FI Chautauqua Revisited: Why I Love These People

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It was my second time attending FI Chautauqua, so I knew I’d be making connections with people and developing friendships that would last a lifetime. Even though I’m such an introvert!

Because my husband & I had a wonderful experience at the FI Chautauqua in the UK, we signed up for the FI Chautauqua in Greece, the following year!

Yes, GREECE! I was so excited we were going to Greece! I just knew it would be amazing!

Our First FI Chautauqua

The first time we went to FI Chautauqua in Stratford Upon Avon in England, I didn’t know what to expect. I went with an open mind and questions about whether we were on the right track for catching up our retirement savings.

FI stands for financial independence, after all.

I learned that FI Chautauqua grew from JL Collins’ dream to “bring together groups of exceptional people in amazing locations for fascinating conversations about life, freedom, happiness and investing.” What a great idea, Jim!

FI Chautauqua, Year Two

Our second FI Chautauqua, in Greece, was about opening ourselves to possibility on the path to FI. I’d come prepared with questions for our one-on-one meetings with the FI Chautauqua speakers. I wanted to know how to handle a potential worker’s compensation payment from my husband’s near-death experience at his former job.

I had also been second guessing myself about our current asset allocation because most of our investments were in stocks.

That’s one of the benefits of traveling around the world to talk about financial independence at an FI Chautauqua. You get to share your biggest money questions with others who have been on the same path, or who have already reached financial independence.

Besides listening to the inspiring presentations, you get to meet one-on-one with the speakers to ask questions about your situation. Everyone is very generous with their ideas and time.

And that’s in addition to the fantastic location, amazing food, and lasting friendships that are formed!

What We Learned

We met with Brad and Jonathan of Choose FI about ways to best protect the tax-free status of a potential worker’s comp payment.  For instance, they told us about of the benefits of capital gains harvesting, which blew our minds! We’ll be looking into that a little more!

Brad and Jonathan also gave an excellent presentation. Later, they shared a recap of our week together on Choose FI: Episode 99R and on Capital Gains Harvesting Episode 100R. I listen to the Choose FI podcast at work during my breaks. Chose FI is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to while walking!

In addition to the one-on-ones with the FI Chautauqua speakers, the presentations were thought-provoking and inspiring. You might not think topics like financial independence and personal development go together, but they do! Every speaker touched on this. It was Kristy of Millennial Revolution who directed all of us to “Go Be Invincible!”

“Go be invincible!” – Kristy Shen, Millennial Revolution

As we listened to the soothing voice of JL Collins, I ended up answering my own question about whether we should be investing in bonds, given our age. The conventional advice is to move more money into bonds as retirement draws near. But we’re almost entirely invested in equities because we’ve been trying to catch-up our retirement savings.

Turns out, we don’t really need bonds to “smooth the ride” because we have steady income (that is about as guaranteed as it gets, if there is such a thing). My husband is collecting a pension and SSDI (Social Security Disability). And because I’ll be vested at my job soon, we’ll be able to add my small pension to the pot, too.

No matter what the stock market does, we’ll have enough money coming in to live on.

Geoarbitrage

And hey, if the cost of living in California gets too high, there’s always geoarbitrage! What is geoarbitrage? It’s best described as moving from a high cost of living area to a low cost of living area because it will help you to save money.

Many bloggers in the FIRE movement practice and write about geoarbitrage, including FI Chautauqua speakers Kristy & Bryce of Millennial Revolution.

We met with Kristy & Bryce to discuss how they pack for traveling the world year-round. Before our first FI Chautauqua, we started traveling with just carry-on backpacks, and wanted some additional advice from the pros. They let us pick their brains on the best tips for finding and living in low-cost travel destinations, too. Traveling full-time is definitely in our plans once I retire.

This FI Chautauqua Surprised Me

The one thing I didn’t expect from our second FI Chautauqua, was that it would prompt me to explore my passion for herbs in a new way. Afterall, I wasn’t looking to start a business since I’m already working full-time and have a part-time side hustle! Yet, a seed was planted (yes, I just did that – pun intended).

There’s something about being with a group of open-minded, positive people that spurs creativity. During FI Chautauqua, we participated in exercises to help us think outside of the box. We were encouraged to see the possibilities beyond our own limiting beliefs when it comes to reaching financial independence.

FI Chautauqua Brainstorm

To do this, Alan Donegan of Pop-Up Business School led us in a brainstorming activity.  Initially, Alan asked us each to identify a question for this exercise. Secondly, one person was to share a question out loud and the group was instructed to write down ideas on sticky notes, as fast as possible. After a few minutes, Alan had the members of the group read their sticky notes (in rapid-fire succession) and hand each sticky note to the person in the hot seat who had asked the question.

I volunteered for the brainstorming demo. My question?  How can I reach more people to share my love of herbs?  The ideas from the group were overflowing! 

In the past, I’ve taught herb classes at local herb farms and community colleges as a way to share my herbal passion and make more money. It’s been a lot of fun and can be a good way to earn extra money to help catch up retirement savings.

