Seppia's journal

[Bankai]

Milan

If you wander around Duomo while there, make sure to try some panzerotti from Luini on Via Santa Radegonda. They rock!

[Seppia]

Luini is great! If you're in the area next time try also Focacceria San Francesco, a phenomenal (and moderately priced) sicialian restaurant

[slowtraveler]

Thanks for all the updates on your worldly travel, it sounds like you had an amazing trip. It gets exhausting but it's inspiring to see you living life to the fullest and even doing something you love in the process.

[Dunkelheit]

Talking about Heavy Metal, I just did a very un-ERE thing and booked two premium tickets for the upcoming italian Metallica date in May in Milan for the wife and I.
Can't wait.

Best ROI ever. I remember myself crying while listening to Fade to Black. Enjoy it, fuckin' enjoy it!

[Seppia]

Integration at the new job is going well, I'm still in honeymoon mode despite all the small challenges.
Part of my satisfaction comes from the workplace being pretty awesome overall, and the fact that I am absolutely loving Asia.
Last business trip at the beginning of the month was in australia and NZ (didn't have any time for myself), but then I moved to Indonesia and I planned it in a way so I could spend the weekend in Bali doing some scuba diving.
It was lovely.
I've been back in italy for about 10 days and on Saturday I'm leaving again, this time for Seoul and then Tokyo, where I will be joined by my wife.
During the week it's going to be I work - she visits Tokyo, but during the weekend we get to be tourists together. First weekend the hotel is paid for by the company, while the second weekend we will travel to Kyoto on our dime, but the Hotel will be paid for by some points I had.
I love my line of work.

In other news, I have now lost 6kg since I started paying attention, another 4 and I'm in decent shape, then another 3 and I'm happy. Almost halfway through.
It sure helps going from selling cookies and cakes to selling coffee

Savings rate this month should be again fairly shitty (30% or so) because of one off purchases for the apartment we bought.
I'm trying to be as frugal as possible but we do need a bed, a mattress and a couple closets, and nobody I know had any spare ones.
We got a table from my parents that they weren't using, some chairs from my sister and most of the cutlery/pans/dishes etc we got by simply splitting in half what we already had (of course we had too much stuff...)

Anything else (sofa, other furniture, other equipment/utensils) we will wait so that they will be either sourced for free or the purchase will be put off till at least 2019.

Financially, 2018 will set an important milestone: net dividends from my investments should amount to approximately the same of my first full time contract from back in 2004.
I will officially have young myself slaving for me, technically enough to survive decently for our family of 2.
Hard not to get excited by that.

[Frugalchicos]

"I will officially have young myself slaving for me, technically enough to survive decently for our family of 2.
Hard not to get excited by that"

Congrats buddy!! good job and wish the best for the rest of 2018

[Dunkelheit]

It's great to read you again and see that everything goes well in your life+body, as well as in the new job. Those work-leisure trips make you seem semi-EREd, and having your wife by your side is another extra point. Don't you feel sometimes stressed by accumulating so many kilometres around the globe? I would live in a perpetual jet-lag.

Congrats for the huge financial milestone, now you can survive as your x-14 years old ...when are you planning to retire?

[2Birds1Stone]

Very nice update, Seppia.

Bali is on our list for 2020. While I'm PADI Advanced OW certified, it's been a dream of my SO to learn to dive.

We've found a dive school in southern Thai Islands from a youtube channel we follow, but considering looking at Bali if the prices are comparable.

Do you know where the diving would be better? Here is the school they used https://www.coralgranddivers.com/ I've found similar prices in Bali ($300-330 USD for PADI OW)

ETA: Wanted to share the channel, if you go back to some of his first videos, he has a cool time lapse video of building the van he livid in while going to school, before moving to SE Asia.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsHwZF ... oOndV2q6bA

[Seppia]

Thanks a lot chicos

@Dunkelheit: yes jet lag is kinda hard but you sort of get used to it. I'm 38 and for some weird reason I seem to adjust faster than when I was younger.
Probably part of it is experience (knowing what to do), but keep in mind I'm also traveling for business, so while the schedule is tough, the standards are high: I fly business class, sleep in nice hotels, etc.
this definitely helps

Regarding plans for retirement, I don't have "a number" or "a date".
I currently like what I do, and I have almost reache my first milestone: getting to a level of financial wealth where I could survive without working.
This is my step one.
Step two will be reaching a level where my desired lifestyle can be sustained without work.
I'm not sure if I will leave work at that point, I know I will have the option and god knows what I will do then.

