Every story has a place where it begins.
For me, this story required an ending in order to have a new beginning.
This New Beginning started 2.5 years ago and began with feelings of extreme weakness, buckets of tears, and much uncertainty as I charted a new path independently with 3 kids after 20 years of marriage and many years as a stay at home mom and part time nurse. It took a while for the tears to subside and the awful internal dialogues to be hushed but when they quieted, the clarity that came with the newness of singledom was enlightening.
The voices had been so busy telling me that I was alone and not worthy, but what they failed to tell me was that I was strong and capable and that being alone didn’t have to be a bad thing. Not having to be accountable to someone else for what I did with my money- what I bought, invested in, saved for- was truly the door that opened up the next adventure in my timeline of life.
In order to move from this current point forward in my journey, I need to venture back the 2.5 years to share where I’ve been and slowly fast forward to where I am now and where I will be in the months and years to come. As those months of dealing with being single were a process of healing and hit or miss, none of this journey has been without rocky roads. But I promise to share what I’ve learned, how I’ve cut back, the things I refuse to skimp on, what I’m investing in and the mistakes I’ve made along the way with much transparency. Come with me as I strive to savor life and explore the possibility of retiring before age 65 while I explore this challenging but oh-so-rewarding road to Financial Independence.