A Strange Mini-Retirement - Week 5

In April, I quit my job. In June, I could hardly walk.

When I resigned, I imagined traveling around Taiwan and climbing some majestic mountains; I also planned to explore Asia and do a lot of cool stuff before leaving for Canada. I would be the poster child of the mini-retirement proposed by Tim Ferriss in 4-Hour Workweek.

Unfortunately, that was not realized. Instead, a knee injury reduced my life to a simple daily routine that involves a lot of reading and rehabilitation (the synonym of boring exercises).

In the first few weeks of the surgery, I moved in with my parents in order to avoid the over-excited doggies and climbing 5 flights of stairs. Every day, I wake up at 7 a.m. and do a short walk with my mum. Then, she would prepare a delicious and nutritious breakfast for me (for example, on a Tuesday, I had chicken, beans, yogurt, toast, coffee, and milk). Then, I read a bit, study Japanese, and do some rehab exercises. Suddenly, it is lunchtime, and I usually order takeaways, which my parents pick up for me. Then, I have the luxury of nap time, followed by more rehab exercises and reading, and then it is time for dinner. Dad has a more sophisticated cooking style and would prepare a fancy dinner almost every night. After dinner, we either watch easy movies on Netflix or go for a walk, depending on how my knee feels.

This is quite different from the excitement I had imagined. Yet, I will be forever grateful for this period where I again live with my parents since I left for Taiwan 5 years ago. I could focus on resting and rehabilitation because they had done every dull task in the household. It is embarrassing to be taken care of to this extent as a grown man. But I have paid attention and quietly taken notes on how to be a good caretaker and how to keep a household tidy and comfortable (and inevitably a few tricks to avoid arguments). It is a wonderful feeling to know that you are loved (a poster in the toilet of my parents' place).

This unorthodox mini-retirement has removed things from my working and uninjured life. Some are definitely good (no more Zoom meetings and bullshits from work), and some are less so (no income and physically demanding activities). What these subtractions have in common is that I have room to think, to really think, about some of the big and important questions in life.

One of my realisations is that I will never be happy if I am not happy now. I am independent now in the sense that I control my time and schedule all day, and no one can boss me around. People (and dogs) I care most about are around me. I have no immediate financial pressure. I am healthy enough to do most daily activities and have an active mind. If I am not happy now, more income probably would not cheer me up. (I hate to contradict myself, but some hiking and badminton probably will.)

Another realisation is that I do want a job that provides certain security and convenience. (Being jobless for a while, I learnt that if you do not have a job and are not "fuck-you-rich" and own a trust fund, society can be harsh. Most landlords do not even want to lease their flat to you, even though you show them your healthy enough financial statements.) I also learned that, in addition to health, family, and friends, I want a greater sense of direction and purpose. Yet, I am not sure if a job could provide this (I doubt that, based on my past experience.)

The two realisations are seemingly contradictory, but they are not. The goal is to be content with what we own, while having a worthwhile goal and project to pursue. Or maybe they indeed contradict one another. If that is the case, a man should be able to hold apparently contradictory ideas simultaneously. Or I might just change my mind (which is most likely).

While there is a long way to go, my leg is getting stronger. I also hope to look for a job when I arrive in Vancouver. So, hopefully, this unorthodox mini-retirement (being an injured, unemployed man) will end soon, and things will gradually be added back to my life like pieces of Legos. If we are fortunate enough to live long, we will all experience these additions and subtractions from life. When things get back to normal, whatever that means, I hope I will never forget what I learned during this interesting period of my life.

Until next time, take care.