- What if the Good Life Requires Giving Up Some Freedom? - September 15, 2026
- What Climbing Grouse Mountain Taught Me About Financial Freedom - August 18, 2026
- My Apartment Gave Me Something That Money Can’t Buy - August 4, 2026
“You used to write every week, but it’s been a whole 2 months since you last posted. Are you okay?”
Having received more and more of these e-mails and message lately, I figured it’s probably time to address why we’ve been absent for so long. Also, I’m so touched that so many of you care and are worried about us. Love this community! You rock!
Long-time readers know that I rarely miss a post. Through jetlag, illness, seasickness, morning sickness, I’ve never stopped writing. Hell, even after giving birth to my son, and through the brutal recovery and sleep deprivation afterwards, I still posted.
So why now? Why the sudden radio silence?
The answer is simple.
We are exhausted.
Taking care of a toddler 24/7 is already exhausting, but doing it while writing a book, travelling, then moving across the country, all while doing book promotion, was a bit too much.
Oh and did I mention we now also write for the Globe and Mail, Canada’s biggest newspaper? A while back, an editor reached out to us and invited us to write a FIRE column. In addition to being an author, being a journalist was one of my childhood dreams, so I couldn’t possibly say no to that.
Back in 2019, right after our audiobook recording in London, I went to a FIRE movie premier, followed immediately by 2 weeks of Chautauqua, then followed by a trip to Ireland for book promotion, then jetting off to L.A to make a sizzle reel, before speaking at another Chautauqua in Portugal. I did all that without breaking a sweat.
But that was childfree 30-year-old me. 40-year-old me is now 15 lbs heavier, covered in cheerios, and can’t climb a set of stairs without losing my breath.
We also decided to move to Vancouver during the busiest month of book promotion, which was horrible timing.
Doing all of these things at once, while parenting, took a massive toll on our health and our relationship.
So, we decided to take a step back and get some much-needed rest.
Now, having had two whole months to decompress and focus on our health (and each other), I am happy to report that we are in a much better place.
We are also so happy living in Vancouver that even travel is starting to lose its appeal. Which is funny, since the original plan was to only use Vancouver as a jump off point to travel to Asia, considering how close it is. Then I realized I’m basically already in Asia—just a much more expensive version. Hell, they even have Mandarin immersion public schools here (prior to this I’ve only seen French immersion public schools in Canada).
Over the past 10 years of travel, we’ve been to over 50 countries, and have loved so many places. But visiting is one thing, and moving there is another. As much as I loved the hiking the Swiss alps in Engleberg, eating my bodyweight worth of sashimi in Osaka, and diving in breathtaking Cenotes in Mexico, I’m not sure I would move to any of these places, incredible as they may be.
And then sometimes you fall in love with a place so hard, you never want to leave. And most of the time, it ends up being the people rather than the place themselves. The 3 places around the world that I found it the most difficult to leave were Chiang Mai, Valencia, and now Vancouver.
We came here last year to scout it out for 2 months during the rainiest, coldest season, on purpose, to see if we could handle bad weather and see if it’s a fit, and I absolutely fell in love.
It started with us feeling like VIPs when friends insisted on picking us up from the airport, driving us to a dinner (hosted in our honor), even going as far as having to borrow a car seat from a neighbor (these friends were childfree), and then driving us to our Home Exchange, all because it was a snowy day and they didn’t want us getting stuck on public transport. They are incredible people, just like many of the other friends that we’ve met here.
Though, I’m not sure why they were so terrified of a bad experience for us on a Vancouver bus, because riding the bus, as a mom, is one of my favourite experiences here.
In Toronto, I hate buses and avoid them like the plague. Not only is there no room for a stroller, while I’m trying to hold on for dear life as the driver is power sliding through traffic, people are always stepping over my son or screaming at me to get out of their way.
In Vancouver, it’s the exact opposite. The bus driver parks close to the curb, then makes everyone wait while you get on. The accessibility area in the front of the bus is reserved for wheelchairs and strollers, and the bus driver won’t move an inch until you tell them “my stroller breaks are on!” When it’s time to get off, you simply tell the driver “stroller coming off!” and then everyone waits for you again, and the whole ride is a breeze.
People always say “thank you” to the driver, which is rare from my experience riding public transit around the world.
Community pools are also open from from 10AM – 8PM here and the hot tub area isn’t reserved for only age 18+. There are so many family-friendly activities, I haven’t had time to experience them all, and I don’t have to worry about rushing to make a specific time slot, or taking an hour of commuting time just to get there.
