but it can also approach from many directions.
I like this one a lot. Looking forward to the book!
Thanks Russell, that means a lot to me!
Inspiring, yet...
Would be nice for young folks to live like this and build the foundation and cadence for if & when they decide to have a family, then they might have momentum to continue living dirtbag rich, much easier than reversing. But I'm not convinced it's feasible with kids. And it's not necessarily about the money. I see young families continue van life, world schooling, etc., when the kids are young and portable, but as soon as they hit the tween/tween years, as my kids are, the urge deepens to give them stability and opportunities (like sports team commitments, a base for home/family/friendships). This means plugging into society in some form. We homeschool our 3 and regularly travel (we travelled for all of 2024 on @nowisbueno ) but it can be isolating. even if you find a family or group for a while, before you know it, time expires and your nuclear family is off again, or your favorite peeps have left. This is so draining on parents. We need the village. And the communities and folks I've come across trying to live alternatively are complicated.... I've heard of too many implosions, debt, marriage fails, mom burnout. I sprinted away once when I heard of a group running a Ponzi scheme cuz they were so desperate for cash. I hear ya about retirement, that's how we funded our travel year, by cashing out stocks that others would argue should be for college funds or retirement.... heck, worrying ahead about retirement seems like a good problem to have, just thinking about college funding gives me anxiety.
Thanks for sharing, Frances!
"We need the village."
💯
Love this. I’ve been on a kick for the last year that I call “not waiting till retirement.” It’s been a much more fulfilling life!
Yes to this! My hubby and I are dedicated to NOT waiting until retirement to do awesome things (although we are aging towards retirement time, he's 56, I'm 52). Before we met, he had traveled to all 50 states, lived in the back of his truck for awhile and did the vanife thing in Alaska before it was cool. I bounced a bit thru college (it took me 11 years), tried the real world job thing and dove into self-employment 23 years ago. When he and I met in 2011, we moved when it felt right or the place felt wrong. We rafted 225 miles the Grand Canyon with friends, completed a self-supported rafting trip of the whole French Broad River in NC over 13 days, sold everything we owned and took an adult sabbatical living in a motorhome for two years (drove 25,000 miles and covred the US + Canada). Then we kayaked 340 miles across Florida with a couple of friends. Who knows what's next? But it'll be dirtbag fun b/c we are dedicated to keeping expenses low and fun at a premium!
I’m definitely a card carrying member of the retirement cult. ALSO I’ve moved from global consulting to philanthropy in my journey to have a meaningful life where I try and leave the world a slight better place than I found it.
I call myself a card carrying member because I’m certainly constantly worried about retirement. I do my financial planning assuming that I won’t be having health cover and a regular salary post 58. So, I am trying to optimize everything, it seems
This article made me feel a tiny bit more supported in my messy endeavors.
I don't think I have had a paragraph so succinctly describe my own personal path I took in 2017 when I left work, thanks for sharing this Blake.
"It means that you want to redistribute your unearned gifts by living a different kind of life, by tinkering with new notions of “progress,” and by experimenting with new versions of “freedom.” Instead of dwelling in ease and comfort, you will take the chance to make art, innovate with business, build movements, and bridge cultures. Rather than seeking riches and retirement, you’ll attempt make a unique, purposeful contribution to Team Human—today and tomorrow, all the way to your dying days, while enjoying yourself along the way."
Love it. I've been saying for quite a while now that I'm "retiring in reverse".
I'm curious if you think about that phrase the same way I do.
In my mind, most people grind away at a desk job with the dream of finally doing long-term travel and spending lots of time in nature when they retire. But by that time, most people are too tired, cranky, and comfort-oriented to really go deep into world travel or the wilderness.
"Retiring in reverse" would mean front-loading the nature and travel time, and then spending your later years using the knowledge you've acquired to make a difference (and make money) behind a desk, when your body is kinda broken anyway.
How does that line up with your conception?
Yes, exactly it! Although ideally I will have passion for the job I choose to “settle down with” by then and be able to comfortably focus on work/making money knowing I lived a life full of passion and adventure and purpose while my body was still able. I fully subscribe to your notion of retirement being something so many people look forward to while simultaneously neglecting the chance to live the life they want in the present moment
Ex-drifter turned suit-wearing drone here. I can't decide yet if I agree with you or not, and I'm not even sure I could explain your argument to someone else, yet I still feel like I needed to read this as someone who is constantly over-thinking retirement. Thank you & I will re-read six more times.
Honored
blake you are an amazing writer and thinker. i have enjoyed your posts for 15+ years. i steeped myself in kerouac, thoreau and later rolf potts over the decades. graduated university at 22 then backpacked the world, lived in exotic places and sated all my wants of youth. i'm 53 now and have a 13&12 year old. we just returned to the US after 2.5 year sabbatical in southern spain. i lived "dirtbag" rich for decades. loads of time to do all the stuff i wanted. i was broke most of that time until about 40. i have never done a job interview, sat in a cubicle, or been given a dime from anyone else. i don't say this for my ego but to say i agree with frances that keeping one of the ultimate options as a species open: to have a family. i note all my white american educated privilege. rather than "redistributing" this privilege solely into freedom and holding all options open. to invest some into entrepreneurial skills, capitalism marriage and possibly family. there is a fear of commitment that forms a back drop to many of the stories of dirtbag culture. blake you have written eloquently about your own mixed feelings on family vs freedom, work vs freedom, and the like over the years. observing from afar there is alot of "A vs. B" thinking with little discussion of C, D, and so on. having a family or investing more into building a base of skillls and capital is not for everyone. i am not advocating for my path for all. simply hoping people will challenge what limits they put on their vision of what life can be. regret can creep up on you if you don't check your assumptions. keep living your best life and challenging your thinking. i look forward to reading about your exploration.
Hi Eric, and nice to hear from you again after so long. I appreciate your thoughtful observations.
When I think about redistributing privilege more widely, I think about doing so outside the nuclear family unit, which absorbs so many resources (of all kinds). I envision those who work with the underserved, dedicate their energy to intense creative acts, or push the boundaries of what's possible in a sport. This feels categorically different to me than merely keeping options open and committing to nothing.
I do agree that fear of traditional forms of commitment is a dirtbag trait! But it's replaced by another kind of commitment, rather than no commitment at all.
I also agree that regret can surprise us when we don't check our assumptions—but it can also approach from many directions.
Thanks for weighing in, and take care Eric!