Why I want to retire early ?

My idea to retire early originated around 2016-17. It was not an impulsive decision, rather an increasing desire to break free from the monotony in life. I’ll briefly share my background and how this idea generated.

The Roots

I’m a native of Uttarakhand, a state in the Himalayan region of North India (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttarakhand). I have a natural affection for the mountains, rivers, streams, thick forests, snow-capped peaks and the simple lifestyle of villages. It has been difficult for me to adapt to the fast-paced life of the metro cities.

The mountains are calling and I must go - John Muir

Work-life

Post completing my B.E. in 2007, I moved to Pune for my first job in an Indian IT MNC. Pune is a great city in terms of weather, infrastructure, education, lifestyle etc., but I always felt like a migrant and had an urge to be near my hometown.

After 2.5 years in Pune, I moved to NCR to join another Indian IT MNC for a brief period of 9 months before switching to my third employer. It’s more than 11 years that I’ve been working with my current employer. During these 11 years, I was extremely lucky to start a relationship(2014), getting married(2017), being promoted twice, and welcoming our daughter(2021).

What went wrong?

Nothing! I’ve thought multiple times and there is no pressing reason for quitting my job. The salary is great and so are the benefits(medical, loan etc.) along with a fantastic work-life balance. The brain always speaks against leaving.

But the heart seems to have a bigger say in such decisions. It’s not the fat salary, benefits, office parties, skyscrapers/malls, transportation and connectivity that I cherish at the end of the day. While all of these are positives, I’m concerned more with the negatives like corporate bureaucracy & rat-race,  traffic jams & road rages, pollution(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_quality_in_Delhi), negligible social interaction, corruption etc.

After evaluating the pros and cons of early retirement with my spouse, we agreed that if we achieve financial independence, we can retire early and move back to my hometown or somewhere closer. Now we are actively executing our early retirement plan to meet our F.I.R.E. target.

Please do share your thoughts, questions or suggestion in the comment section.