However, it also requires a lot of driving, loading & unloading the car, packing up and cleaning everything after class. I’m not interested in spending two to four hours driving to teach herb classes anymore, so I’ve cut back in the number of classes I teach. As I grow older, I realize spending the limited amount of time I have left on the planet being stuck in a car by myself is not ideal.

Herbs, Travel and Financial Independence

Although I haven’t taught herb classes in a while, herbs have remained one of my passions. Whenever I travel (another one of my passions), I’m always checking out the local flora and seeking out herb gardens and herbal apothecaries.

Alan asked us to take action on one of the ideas we’d received during the brainstorming session. So, I did!

During a sight-seeing visit to the Castle of Platamonas with my new found friends, I led an impromptu herb walk. Susan filmed it with her GoPro and added some background clips from footage taken by Jonathan’s drone.

Doing more videos like this, to highlight herbs around the world while traveling may a be fun and creative endeavor that I take up in the future. I never would have imagined it could be possible to travel the world talking about herbs. Because of FI Chautauqua, I have begun to recognize the true freedom that comes with financial independence.

Thessaloniki

Our first stop in Greece was Thessaloniki, an ancient port city. The hotel we stayed at was lovely. However, no one told me what the string hanging down in the shower was for, and of course I pulled it! Oops! It was a call button to the front desk. At least I discovered that the hotel staff were very responsive.

In Thessaloniki, we enjoyed a walking tour of the city and fabulous Greek food. I’m glad we had a chance to explore the area before moving on to our main digs for the week.

Litochoro

We stayed in Plaka Litochoro for the majority of our time in Greece, overlooking the beautiful blue waters of the Aegean Sea. There was a magnificent view of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Looking up, we imagined the Greek gods were looking down on us.

While in Litochoro, we had the pleasure of exploring ancient historical sites and meeting the locals. The places we visited were spectacular, like The Dion Archeological Park and museum. Our guide provided an insightful tour of this ancient city. We learned about the thermal baths and viewed the remnants of beautiful mosaics.

Fun Times at FI Chautauqua

There was ample time for relaxation and fun during FI Chautauqua in Greece. Morning meditations, massages, lounging next to the infinity pool, playing water volleyball, hiking, and even our own FI Chautauqua Olympic Games!

We stayed up late drinking, talking and laughing with people we felt we’d known much longer than just a few days. Of course we had to try ouzo while we were in Greece!

Guess who won the award for “Most Likely to Start a Movement in the FIRE Community With Her Wardrobe” at FI Chautauqua in Greece?! Susan brought along a cool collection of shirts from Accidental Fire.  Here she is wearing the Stoicism shirt and enjoying Greek coffee.  

She also rocked the “Someday is not a day of the week” shirt. And it was the perfect attire for FI Chautauqua, where people “get it” that waiting to retire or live your best life until “someday” is for the birds.

More Love for FI Chautauqua

While you don’t have to be a blogger or podcaster to attend an FI Chautauqua, it isn’t unusual if you are. Here’s what some of our friends had to say about our time together at the FI Chautauqua in Greece . . .

Wendy

Wendy shared how the FI Chautauqua experience helped her & her husband make the tough decision to sell their home. She wrote “Leaving the Home We Love to Reach Financial Independence“ on her blog, House of FI. Currently, Wendy’s blog is undergoing a revamp, but the above link will take you to her her YouTube channel. On the show, Wendy talks about selling their home to reduce debt on the path to financial independence.

Shawn

With a nod to FI Chautauqua for giving him the spark to create his own blog, Shawn launched Platform for Good after he returned home. His thoughtful post, “Discovering Inspiration in Greece” was only the first one of many that I find myself going back to read again and again.

Susan

FI Ideas is where you will find Susan’s thoughts on financial independence and life after retirement. Susan writes about her many adventures, including an experiment she kept up during FI Chautauqua, “Maybe It’s Time to Stop Your WINE-ing!”

Brandon

We met Brandon at the FI Chautauqua in the UK. Like us, he returned for more, but this time he brought his girlfriend, Kimmy! We just missed each other since they were at the first week & we were at the second. Brandon documented his girlfriend’s thoughts about being dragged along to an FI Chautauqua by an enthusiastic partner:

Final Thoughts on FI Chautauqua

As I reflect on having attended these two FI Chautauqua events, I feel incredibly lucky to have found an amazing group of people who welcomed my husband & I with open arms, didn’t judge us for our past money mistakes, and who continue to offer us inspiration, guidance and support.  

Are you thinking about going to FI Chautauqua? If you can afford it, I encourage you to go! I love these people, and you will too!

Yes, FI Chautauqua is expensive and it’s not for everyone. But the knowledge we’ve gained from attending FI Chautauqua has given us incredible value that will have a positive impact on our lives forever.

Most importantly, we see possibility and opportunity in ways we never did before.  FI Chautauqua has helped us identify strategies to catch-up our retirement savings and feel secure about our future.

Funny how an amazing vacation with an exceptional group of people who come together to talk about life, freedom, happiness and investing will do that for you.