To me, money is always been more about the freedom to do things rather than actually doing things.

[Seppia]

Do you know where the diving would be better? Here is the school they used https://www.coralgranddivers.com/ I've found similar prices in Bali ($300-330 USD for PADI OW)

Thanks for the kind words

If you go to Bali, I'd definitely contact Simon and Stuart from Manta Manta diving.
Below the review I left them on TripAdvisor that says it all.
The guys are great and reasonably priced.
They bring you everywhere in Bali and what I like is that wile being very well organized, they only take out small groups. It makes the experience 100x more enjoyable.
They say the best dives are in Tulamben (northern part of Bali island, about three hours drive from the city), and I can definitely attest they were awesome.
Certainly among the top 10 dives I've done in my life.
The northern side of Nusa Penida island is cool also.

If you decide to go there hit me up, I have local contacts as my job leads me to know many people in ospitality. PM me any time

[Seppia]

Time for an update.

Work is doing fantastic. I know I will hit some speed bumps and there are going to be some tough moments here and there but if this is what it will look like, I will definitely be working longer than I expected.

I love what I do, my colleagues are great and supportive, the company is highly ethical and treats all employees with white gloves.

This month’s trip was in South Korea and Japan, two weeks total.
I love working with Koreans as in general they work super hard, they are extremely skilled/professional and enthusiastic.
Seoul is a nice and fun city.

One of their specialty is Korean Sashimi.
They eat tons of raw fish. It’s fresh, very fresh:



I asked for a grilled squid and the guy literally went to the tank with a bucket.

They also eat other fishes



As well as other sea animals ranging from the strange...



...to the straight up weird EDIT: Tapatalk won’t let me upload the picture because it thinks I’m trying to post a dick pic.
Those sea animal actually look like flaccid penises

Koreans tend to eat strange food.
This is an intestines barbecue, a delicacy:



After the week in Japan (in Tokyo) I took a couple days off and went to Kyoto again on my dime.
What a marvelous city.

Mount Fujii on my way to Kyoto



Bamboo forest



Random temple near Arashiyama



Fushimi Inari temple



Small shrine on the route to mount Inari



Parts of old Kyoto







Cheers!

[Jason]

Great photos - especially the last one.

[Seppia]

Imagine if I lost 20lbs!
I look even fatter than I actually am

[classical_Liberal]

Love the pics!

It's great you've found a job so conducive to your desires and lifestyle. A point oft forgotten around here is how important meaningful work is to a happy life. It's even better when that work pays! So many of us (me included) are in such a hurry to get out of the "wrong" situation, I think we forget to remember that there are "right" ones out there.

[Seppia]

I'm the typical guy that will be stuck with the one more year syndrome, for sure, because of how I'm wired.
But the one step I was able to make is look at my assets, look at the prior job and say to myself
I know I have a sweet gig
I know overall is not bad and I can ride this out
But eff this, I'm not happy so I will look for a change, and if I happen to end up in a worse situation who cares, I'll change again.
I have the resources, I have the FU money to take this risk

I'm happy because I made this step, and once you cross these lines it's like riding a bike: the next time you have to do it you just do it and don't have to agonize again.

Regarding travel, well yes. I adore seeing our beautiful planet and discover its vast diversity.
Different nature, different cultures, life is so rich.
We* are so lucky.
We live in a beautiful time of humanity, with unlimited access to resources, we live in rich democracies, we have the capital (both financial and intellectual) to do whatever we like as we are among the most desirable human assets in a capitalist economy.

One thing I wil never be able to understand is how people in our condition or similiar can feel envy.
Envy of what?
We have everything.



*as in "most people on this forum"

[slowtraveler]

I admire your life and your energy. Your quarterly trips across Asia seem both stimulating and conducive to happiness.

[Jason]

Imagine if I lost 20lbs!
I look even fatter than I actually am

To be honest, I didn't even notice. It might have something to do with the fact that the guy you are posing in front of is even fatter than you. Just stay away from statues of skinny guys like Ho Chi Minh and you should be fine.

[theanimal]

One thing I wil never be able to understand is how people in our condition or similiar can feel envy.
Envy of what?
We have everything.

You can't lose at life with this attitude.

Thanks for the update. Keep us updated on any potential changes! As you say, worst case scenario you just end up doing what you are doing now. That's not the worst thing in the world.

[jennypenny]

Excellent pics!

Ride the wave as long as you want -- it's your wave. You'll know when to kick out.

[Jason]

He better lose some weight or that wave is going to break before he has a chance to ride it out.