Not only is this city beautiful, but this is also a city that cares.
It’s expensive, yes (there’s a reason why people say BC stands for “Bring Cash”), but in my opinion, it’s worth it.
Well, at least it is for me. Some people say Vancouver is a hard place to live in, with crazy high cost of living, lowest rental vacancies, scarcity of family doctors, daycares, and a rainy season that seems endless. Others says it’s hard to make friends because everyone is so “clique-y.”
They’re not wrong, but what I realized is that you can’t just show up in Vancouver and expect it all to work out. You have to do a lot of prep work before you even get here.
For example, we started preparing 8 months in advance, and as a result, was able to hit the ground running, get a family doctor, daycare, and a rental that’s $1000/month below market.
Turns out, this is the absolute best time to move to Vancouver because for the first time in decades, it’s a renter’s market, and we were able to find a shiny new 3 bedroom for-purpose rental in our favourite neighbourhood, within walking distance to transit, in a good school district, and with a large communal backyard for my son to play in.
So, we’ve signed a one-year lease and we’re going to try living in one place for a while. I can’t say for sure that my travelling days are over, but part of me genuinely feels “why travel to paradise, when you already live in one?”
We’ll re-evaluate in a year whether we want to continue living here or go back to nomadic life (the sunny weather in Spain and the exceptional value in Asia are huge draws). For now, I’m loving our new home, we have more friends than we’ve ever had in one place, and our son has similar aged kids in the building to play with every day, and I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing community.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the future of this blog lately. AI has exploded in popularity, and as a result has completely changed the blogging landscape. For many years, it was easy to run this blog, deliver value, and have you all read it for free because all the expenses—the hosting, e-mail marketing services, additional plug-ins, etc–were easily covered by ads.
AI has broken that model.
Now people just get the summarized information from their favourite AI chatbot without ever having to go to the site and ad networks have moved on to YouTube, and other social media outlets.
I think this is why so many bloggers have moved to Substack, in an effort to get paid directly for their writing via subscriptions.
It would be easy for us to put the Investment Workshop behind a paywall, but we’re not interested in doing that. The workshop will always be free, and we are so incredibly humbled by all the e-mails and thank you messages from the people whose lives it has changed over the last decade.
However, because of this disruption by AI, we’ve decided to reduce our writing schedule and continue letting this site be a free resource that will never be behind a paywall.
So, instead of posting weekly, we’ll now be alternating between the Globe and Mail and here. We’ll be writing articles there every other Thursday, and posting here every other Tuesday. Be sure to sign up to our newsletter to get the latest posts!
What have you all been up to lately?
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Long time reader here since I read Quit Like a Millionaire! I was just reading some of your blogs this weekend and was wondering where you have been and if I missed an announcement or something. Either way, your blogs always bring massive value! All of the reasons you guys are pulling back make total sense and I think we are all facing the same changes in life in one way or another. I’m happy to hear you’ve found a likeable place in Vancouver for your family and hope it continues to be everything you hope for and more.
Thanks, Tai! Appreciate you reading our book! It’s been a wild ride but life is super interesting like that, and always changing.
Thanks for the update! And welcome to Vancouver. Sounds like you’re right in our neighbourhood!
Thanks, Zaac! We live in a beautiful city and I’m so grateful 🙂
Great to hear you’ve moved to Vancouver. Born and raised here and never left. I’ve always felt lucky to have been able to stay (my adult kids may not be so lucky), but the rain and cost definitely gets to me. It’s always encouraging to read a fresh perspective, so thank you. Also, it looks like you’re living in Vancity itself? It’s also on my bucket list instead of the burbs. It’s been lovely out here but the vibe and life surrounding you in the city is so vibrant, it definitely can keep you in community and active more than the outskirts. Good for you and I hope you’ll have a chance to do some posts about cost of living here as you go, what you’ve been doing and where you’ve been going. It’s a beautiful city and definitely more chill than TO. Welcome and enjoy!
Yeah, I’m not a ‘burbs kind of person–kids or no kids. Kudos to the people who are happy with it though. You do you 🙂
I’ve realized that everything is relative. I’ve met people who came here from Ottawa that thinks Vancouver has “New york energy” lol (who’ve clearly never been to NY). Meanwhile, coming from Toronto, I’m thinking “wow, this place is so chill!”. Glad I gave you a new perspective.
