3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Where are you and where are you going?
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Alphaville
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Alphaville »

i have learned over the years that a good interview must go both ways. you're interviewing each other. it shouldn't be a one-way thing, don't set youself up to be on the receiving end. you really don't know if they have what you want, and you need to find out about them as much as they need to find out about you. the interrogation should be mutual.

there is the cultural assumption that you must go there to sell yourself and makemsure they hire you. but really it's more important to find out if their offer is true, and what else you don't know, before deciding if you actually want it.

Vaikeasti
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Vaikeasti »

All the strength to you ertyu! Applying for jobs is hard and can really lower your self esteem.
I had a really positive experience that actually boosted my self esteem, but I know these are really rare occasions.

You don't really need the job to live so you can be picky and Alphavilles advice, that you too are looking for a good match and should ask hard questions, is spot on!

Crusader
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Crusader »

One of the main reasons why I want to get to FIRE asap is so that I don't have to deal with crap like this. Don't let it get to you, ertyu.

2Birds1Stone
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

Popping in to say that you've motivated me to start looking at flats in smaller eastern EU city. The area I'm looking is more expensive, but starting to see livable options for ~60k EUR.

ertyu
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by ertyu »

Update: job offer from interview grillers. Starting in 3-4 or so months so all links in the work visa chain can get their shit together. There is also another option paying 1/3 more. Don't want to discuss numbers, but interview grillers offered 3 moneys per year, "we're sorry, not negotiable" whereas this other option is 4 moneys per year and a bit better benefits. Hoping to get the higher paying option and replenish stash to pre-covid levels.

Thank you to everyone who gave feedback on the interview saga; it went a long way towards getting my head in the right place. If I interview well and get 4 moneys per year job after being fired from my last 2 positions, it would be partially because you guys provided sane perspective.

I want to travel again, and I travel by being paid to work places. Looking forward to getting out of my home town. I hope working again will not be as thoroughly soul sucking as it was last time. I was not in a happy place for the last 2-3 years of working, lemme tell you.

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Alphaville
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Alphaville »

hahaha! awesome! 🍻

zbigi
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by zbigi »

2Birds1Stone wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 7:19 am
Popping in to say that you've motivated me to start looking at flats in smaller eastern EU city. The area I'm looking is more expensive, but starting to see livable options for ~60k EUR.
I got my flat (38 sqm) in a mid-sized Polish city for $15k EUR :) The complete renovation (incl. new bath, kitchen fixtures, closets etc.) was another $8k EUR (would probably be 2-3x that in Warsaw). There are plenty of cheap places around here.

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Alphaville
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Alphaville »

so @ertyu what is the plan for the apt if/when you go? airbnb? university rental? leave the uncle in charge of reno? shut down utils and seal it?

ertyu
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by ertyu »

dragging this book rec here for further reference
AxelHeyst wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 11:59 am
Have you read "Move your DNA" by Katy Bowman? I like the concept of situating "exercise" within the domain of "movement", and maintaining a broad perspective on whole-body health. I'm in the process of fixing a few issues brought on by sedentary lifestyle and am finding it very helpful as a mental framework for approaching what I'm doing. Great topic, following with interest.
@Alphaville: I'll likely do the necessary repairs to stall further structural degradation and lock up.

Qazwer
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Qazwer »

Exercise might also help with career burn out. Starting a regimen prior to a new job and keeping it up throughout might help.
It is not the panacea that some annoying HR types or pop lit health provides mention. But exercise helps both with depression and having crappy jobs. What is the correct regime? Whatever you can do consistently.

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Alphaville
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Alphaville »

ertyu wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 2:17 pm
dragging this book rec here for further reference



@Alphaville: I'll likely do the necessary repairs to stall further structural degradation and lock up.
solid bet imo

BookLoverL
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by BookLoverL »

I read Katy Bowman's blog a few years ago, I think it was. I can't remember everything it said on there, but I did switch to floor sleeping because of that blog and a couple of other sources, and I've been doing that for several years and haven't wanted to go back to sleeping on a bed.

I didn't realise she had a book too, so if I see it I'll have to check it out.

ertyu
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by ertyu »

BookLoverL wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:30 pm

I didn't realise she had a book too, so if I see it I'll have to check it out.
There's multiple books it seems, this looks like the latest one.

@Qazwer, I know you and everyone touting exercise are right. I have some sort of psychological block -- after some digging, it seems to me the block is, I am afraid exercise might actually end up being effective, which would make me unstuck in numerous areas of life where I've diligently kept myself stuck for a long time.

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Alphaville
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Alphaville »

other issues aside, the easiest way to get exercise is to just walk everywhere. so starting with good shoes might be the thing to do...

"good" of course means good for you, which may vary according to many factors. me over the years i've gotten used to minimalist footwear, and could not go back to the cushioned stuff... first i wore vibrams, later vivo, xero, merrell, etc... other people need cushioning and arch support and stuff.

btw i realized recently that a vegan diet makes me depressed. it was hugely disappointing, but biology supersedes ideology. the realization that one is a top predator and not a benevolent creature of the spirit world might be a sad one, but it's not as sad as the empty feeling of dining on virtue instead of nourishing (for me, anyway) food.

