NewBlood's journal

[comandante]

Hope that’s somewhat interesting to others, not a lot of theorizing or philosophizing in my journal, I’m afraid…

I read it.

[delay]

My dad is a cautionary tale on what not to do as you get older, ... But he won’t listen to anybody because obviously, he knows better
...
I’ll go to the local bike house next time I’m there, to see what they think is doable.
...
I have a real procrastination problem when it comes to things I’m not sure of/familiar with. I always wait until the last minute because I can’t make myself do it if I’m not completely clear how it works.

Having old parents myself, I have learned to be careful when applying my wisdom to them. They do know their own body better than I do. The clock ticks on, and there is no physician, training or eating regime that has ever made a single person a single day younger. Confucius offers useful advice:

The Master said: ‘In his duty to his parents a son may gently remonstrate with them. If he sees that they are not inclined to yield, he should be increasingly respectful but not desist, and though they deal hardy with him he must not complain.’

There are three degrees of filial piety. The highest is being a credit to our parents, the second is not disgracing them; the lowest is being able simply to support them.

Why not investigate if a second hand bike is cheaper than repairing a neglected bike? Some bike shops sell affordable old bikes, especially those in rural areas or rich neighborhoods. There are internet auction sites with a brisk trade in bicycles. In our city the police has auctions where they sell abandoned bikes to the highest bidder.

As a fellow expert in procrastination, I'm also a perfectionist. One solution for me is to do the first step badly. Once I'm over the "first thing" hill, things start moving.

Thanks for your enjoyable 2024 journals and best wishes for 2025!

[NewBlood]

I read it.

Thank you friend!

[NewBlood]

Thanks for the Confucius quotes, delay. I'll try to meditate on those instead of just being frustrated...

Why not investigate if a second hand bike is cheaper than repairing a neglected bike?

Yup, that's the idea. The bike house people should be able to tell me how worth it it'd be to repair the old bike and how much it would cost, and based on that, I'll decide what to do.

Thanks for your enjoyable 2024 journals and best wishes for 2025!

Thanks for the encouragement, best wishes to you!

[NewBlood]

December finances:

income: $0
back-of-envelope adjusted for taxes total net worth (ATNW): - $12,184
back-of-envelope adjusted for taxes liquid net worth: - $3,615
cash balances: - $2,315

Market correction but the USD to EUR exchange rate went up, so not much impact:

3% of ATNW: - 5 eur/month.
now equal to 104.1% of post-tax minimum wage (aka my spending target).

4% of ATNW: - 5 eur/month.
Now equal to 138.9% of post-tax minimum wage

Expenses were high due to the holidays. Lots of train travel, gifts. Because of travel, I climbed in 4 different gyms, only one of which I have a membership to, so using 10-entry passes for the others.

Withdrawal rate in December was 4.07% of ATNW.

I'm thinking I should take advantage of the more favorable USD to EUR conversion rate to transfer some of the money I have in my American HYSA to my local bank to buffer some of the exchange rate volatility. Savings account interest rates are much lower here than in the US though.

[NewBlood]

2025 update 1/52

Well, so far, I have spent 2025 in bed with a big cold (or covid, or the flu, or RSV, who knows).
Every time I’m sick, there’s this point where I wonder if I’ll ever feel normal again. Especially with long covid as a risk now... Well, I’m still coughing, but today I’m finally starting to feel normal again, thankfully.

It all started with a slightly achy throat on the morning of NYE, didn’t think much of it, took a train to go join my friends an hour away but by the evening I was already starting to feel pretty crappy. So NYE was a bust for me, took an earlier train on NY morning to go home, and went straight to bed.

The next day, I was feeling better, so I decided to keep my PT appointment, which is a 20 min easy bike ride from my house, which felt ok but definitely more effort than usual, was in and out in slightly over an hour (since my leg is officially all good). But boy, did I pay for it. The next two days were the worst. Stay in bed when sick if you can, folks, even if you think you’re feeling better. Better give the body more rest than not enough…

So, no climbing this week, and I will probably skip my first class of the year tomorrow, because I’m not sure my lungs are quite up to the 45 min bike ride yet.