Long time reader here but have never commented before. I absolutely love the blog. I wouldn’t worry too much about AI. AI is very good at many things, but the one thing it can’t do is make authentic stories like the ones on this blog. Social media and YouTube are getting overrun by AI-generated bullsh*t and clickbait. But it is genuine and handwritten blogs like these that provide a breath of fresh air that AI can never provide.
I completely agree. Your very particular stories and details are invaluable. I’m glad to hear you will continue but change the pace to suit your current needs. You have both set a great example throughout the decade-long (at least?) journey and it is much appreciated.
Congrats on finding a great fit with a great city. I have lived in NYC for a long time and feel the same way about our city as you do Vancouver now. It’s a privilege.
You have made a great contribution to so many people already. Life is full of transitions and you will have many more in your life. There is a lot of travel information out there, but yours has been unique with lesser known, interesting places and how to visit affordable. Your financial guidance has been the greatest contribution. You are one of the few sources showing readers how to make their dreams come true, offering the recipe for a great life. Thank you and I look forward to future occasional posts. I
Aww, thanks, Boo307! This comment made my day 🙂
Wow, thanks so much for reading all these years and for leaving your first comment! I really appreciate you saying that about my writing! It means a lot!
Thanks for your blog. I for one will continue to keep reading. So happy to hear you’re enjoying Van-city! It’s really the most beautiful place 🙂
Thanks for your support, Lawrence! Yes, Van-city is gorgeous and the people here are so kind.
Welcome back FireCracker and Wanderer!
Glad you re loving Van City and decided to settle down.
I moved from western Europe to TO 20 years ago and still love it.
I agree Chiang Mai is lovely.
Congrats on the Globe’s columns!
Thanks, Jacky! Glad you are still loving TO after all these years!
Glad you found your happy place! Vancouver is a beautiful place.
The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia is one of the most memorable museums I have ever visited – and I’ve been to a LOT of famous museums. (We never made it Stanley Park during that visit due to construction on Lions Gate Bridge; maybe someday we’ll make it back to Vancouver …)
Glad to hear your relationship, health, and family survived all the craziness of the past few months intact. Yes, the energy level of 40 is quite different from that of 30. LOL
Congratulations on fulfilling your childhood dreams: a writer, author of multiple books, AND a journalist!
THANK YOU for all your hard work associated with this blog. Thank you for sharing your life story in your “Quit Like a Millionaire” book. It has been a privilege to follow your life journey.
Oh … and take an afternoon nap whenever needed. THAT really helps (almost 68 year old retired at 55) me slay the day!
Well, now I’ll have to check out the Museum of Anthropology (MOA)! Thank you so much for reading and appreciating my journey. You rock!
And yes, many afternoon naps are in order now that things have calmed down.
Thanks for the update! It’s so cool to hear that you’ve moved to Vancouver! I actually also moved from Toronto to here a while back and really love it to the point where we don’t want to move back! One of the biggest perks is the weather I think haha summer is really beautiful! I hope you enjoy it lots. It is also very close to Asia for flights, at least for somewhere in Canada ^^ Totally makes sense on the blog monetization front. I think it’s really cool that you’re writing for the Globe and Mail! I’ll make sure to check them out!
Thanks KY! I’ve really enjoy writing for the G&M and hope you do check them out.
The summer weather here in Vancouver is truly unbeatable! There are few places I’ve ever experienced in the world that has so little humidify during the hot months! Amazing.
Very glad that you are doing well! I had feelings you will try to stop travelling at some point. Enjoy living in Vancouver! We love it but it got busier over years and we moved to Kooteney, BC where enjoying summer to the fullest with camping, hiking and swimming!
I’m not sure I’m 100% ready to say goodbye to travel forever, but it’s definitely a “see you later” kind of a situation right now. Vancouver has too much of a pull for families.
Glad you are enjoying Kooteney BC and all the fun activities!
Kids definitely change things! I traveled many countries, even with my youngest before he was 2. But now with three kids, the two year old is 15 now! There will be time for travel again later, but raising kids is a hard enough challenge.
I think your story is a good reality of how kids change the dynamic a bit, and this is good honest writing.
My wife and I have the smallest house in a nice neighborhood in the Atlanta suburbs. As our kids have grown (8 and 12), we weigh the tradeoffs between buying a bigger and “better” home. Money aside (it would cause us to get a small mortgage again) we decide we can’t risk the most valuable currency, friends on our street. Not just neighbors but genuinely friendships for us and our kids.
