classical_Liberal's Semi-ERE

[classical_Liberal]

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[Western Red Cedar]

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip and accommodations once you get settled. I love Mexico but haven't made it to the Yucatan yet. I think it's a great option for setting up a base and doing some regional travel - lots to see and do within a few hours of Playa Del Carmen.

In regards to your wine and cider setup, how much space did that take up? I've avoided home brewing as a hobby because I'm in an apartment but you've inspired me to look into it again. I'd love to experiment with ciders and sours. I have a 2X2X6 foot space that we aren't really using except to store a few bulky objects. Any tips or recommendations for getting started based on what you've learned thus far?

[white belt]

In regards to your wine and cider setup, how much space did that take up? I've avoided home brewing as a hobby because I'm in an apartment but you've inspired me to look into it again. I'd love to experiment with ciders and sours. I have a 2X2X6 foot space that we aren't really using except to store a few bulky objects. Any tips or recommendations for getting started based on what you've learned thus far?

I’ll drop my 2 cents because I brewed wine for a few years in a very small space. There are a few variables and it’s really going to depend on how much you drink. It is completely possible to brew a lot of wine in a small space. I used 3-4 1 gallon jugs with air locks in a dorm closet to brew wine. Even after racking 1-2 times, each jug should yield 4 standard wine bottles. The recipe I was using was 4 weeks from start to finish, so for each gallon jug I had going I could get 4 bottles a month. You’ll need one extra gallon jug for racking. You want a dark space that is at least room temperature for fermenting.

I believe cider will require slightly more space because the yield isn’t as concentrated as wine. The most common sizes are to brew it in 1 gallon jugs or 5 gallon carboys.

[classical_Liberal]

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[Western Red Cedar]

@CL & White belt- Thanks! I saw that picture, what are the dimensions of the setup?

[classical_Liberal]

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[fingeek]

@white belt nailed it with process and dimensions. And if you have a little space for secondary fermenting/ageing then you can buffer 6-12 bottles and have a rolling/ageing supply going.

Great also to see you navigated covid successfully and hopefully that will be a little anxiety/stress off your shoulders too. Lovely to see that ERE is working out well for you thus far! Any grand plans or are you consciously taking things day/week/month-by-day/week/month?

[classical_Liberal]

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[fingeek]

Hell no, I wouldn't know what to do with the time! Plus as you say, everyone needs purpose and I'm still struggling with (no make that finding) my purpose. Ironically perhaps, I'm keeping focused on the day-to-day and worry a little less about the grand plans, although I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that I need some sort of goals to keep myself motivated. And in lieu of anything else, work is giving me a bit of focus.

And no problem, I enjoy and get a lot from your journal - Been super interesting to watch how your ERE is evolving.

[classical_Liberal]

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[2Birds1Stone]

Shit man, we're in the same boat with the whole waiting till the last minute to go south toward warmer pastures.

"Seeing that I'm about to take my first official withdrawal from the FIRE stash in January, my mind has been drifting back towards cashflow again."

What is your concern here? Is it hesitation? Even if TTM spending is 4.5% of current portfolio, that's a successful WR in 80% of 25 year scenarios.....

Totally understand the feeling of sitting idle with too much time right now. When the weather is crap, normal badweather/inside activities are much more limited with Covid, and travel is a crapshoot.....doesn't leave much else to do if you're not willing to completely uproot your entire life and move halfway across the globe (I heard Australia is nice this time of year/pandemic).

[theanimal]

Do you go out much and do things in ND right now? I think it'd be worth going somewhere warm even if there are greater restrictions. You'll be able to get around, bike and have a higher quality of life than compared to staying in ND where you don't like being cooped up in winter. Maybe Florida instead? I'll be going to Qunitana Roo after all so I'll report back soon.

[classical_Liberal]

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[fingeek]

Ah you've hit this point - Now the interesting bit starts! For me as you might remember, I hit it at ~6 months. It felt like I was all caught up, burnout gone, did all the things I wanted that I couldn't because of work/busyness... And then bang! Nothing else to be done. Won the game! What's next?

I'm starting to get itchy feet, in the sense I don't feel like I'm being productive enough. [snip] It's a feeling like there are now too many hours in some of my days to fill with meaningful activities

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This is interesting, and was the exact same as my experience. While it was nice to chill out and all that, I got the growing niggle that I needed to start Doing something "productive" and "meaningful".

https://mi-psych.com.au/your-brains-3-e ... n-systems/ is a really interesting conceptual model of "Drive, Soothe, Threat" mental modes. This really helped frame my experience - the first coming from Drive/Threat (at work), straight into Soothe (on the test FIRE year). Being stuck in Soothe mode for too long ended with creeping apathy, boredom and navel gazing. So I realised I needed to start moving back into Drive (just not too much like yesteryear).

Perhaps what you need is a growth challenge, or some sort of responsibility (forced on you, or chosen by you?). Pick your own jail cell and all that.

[classical_Liberal]

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[fingeek]

I read it in The Little Mindfulness Workbook while looking into mindfulness meditation last year (an interesting read on its own!), and had a few lightbulb moments go off after that, realising my own position

[classical_Liberal]

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[fingeek]

Happy new year too! Has been great to follow your journal to date.

2/ - Agree, and I've been relatively successful at a low information diet, minimal news etc - It's kinda amazing how important(well...) news finds its way to you without actively seeking it out.

3/ Very interested to watch how this evolves for you. Though, I wonder if your personality type is one that means you get engrossed 100% in anything that interests you? For me, I tend to go on a learning/mastery bender for months, rinse it out and then get bored quite often with new things. Though I guess it's the learning process itself that I find engaging/interesting. Wonder if it's similar with you?

4/ I started golf on my test year, and that seemed to be a great way to interact with people different to myself. I wonder what other "typical retirement" hobbies might cultivate similar friendship.

[2Birds1Stone]

Happy New Year!

If I could find something that's location independent to side hustle on for 15-20 hours a week, the W-2 we disappear sooooooo fast. Let us know when you come up with.

As to 4), you're not alone. It's very hard to find relatable people, and even when these topics do come up with friends on occasion, the disparity between Wheaton levels would mean my thoughts come across as Chinese.

Looking forward to the #'s =)

[classical_Liberal]

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