Not the best way to start the year, but the time alone in bed with the cat and netflix felt quite nice after all the family time.

Also, it’s official, the withdrawal from my 457b account counts for 2025, not 2024… I think it shouldn’t affect the taxes I’ll pay on it in 2025 thanks to the foreign income exclusion, but that’s one year (2024) during which I won’t have taken money out of a pre-tax account, so that was stupid. At least now I know how it works. And you do too, it takes 3-5 days to process, so do not wait until Dec. 31st to do it, duh.

I’ll wait until I’m more clear headed to do my 2024 recap and 2025 goals.

Goals for the week:
- get healthy
- go back to City 1 yet again to help out my dad with the dogs while my mom is away…
- climb at least once, with former climbing partner
- start new business
- start work on new contract

[NewBlood]

2025 update 2/52

Another pretty crappy week but with some good stuff in it…

Another trip on the train to stay with my Dad while my mom was away visiting family. I really wanted to just stay home and finish nursing my cold and get back into my routine, but oh well. Duty calls. Except one of the dogs got unexpectedly sick all of the sudden, puzzling even the vet, and in the course of the day went from fine in the morning, looking sick by mid-day, getting an antibiotics injection at the vet in the evening, dead in the night. I stayed with her at night, waiting for the meds to take effect, but instead she died in my arms. That was a bit traumatic, and very sad. She was older and had some health issues, but nothing that explains such a dramatic turn… And of course my mom is heartbroken that she wasn’t there.

On the positive side, I’m recovered from my cold and I went back climbing with my former climbing partner who for once had time for it, and that was awesome. I really enjoy climbing together, we went three times this week, I did (with much difficulty) a number of 6b routes, including on steep overhang, managed to lead climb a 6a route with big dynamic moves that had been bothering me for months, that was all really satisfying. It sucks our schedules don’t align more often (even before I moved to another city…), but this week’s climbing was great. I did bump my knee really hard against a hold and now it’s all swollen… but just a big bruise, no big deal, just need to wait for the swelling to go down. Again...

Amidst all this, I made zero progress on my business but started scheduling calls for my new contract.

Goals for the week:
- go home and finally settle down
- go back to my climbing class
- start new business for real
- start work on new contract

[NewBlood]

2024 Review

2024 was a chaotic scrambling year of transition.

In 2024, I:
- lived in 6 different places in 4 different towns
- lived 3 months with my friends in City 2, 4 months with my parents...
- took 50 one-way train trips (that’s way too many)
- I started my own business to be able to continue working with former US employer from home country, went through all the hoops, only to be told at the last minute it wasn’t going to happen
- applied for two jobs I didn't get and decided I don't want to go back to an office anyway and to stick to my business for now
- realized I'm probably ok financially, but with very little slack
- got my first (tiny) work contract for my business
- finally decided on where to settle down and found an apartment
- spent a lot of time with family and friends
- celebrated some big family milestones (grandma’s 90th bday, cousin’s wedding, dad’s 70th bday)
- learned some farming with my brother
- went on two hiking trips
- started indoor climbing, my new passion
- discovered I’m actually quite fit and physically capable (better late than never)
- made one new friend/climbing partner (that’s not a lot)

My goals for 2024 were:

1. run at least 2x/week – stretch goal: 3x/week
2. swim at least 1x/week – stretch goal: 2x/week
3. climbing at least 1x/week?
4. 1 weekend hike per month after the winter
5. stick to better sleep routine (no more phone after 10:30pm, wake up same time each day)
6. no more than 2 hours of netflix per day (this will probably be the hardest)
7. ERE posts weekly
8. improve cooking, with more vegs.

