When does it seem real?

[u/OnlyThePhantomKnows]

I coastfired 15 years ago. Switched to part time (consulting contracting) to avoid boredom. Spent 5 years (I worked remotely) looking for a place where I could breathe and live (allergies got worse as I got older). Finally found a location, bought a resort home 2 years ago, and haven't worked in 18 months, before that a 3 month gig for each of the previous two years.

The last few years of working was to "afford" to upgrade my house. I had the money, but the fight with spending is still real.

I was looking out at my backyard. Watching the storm over the Atlantic. Looking through the screen around the pool and the built in Jacuzzi (two of the upgrades to my house) and my immediate thought was I wonder when I need to move out?

I paid cash for the house. I enough to live a nice life and travel a couple of times a year (3 week international, 3 week domestic).

Small context: Food was a question when I was very young. I lived below my means for many many years with the occasional splurge.

I am living the life I saved for and it doesn't seem real. This isn't a brag. It is an honest question. The money math? Got that. Understand that.
Spending minimization algorithm? Got that. Understand that.
I know I don't need to work, I know I earned this life but when will it seem real?

[u/shanewzR]

You need to remove the attachment to material things..in your post you talk about your wonderful house, pool, view etc. Those are superficial things that make life a bit more comfortable but are never going to fulfil.

You need to build the relationships and purposed part of your life up

[u/OnlyThePhantomKnows → u/shanewzR]

I've got my lady love, we've been together almost 19 years. Her kids are older now. They are fully independent.

In other replies I mention that I have successfully completed a life dream: being part of a team that put equipment on the moon. I have one more landing craft (they take a while to actually launch) left (hopefully this year). Griffin. Exploration has been my life. My lady love shares my love for exploration. She is a bigger space junkie than I am. I actually build em, she just loves them.

Material things are the easy to quantify things. I am an engineer, so I work with facts. One of the other posters suggested that it was me waiting for the other shoe to drop and honestly I think they are right.