It appears you are discovering that too. All the money and travel in the world can’t replace the community you build for your kid(s) and yourself. I hope you continue to find happiness where you are and all your future endeavors. Don’t sweat how often you publish, just keep it meaningful.
yeah, I actually see small as an advantage because there’s less stuff to maintain and no need to spend as much on furniture. Though I do get it that as your kids grow, you need more space. Plus, the community is definitely the most valuable currency.
Thanks for your insightful comment! I will definitely remember “quality over quantity” from now on in terms of posts.
Congrats and don’t worry – your perspectives are so powerful thatpeople will find you whenever and wherever you write. Glad you found a place to settle (Van rocks!). We recently moved to Central Oregon, my version of paradise, after three years of continuous travel. Every time we discuss travel now, even just to the East Coast, I’m like “ummm…maybe later?” So I completely empathize with the draw of staying put for a while. Enjoying your new spot, getting to know it deeply, and reminding yourself that you often you can learn and explore for many years without using your passport is valuable in and of itself. Good luck!
Oh I’ve heard so many good things about Oregon, amazing that you live there! Also very cool that you had 3 years of continuous travel too. I think my many years of travel makes it so that I don’t need to FOMO whenever other people talk about their trips. I’ve lived it all so there are no regrets.
Getting to know a place deeply is a new and amazing experience!
Welcome to Vancouver!
I agree with you on all counts. Having travelled the world and lived in several places and countries, I don’t think I’ll ever grow old of Vancouver. It’s just such a magical place and with a bit of financial savvy and planning, it’s possible to live the good life.
I’m at a similar stage as you, I’ve traveled a ton over the past few years and now realized that there’s still so much to explore in Vancouver. And saving on flights makes the higher price tag still cheaper than Asia.
Also, don’t discount the shift in priorities that comes with being a parent. For kids, every day is a new experience and they crave routine to counteract all those novelties. Enjoy finding your routine in Vancouver!
Thanks! It’s very interesting new feeling. It’s so comfortable and the people are so kind, I don’t feel any urge to leave. I finally get it when my friends from Vancouver say they never want to be gone for that long when they travel.
What you’re describing is very like how I felt in my early thirties, after traveling quite a bit in my 20’s. I wanted to dig deeper into a single place and get to know it so much better. It’s nice to see this blog honoring how your family is evolving. Perhaps you’ll go back to worldschooling and nomadic life when Matchstick is a little older – or perhaps you’ll end up valuing the neighborhood and community that you’re building in Vancouver more.
Both are perfectly good places to be. I’d love to see you guys do a series about getting to know Vancouver better, finding all the hidden gems and learning how to live so that you get the maximum value out of an expensive city.
This is true. Things might change as my son grows, and I might get itchy feet again, but for now, it’s good to be in a place I love for more than 3 months.
Would be interesting to write a series about what it’s like to live in an expensive city and finding all the gems. So far, I’m finding that the same thing applies here as you do anywhere else when you have a flexible schedule–you can take advantage of so many free or cheap things when you have the time to optimize. Though being FIRE doesn’t seem to be as big of an advantage here, because people value work/life balance so you don’t get the empty stores and hangout places on a random Tuesday that you would in other cities that are obsessed with work.
Own, this post made my heart warm! Welcome to Vancouver, it was SO NICE meeting you in person.
It was wonderful to meet you too, Julia! Let’s hang out again 🙂
ah .. great synchronicity … 3 years ago we moved to UK .. for many reasons .. mainly to be around my aging mum ,, 86 …
and finally we realise we need to return to BC too ..
Victoria is our home of past 30 years .. friends , family , perfect lifestyle
we did tons of travel around europe and mostly loved N Africa .. Morocco , Egypt and Tunisia and went a few times ..
but home is home .. selling our house here in UK ( for a nice profit ) .. we will miss the amazing food here and cheap living compared to expensive BC . but hey .
you get what you pay for ..
forgot to mention .. our daughter and boyfriend just moved back too .. so we have to
and we know se asia so well from 30 years ago .. every winter there .
That is scary that UK is cheap compared to BC! Though, my friends from the UK came here recently and found BC way cheaper, so I guess it depends on where in the UK.
But yes, you get what you pay for (not true for everything but it’s true for BC). Toronto wasn’t cheap either (though slightly cheaper than Vancouver), and I did not feel it was worth it once I no longer needed a job.