Don’t completely depend on me:
9. resolve job situation
10. explore town surroundings within biking distance and if #9 is resolved, find land to buy

1. I did run pretty consistently except when I was sick or injured, up to 3 times a week during my better stretches, but I really don’t love it and kept having knee issues. Now that I’m in my new place and need to bike a lot to go about my life, I feel like I’m getting enough cardio. I might revisit running when the weather improves, but I don’t enjoy it enough to power through rain and cold.
2. I only went swimming a handful of times. I do feel good afterwards, but it’s so boring… I still might try to go once a week this year once I’ve dialed down my schedule/routine
3. Huge success there, I’ve climbed at least twice a week since I started, I love it, can’t get enough.
4. I went on two week-long hiking trips, I like it, but climbing has taken over my schedule for now. Hiking will probably be replaced by outdoor climbing.
5. Fail… sleeping is a bit all over the place, still need to improve that.
6. Hit or miss. Tons of netflix when I was sick or stressed out. But some periods with none of it.
7. Success. First time I keep a journal, I love it. Big positive here.
8. Pretty decent progress, especially after having lived with my friends for 3 months, who cook a lot, got a lot of meal ideas from them
9 & 10. Nope. Plan to purchase land is tabled for now.

Overall 2024 was an unplanned forced push into RE. Financially, my expenses landed right around my target, except I didn't pay rent for 7 months, so... not great.
On the other hand, despite no income and the above spending, my adjusted-for-taxes net worth went up $40k....
On the other other hand, this really doesn't feel real or reliable. Also, I'm very vulnerable to the USD/EUR exchange rate.

Psychologically, I've struggled quite a bit this year, trying to figure out what to do about work/income and where to settle down, not having my own place for a big portion of the year. I really enjoy not working, no surprise here, I haven't felt a lack of purpose or meaning. But I'm anxious about locking myself out of the job market without any padding. For 2025, I've started working on a small contract (20 days over 4 months) which should provide enough income to cover 90% of my target spending. So 2025 should be less stressful, and I should still have plenty of free time. Amazingly, I have so far not had to look for contracts, work has found me through friends/ex-colleagues. Not sure how long this will last, but it's a great place to be.


2025 goals

I’m hoping 2025 will be a more stable year of settling down and putting down roots here in City 2.

My goals for 2025 are:

1. DO NOT GET INJURED
2. Live in only one place all year
3. Climb at least twice a week, continue weekly climbing classes
4. Start climbing outdoors
5. Go to the Europe ERE climbing meetup organized by Jean
6. Earn at least enough money through my business to cover all “optional expenses” = sport + leisure/sport travel + food/alcohol out + streaming + entertainment + memberships to organizations/clubs + gifts
7. get TTM expenses as close to minimum wage income as possible. or even lower.
8, Build more social capital here in City 2
9. Continue to be able to show up for family/friend milestones
10. But keep travel to a minimum
11. Get involved with and volunteer for some local orgs

[delay]

Thanks for sharing your year review. It reads like a good year with time with friends and family, a return to your birth country, and an improvement in health. I offer my best wishes for settling down and putting down roots!

[NewBlood]

Thanks delay!

[NewBlood]

2025 update 3/52

A pretty good week.
I went back to my place in City2, settled back in, started some deep cleaning, getting some of the stuff I’m still missing (like a washing machine, some decent pots and pans, things to organize my clothes since I don’t have drawers). Slowly getting there.

This was a busy week socially. 2 days still at my parents’. Then Irish pub night with my friends, new year party with climbing club, dinner at some other friends’, climbing with some people I met recently, and finally climbing alone on Sunday. All very fun, but tiring.

I can tell I haven’t biked much in a while through the holidays. It was very cold this week, and biking in the cold, and sometimes at night, is a whole logistical endeavor.
Also climbing grades are so completely different here still compared to the other gyms I go to, so everything feels hard. It really shouldn’t matter, I know grades vary from one gym to the next, from one setter to another. But going from almost succeeding in climbing a 6b route one week to struggling on a 5c the next is surprisingly hard psychologically. So silly. All that to say, I’m tired. But in a good way.