Frita
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Frita »

Things are looking up. Keep us posted!

Qazwer
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Qazwer »

One trick for getting unstuck is do something - anything now once you realize it
Do not worry about it being perfect - or even what it will be in the future
Go for a walk - do 3 jumping jacks
Then do that again another day
See how that aligns with what you value - you do not have to fix everything - do something small and think about how it aligns with something bigger you value

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Alphaville wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:55 am
btw i realized recently that a vegan diet makes me depressed.
I went back through some of the old conversation but couldn't figure out how this comment relates to the journal so I don't know the context. Anyway, I have observed one person at least who practices vegetarianism / near vegetarianism (small amount meat once or twice per month) that seems to have some major difficulties with joint health. It's hard to parse it from aging and genetic predisposition though. Getting sufficient protein. Just one case and I am not a doctor but I wanted to mention it.

ertyu
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by ertyu »

@GdP: aside from the obvious things one should watch when vegan, like b12, iron, etc, there are a couple of potential traps. In no particular order, and with the understanding that I don't claim this is what explains Alphaville's experience:

- being vegan might mean consuming more grains, which might increase exposure to gluten in a mild, undiagnosed celiac or in someone with a low-level food sensitivity. Some of the woo-woo health literature believes in a link between wheat and joint inflammation/arthritis, for instance. Is it real? Real for some? Real depending on whether your wheat is GMO? Who knows. I don't. No population-level evidence, but then nutrition is so individual that in the end, the only meaningful yardstick is what you in particular do well when eating.
- ditto other common low-grade allergens: nuts/peanuts, citrus, nightshades, etc.
- one might be vegan unskillfully and always reach for the banana because it's easy. diets could lose variety and nutrient defficiencies might develop
- one can totally be an unhealthy vegan: coke, oreos, and french fries are all vegan.
- one -could- also feel worse if one's veganism is skewed towards fast vs slow carbs. eating fruit will result in more blood sugar fluctuations than eating a rice and legume combo, for instance.

What I think Alphaville was hinting at here imo is that many of our hormones - sex hormones but also dopamine, etc. - take saturated fat and particular amino acids to produce. Because most of us didn't grow up vegan, it's much easier to eat a vegan diet that results in one of those things getting out of whack. E.g. a suggestion Dream_of_Freedom made once was that if one feels one might be low on dopamine and might have a hard time with motivation and activation, one might consider eating eggs bc they contain useful building blocks.

@Q, I will take your advice, but with a twist: "I can do this one small little thing, it's too little, it doesn't actually mean if I complete it I'll end up unstuck" :lol:

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Alphaville
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by Alphaville »

yup, there's plenty of protein in plants, but it comes packed with other undesirable stuff, e.g. starches, which turn into a constant stream of glucose, and indigestible fiber which in excess becomes very uncomfortable.

once dependent on glucose, i must have more glucose. it does a number on me. there's no doing it right. not as a staple anyway.

my mood + energy have improved immensely since (among other things) i started having eggs for breakfast again, and relying on fats not starches for energy. do i miss oatmeal? um... eh... not really that much :lol:

i also lost 9lbs in 10 days too whaaaat. not just the obvious inner compost bucket with its sloshing waters (hah), but the clothes fit better also. a little keto goes a long way (but i eat plenty of vegetables, just nonstarchy ones, and low-sugar fruits.)

even vegan done the best possible way... can be difficult for certain phenotypes. i was starting to have chronic insomnia too, in spite of plenty b12/d/dha supplements... but after a pound of chicken livers, and some roasted chicken, fish, etc, daily, i've begun to sleep a lot better.

anyway... if nothing else at least try to say no to sugar for a bit. strength ! 💪

ertyu
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Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Post by ertyu »

A short update:

Things that are going well:

- have accepted job paying $3k/mo after tax, starting sometime august, god willing (paperwork is a bitch, quarantines are a bitch, etc.). This is less than I've been paid in a long time, but with a CV as crap as mine (job hopper, fired from last 2 jobs) it is what it is. I have already said this, but being a gastarbeiter is how i get to live abroad, and I am definitely not willing to call it quits and live in my home town for the rest of my life, so I am happy with the chance to work again. That's how I get to move.

The need to work smart is paramount. I was so burnt out and so fucked in the head when I was last employed; I want the income stream + geographical flexibility, but I really need to not get as insane as last time while trying to achieve that. All of this said, job is conditional on my work visa going through, and that is not a foregone conclusion.

- I have had a really good luck at second hand stores lately, scoring quality goods for cheap. A pair of leather shoes for work, a green woolen throw blanket, leather sandals for this summer, a pair of converse, etc., all for 2-5 euro each. I am happy with all my purchases and with their price.

- Have been making coffee at home rather than spending multiples more at physical coffee shops. Corona and places being closed has helped; the magnificent balcony I have which overlooks almost the entire town has helped, too.

Things that are not going so well: food/refined sugar, exercise, speed of apartment repairs -- though the latter has picked up a bit now that the weather is warmer.

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