Welcome to the next phase of life 🙂
Once you have travelled well and travelled long, having a family and settling down feels like a whole new adventure. It is awesome.
Never imagined I would love yardwork quite as passionately as I do now. Mowing grass! I love mowing grass!
Also, F those places which ban kids from everything and treat them as a hindrance. Western Canada rocks.
“Never imagined I would love yardwork quite as passionately as I do now. Mowing grass! I love mowing grass!
Also, F those places which ban kids from everything and treat them as a hindrance. Western Canada rocks.”
LOL. I love how you think.
Welcome back and congratulations on your move to Vancouver. Welcome to the 40s. Let me guess, you will not go back to traveling as often but occasionally annually to places you miss. Also watch out, next thing is you will be buying a house soon to pur proper roots 😀 👌🏿 ❤️
Thanks so much for your book <3 I recommened it to everyone. And thank you for keeping the investing series free, Ive referenced it lots. Wonderful that you're enjoying Vancouver 🙂
“Also watch out, next thing is you will be buying a house soon to put proper roots”
Haha. I’ve never been “proper” my whole life and never will be. Too much of a degenerate.
Welcome back and congratulations on your move to Vancouver. Welcome to the 40s. Let me guess, you will not go back to traveling as often but occasionally annually to places you miss. Also watch out, next thing is you will be buying a house soon to put down roots properly. Welcome to the middle ages 😃👌🏿 ❤️
I’m really glad that you’re both doing well now. And I’m happy to hear that, for now at least, you’ve decided to keep writing the blog! Although I can completely understand if, now or sometime in the near future, you decide to take a different path.
Whatever you decide, I want you to know how incredibly grateful I am for all the information, insights, and advice you’ve shared over the years. You were the ones who made me believe that FIRE is actually possible. You were the ones who inspired me to start investing. And thanks to you, I dare to believe in a future where work is actually optional.
By the way, I can’t believe we’re 40 now!
Aww, you are so sweet, Ilona! I’m so glad this blog was helpful to you!
And yeah, damn, can’t believe we are 40! That said, I’m loving my 40s. So much less f*cks to give and living with no regrets 😀
Welcome to Vancouver!!!!!!!!! And thank you for keeping your blog free forever <3 I hope you'll host meet ups sometime 😀
That’s a great idea, Nancy! I will see if I can work something out with the admins of the ChooseFI Vancouver group. Definitely join that FB group if you haven’t already. They are an awesome bunch!
Congrats! As parents to a 3 and 5 year old, I just now feel we can start traveling again. Don’t know if you want to go for number 2 or keep just one (both are fine!), but I find 3 being the age where traveling feels doable again (not weekly, but maybe bi-annually?).
Happy you found your happy place and community, and enjoy it as long as it makes sense for you!!
Congrats on the Globe and Mail column and I was just thinking last week how you guys were doing! Glad to hear you took the time to take care of yourselves and that we will continue to hear from you, always appreciate your perspective! 🙂
Keep us posted on your adventures!
I love that you are feeling the pull of travel now with you kiddos a bit older! I know I can definitely travel with my son, but right now I’m finding it too heartbreaking to leave Vancouver (so much that I’m struggling with the idea of flying back to Toronto, even for a family visit. haha).
Thanks for the encouragement and for thinking of us! You are wonderful!
Super relevant post to my current situation. How would you guys feel if you hadn’t moved to vancouver?
We also have a 1 year old. We live in a very boring part of the midwest, but near family. We used to live in big coastal cities and miss it, but would have a hard time moving back. We’re currently trying to figure out how much travel is actually reasonable with a small child.
If we hadn’t moved to Vancouver, we probably would’ve gone to Asia and split our time between Thailand and Vietnam since there is a big world-schooling community there. Or moved to Valencia on a non lucrative visa.
Travelling with a small child is very different compared to traveling before having kids. You have be very strategic about picking family-friendly places and slow it down so you don’t get burned out.
You have a big advantage that your child is only 1 though. I found travel the easiest between 6 months old to 1 year. Once they can no longer be contained in a crib, it gets harder, so I’m super glad we went to so many different places when LMS was smaller. After he turned 2, we were super grateful to have found international daycare in a very child-friendly place like Valencia and stayed there for 2 months.
Welcome to Vancouver!
Thanks, VanSE!
Welcome to BC!