I started work on my contract, and finalized a proposal I’ve been asked by a friend to be on. If they get funded, that’ll be another nice chunk of income for this year, for only 20 days of work, pretty sweet. No idea how competitive this RFP is though, so not holding my hopes up.
The first phase of my contract is to interview a bunch of people, from all over the world (and time zones), so it’s pretty hard to get into a routine until I’m through with it. My schedule is all over the place. But it’s not a huge time commitment, so it’s workable.

Goals for the week:
- go to two climbing classes to start making up for the ones I missed
- continue working on contract
- have dinner with my friends (local version of Thanksgiving)
- continue deep cleaning apartment

[NewBlood]

2025 update 4/52

Another pretty good week.

I went to my climbing class, 45 min bike ride in the cold, then 2 hours of resistance training (ie. do the same route 4 times in a row, no rest, twice… among other things). Then 45 min bike ride home. First class since early December, that was brutal, I slept until 8pm after I got home. And my arms were done, so I didn’t go to the Thursday class to make up for some of the classes I missed. It would have been the same exercises as Tuesday and my muscles just hadn’t recovered yet.

Instead I went bouldering on Friday with some new friends and tried some V4s. I almost finished 2 or 3 of them, I might be able to send them next time, that was really cool. Very fun to climb with new people who are a bit better than me, I’m learning a lot. Also went climbing with my friend and his two toddlers. Not a whole lot of adult climbing happened there, but it’s really cute to see a 2.5yo figure it out on the wall. They love it.

I also had dinner with my friends, we made our own version of Thanksgiving to fight against Blue Monday. On a Saturday. Yes, we’re ridiculous. It was very yummy and nice.

Not much else going on, contract is humming along, lots of good conversations with their staff to figure out what they want/need, I’m enjoying it, but I find it taxing. I’m not used to so many online meetings anymore and needing to be on for a whole hour talking to people about work.

I’m spending too much money on food this month. Between the cold, climbing, all the biking, learning the neighborhood stores, I’m spending a fortune at the bakeries around my house. I know I shouldn’t shop when I’m hungry, but I’m hungry all the time. Sleepy too.

Goals for the week:
- go to two climbing classes
- go bouldering once
- continue work on contract
- do so many loads of laundry

[delay]

Thanks for your journal update! A month of bakery visits sounds like a good life.

[NewBlood]

2025 update 5/52

Quiet week. A bit gloomy. My sleeping is all over the place, I’m having a hard time sticking to a healthy schedule. My week is organized around climbing and work calls, but otherwise, I’m not doing much with my time and finding it hard to motivate for anything, even cooking for myself… Spending way too much time in bed with the cat, who’s the worst influence, trying to stay warm and compensating for poor-night sleep. It’s a vicious circle.

I went climbing 3 times, once with a newish friend. But otherwise no social activity this week, which I’m realizing is not so good for me. I need the occasional external prodding to get out of my head.

Oh and after, again, procrastinating because I wasn’t sure how it works, I finally managed to go through the online process to set up my new business. Now waiting to get the legal docs, as far as I understand it.

January expenses:

income: $0
back-of-envelope adjusted for taxes total net worth (ATNW): + $11k
back-of-envelope adjusted for taxes liquid net worth: + $2k
cash balances: + $32k

Cash balances increased because I withdrew a big chunk of money from my 457 account.
Net worth would have increased more, except there’s a 20% default withholding on the withdrawal, even though my tax rate on it next year should be much lower than that (about 10% if my math is correct). So I’m currently giving a $5k loan to the US gov, interest free…. So stocked about that... There was no option to adjust the withholding rate online when you live abroad. Whatever. I should get it back next year…

Markets and exchange rates are all over the place. Do these numbers even still mean anything?

