That’s what weekends are for

Yesterday was my last day in the corporate world of politics, territorial wars, bosses, and power games. I’m 41 years old, and all I can think is whewwwww, what a relief. 😅

But I’m also terrified. This is unknown territory. I’ve worked since I was a kid — my first paid job came at 17, though I had plenty of unpaid ones before that. I almost don’t know how to relax. I guess it’s time to sing a different tune: “He he he, I am on vacation, every single day, every day-ay-ay-ay-ay….” 😀

I don’t plan to sit idle, though. I’m creating a new life — one built around the things I actually love. As the saying goes, “Love what you do and you’ll never work another day in your life.”

How My Career in America Began

My career in the US started almost 16 years ago, when I arrived for an MBA in August 2001. I already had a green card, thanks to my grandmother, who had lived in the US for 35 years. Chain migration, and I’m not ashamed to say it worked out for me.

I landed with two suitcases of clothes and less than $2,500 in cash — most of it earned during a summer working at Macy’s for $6/hr while staying with my grandmother. My MBA was funded through student loans and a job as a Dean’s assistant. I graduated in 2003 with $25,000 in loans. Add a secondhand Honda Accord (I’ve never believed in buying new cars), and my debt climbed another $10,000.

The market was shaky in 2003, still reeling from the tech bubble and 9/11. Even so, I landed a great job at a Fortune 50 company in the Midwest, working on their flagship brand, earning $79,000 a year. My MBA delivered a strong return — I was working alongside Harvard grads earning the same salary, even though my education cost roughly a third of theirs. The US really is the land of opportunity.

Choosing Career Over Convenience

There was one catch: the job was in the Midwest, and my husband — who I’d married just six months earlier — had taken a banking job on the East Coast. I’d flown 8,000 miles to be here. A measly 500 miles between us wasn’t going to stop me.

I split my time between work and flights to the East Coast, trying to prove myself in both. But within months, I started questioning everything. I didn’t like being closeted in an office, working from before sunrise until after dark. What I did enjoy was learning — hearing from leaders, picking up new skills, growing. That mattered more to me than I’d realized.

The Moment I Decided to Retire by 35

A few months into the job, I asked a colleague who’d started with me, “Is this it? Is this what work looks like for the rest of our lives?” She shrugged and said, “That’s what weekends are for.”

That answer wasn’t enough for me. I wanted the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted — not just on Saturdays and Sundays. So I decided I wanted to retire by 35, so that every day could feel like a weekend.

There was just one problem: I had no idea how to become financially independent, or even how much money it would take. But like everything worth doing, you have to start somewhere.

Paying Off Debt: My First Step

My first move was tackling my student loans. A friend mentioned opening 0% interest credit cards and transferring debt onto them (back then, transfers didn’t carry the 3% fee they often do now). I didn’t have an investment portfolio yet, so I didn’t realize I could have invested that money instead for a better return than my loan’s interest rate.

Still, I opened the 0% cards, paid them on time, and put extra toward my student loan every month. Within a year and a half, both my student loans and my car loan were paid off.

Building Wealth the Slow, Steady Way

My husband and I are savers by nature. Over the next 16 years, we consistently stashed away money and maxed out our 401(k)s — but we didn’t deprive ourselves. We still lived well:

• Eating out regularly
• Taking one Caribbean vacation every year
• Going on at least one summer road trip
• Reviewing our spending once a year, without obsessing over detailed budgets

Five years into my career, I realized that if I really wanted my savings to grow, I needed to invest in the stock market. I’d always been curious about investing, even as a kid, but I had no idea how to actually do it.

Learning to Invest, One Mistake at a Time

At the end of 2007, I joined another Fortune 100 company in New York — one that made everyday consumer necessities. That stability meant the business kept performing well even as the broader market struggled. With steady income coming in, I felt ready to start investing, but I still lacked the know-how.

Then a colleague introduced me to tools like Mint.com for tracking net worth and Google Finance for evaluating stocks. I realized quickly that 2008’s economic downturn was a rare buying opportunity. I invested $20,000, mostly in big tech stocks while they were on sale. Over the years, that bet paid off exponentially.

Where I Stand Today

I’m not entirely at my Financial Independence goal yet — I don’t count my home’s equity as an asset. If I did, I’d already be there. But I live in the Bay Area, where home values are inflated well beyond reasonable. Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” argues a house isn’t truly an asset unless it generates income. I tend to agree.

Right now, my investments cover roughly 75% of my expenses. It’s time to enjoy the fruits of my labor: spending more time with my husband and kids, helping others reach financial independence, spending time with my dogs, traveling, and building new income streams around things I’m genuinely passionate about.