Roller-Coaster Years

[finity]

Hello everyone,

it’s been a while since my last update, and oh boy, a lot has happened! Let me walk you through my roller-coaster ride of a life.

Firstly, I took a plunge and got married. My partner and I decided it was the right time and I couldn't be happier with the decision. We've created a wonderful life together, and recently added a beautiful addition to our family - a little daughter. I feel incredibly blessed every day.

Professionally, I've transitioned roles within my company, stepping away from software development. A big shift, indeed. Now, I'm enjoying a different side of the business world, still challenging but in a different way. Along with the role switch, I've received a few pay raises. My net income is now around 3500€/month after health insurance.

Health-wise, I had a bit of a scare. I was diagnosed with a benign tumor AND cancer. Thankfully, after some serious medical attention including Da Vinci Robotic Surgery and support from family and friends, I am in remission now. I’ve come to value life and my health more than ever after this experience.

In my spare time, I built a SaaS-based business, which has been a rewarding endeavor both personally and financially. It's now bringing in a respectable four-figure net income monthly. This money has been accumulating into a five-figure sum within the business shell, waiting to be taxed upon withdrawal. It also adds some stress though.

As of now, I'm at crossroads, pondering my future direction. The job is great, and so are my team and boss. My employment package takes care of health insurance, retirement, and so forth. There's a chance for me to reduce my work hours by up to 50%, which is tempting. My wife will be home for the next year or two with our baby. After that, I could potentially take more than a year off for "Elternzeit" (unpaid), knowing my job will still be there when I return. My wife works for the state and has a life-time job guarantee ("Verbeamtet auf Lebenszeit"), which adds to our financial stability.

We usually go camping in southern France for our annual holiday, but we're contemplating new adventures now that we're a trio. I'm not sure yet whether sleeping in a tent is viable with a baby.

Speaking of finances, our spending has admittedly increased. We got a bigger flat (800€/month). We own a car, which we're kind of reliant on. I've been mulling over letting it go, but my wife isn't quite on board with that yet. With the shift in perspective since my health scare, I've stopped thinking about our spending like before. We eat out more often, embracing the joy and convenience it brings. I'm not sure whether this will change going forward. We got a garden and grow our own vegetables, fruits and berries though!

The past years have been eventful, full of life-changing experiences. I’m not entirely sure where my path leads next, but I’m excited to find out. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Until next time!

[Henry]

Health-wise, I had a bit of a scare. I was diagnosed with a benign tumor AND cancer. Thankfully, after some serious medical attention including Da Vinci Robotic Surgery and support from family and friends, I am in remission now. I’ve come to value life and my health more than ever after this experience.

Glad to see both you and my ISRG investment rebounding.

[Western Red Cedar]

We usually go camping in southern France for our annual holiday, but we're contemplating new adventures now that we're a trio. I'm not sure yet whether sleeping in a tent is viable with a baby.

I don't have kids, but my friends who do have said that camping with a baby can work quite well. Make the appropriate arrangements inside the tent, make sure it is zipped, and the parents can hang out by the campfire. A relaxing change of scenery for the entire family.

[theanimal]

I don't have kids, but my friends who do have said that camping with a baby can work quite well. Make the appropriate arrangements inside the tent, make sure it is zipped, and the parents can hang out by the campfire. A relaxing change of scenery for the entire family.

+1 to @WRC's comment.

When my daughter turned 6 weeks old we went on a ~2 mo road trip in southwest desert (US). With the exception of a handful of nights, we slept outside in a tent. We didn't have any problems and actually found that she slept better in the tent having the exposure to natural light all day and no artificial light at night. She fell asleep just after sunset each day. Mrs. Animal and I would hangout and read around the fire then turn in a little later. The arrangements varied, from her in between us, on one side or on one of our chests.

There are plenty of carriers available to make hiking with your kid easy during the day. We have a backpack one and one that allows us to carry her in front/back.