3% of ATNW: + 25 eur/month.
now equal to 105.9% of post-tax minimum wage (aka my spending target).

4% of ATNW: + 33 eur/month.
Now equal to 141.2% of post-tax minimum wage

I keep saying expenses are high every month. Expenses were high again.
I’ve tried to buy stuff for my apartment second hand, but people suck. I have yet to manage to buy an item from the local equivalent of craigslist. People list things, but don’t reply. Or start replying, then ghost. I’m over it. After all these months of nomadism, I’m tired, I just want to be able to organize my house and have a few things. So I ordered some stuff from Ikea. And I still need a few things. I also bought some clothes on clearance that were sorely needed. I was starting to look a bit like a hobo. I’ve also tried to buy a pair of shoes on the equivalent of poshmark. I’m on the 3d try. People list things, you buy it, they have 10 days to send it to you, they don’t, you get reimbursed, rinse and repeat. It’s ridiculous.

I did manage to buy a refurbished washing machine. If anyone is interested, I’ll tell you how inefficient and time-consuming it was to buy a refurbished appliance. But it was relatively cheap, has a 2-year warranty, and was delivered and installed (I don’t have a car).

Withdrawal rate in January was 4.08% of ATNW.

Goals for the week:
- Climb at least twice
- maybe go climbing outdoors?
- continue work on contract
- host visiting friend
- get out of my head and figure out better sleeping hygiene?

[Jean]

Too late, but for used furniture, second hand shop are often easier than buying online.

[NewBlood]

Too late, but for used furniture, second hand shop are often easier than buying online.

Thanks for the tip! Haven't bought furniture yet, the place is mostly furnished, but I do need some sort of shoe rack. Not sure if those places deliver though, otherwise I'd need to borrow a car which is so much more work than clicking on a computer

I mostly needed some kitchen stuff (some of the stuff that comes with the place is really shitty), clothes organizers (I don't have drawers), a bike pump, small appliances. Things you could find for free or very cheap second hand online if people actually bothered to answer their own listings. But dealing with people for every one of these things is just too time-consuming, not worth the savings at this point, it's too aggravating.

[Jean]

You typically find those stuff there too. Some deliver, but i find it easier to just go with a trailler and pull it back home.

[delay]

Can second what Jean says. Second hand stores over here carry furniture, kitchen stuff, shoe racks, and appliances like fridges and washing machines. They deliver for a reasonable fee and take your old couch or appliance away.

With online listings it helps to conform to the often weird customs of the place. For example marktplaats is a popular Dutch listing site. You can refuse to reply, or stop replying, at any time and for any reason. Never list things for free, but 1 euro is fine. Buyers don't give negative news, like if you lose interest, don't say so. Some sellers say when their item is no longer available. Threatening a negative review is an okay negotiating tactic.

So if you want to find a cycle pump, search for pumps in an area like 15km near you, and bid on as many pumps as you like. When someone replies you offer to pick it up, and when another one replies you offer to pick that up too. The only thing that counts is money changing hands, the rest is unbinding talk.

So these customs include not honoring your promises, negotiating with several sellers, and not showing up for an appointment. Once you make these customs your own it all works naturally. It's only aggravating when you bring your own morals.

[NewBlood]

Thanks for the advice, guys.
I guess my reluctance with 2d hand stores is that I need to drag my butt there with no guarantee I'll find what I need/like, whereas online I can see what exists, research items/brands, etc...
So I either need to be less picky/lazy, or bite the bullet and spend more money.

[Jean]

What helps with second hand store is to have a accurate mental list of what you need. You also need the ability to not buy what you don't need even if it's a bargain
Then make it a part of your routine to check it once in a while.
I have one on my way to the train station, so i check it for pants regularly, because i tend do destroy my pants quickly, so i'm always happy to get pants for a few francs. Every visit only cost me a few extra minutes, so no big deal.
Also, i find very rare that they don't have common household item.