I moved here (to a small town Interior BC) from Alberta 10 years ago. Before I moved, I thought travel was the best thing ever and I loved it. Once I arrived in BC, I realized that BC is truly paradise and I lost all motivation to travel internationally. I’m finally starting to get the itch back, but i totally agree. Why travel when there are endless world-class adventures to pursue here in BC?
Thank you! BC is special. Maybe there’s something in the water? That’s another thing I noticed here– the tap water is delicious! Not sure if it’s just a Vancouver thing or all of BC thing. I never need a filter or bottled water. The only other place that had tap water this pure was Switzerland.
Thank you so much for the update. I have read most of your material and found your adventure and generosity in doing this blog quite stimulating. Much luck to your family in your future endeavors.
Thanks, Mike! I appreciate you reading so much of our ramblings 🙂 It’s truly humbling to get so many heartfelt messages like this.
Hi Kristy & Bryce,
Wow! So you’ve kind of decided to settle in Vancouver!? That’s great! I hope to meet you guys since I started on the FIRE journey with my husband about 7 years ago with your best-selling book “Quit Like a Millionaire” Just a quick refresher. I was born in Vancouver to immigrant parents (my dad’s last name was also “Leung” like Bryce!) from Hong Kong, got married to my Japanese husband and moved to Tokyo for teaching English at a university. We will be spending summer in August with family this year. If you’re doing any book signing events or anything, we would love to meet you to say “Hi” and “Thank you!”
Too make a long story short…my husband will be quitting his job in July because his boss is a fxxxing axxhole! He slaved for 10 years at this job and he can finally quit like a millionaire! We have saved, invested and now, our portfolio is at 120,000,000 yen (the yen is depreciating so about $1 million CAD). As for me, I plan to continue working full-time until I’ve had it with teaching. So thanks to you, we are almost financially independent and can do more travelling like spending a few months in different cities around the world.
Wow! Good for you guys! Amazing job and you should be so proud! Welcome to the FIRE life!
Forgive me.
But it seems to me that you’re still hustling hard for money.
Aren’t you guys “retired”?
Didn’t you guys save enough to last a lifetime?
It begs the question:
Why are you still working so hard? On social media, on books, on TV series, on movies, on newspaper columns, on blogs, on and on.
When (and how much) do you consider “enough” to be truly enough?
Is it just Greed at work here or something else?
I’m sure I’m not the only one with this opinion.
Yes, it’s time for Firecracker to stop calling herself an early retiree.
*Beep* the person you are trying to reach has officially run out of f*cks to give. Press ‘Y’ to indicate that you would like to be deleted from my subscriber list, and I’ll happily oblige. You’d be saving me so much money 🙂
What is your main malfunction? They have been very upfront all along. Their dream was to be a writer, and now they get to write in a national newspaper, etc. They are living a very interesting life, and if you don’t like it, lump it. Many of the other “FIRE” people are total frauds, so buyer beware.
Amazing. Welcome to BC. If you make it to Whistler some day and want to meet up let me know!
Thanks! We will definitely be visiting Whistler in the near future. Will reach out.
Oh boy that’s it the last drop of FIRE is gone. BC is expensive but worth it? Hello? Is this Millennial revolution or Millionaire snob revolution.
Now no travel anymore. Haha what a shadow of a blog and movement it once was.
Sorry but I’m out. The essence is completely gone now.
Woohoo! One less e-mail subscriber to pay for. You leaving is very helpful. Thanks, Julie!
They had a kid, and are doing what they think is best. If you don’t like it, lump it. They give good info for those who pay attention.
Haha now they’ll buy a house next. It would be the only thing that’s left. The revolution is over long ago.
What also needs to be over is you being on my subscriber list. Please unsubscribe. Thank you!
Welcome to Vancouver! Can’t believe you found a family doctor already! A lot of long time residents still don’t have one. Maybe it helps to have a small child.
I would recommend getting an e-bike, it will change the way you see the city. It is sometimes quicker and more convenient that driving or transit.
Kinda sucky that G&M is paywalled (yes, there are workarounds), but no judgement.
Hope to meet you in person soon at a local event!
yeah finding a doctor took a lot of endless calls and over 8 months, so it was not an easy feat. He’s also in a very hard to get to location, so that definitely helps. But we are super grateful to have found one. I would say having a child didn’t help at all, but continuously calling did. Waiting lists are useless.
Love your suggestion for the e-bike. I would need to find one that has a child carrier in the back.
Check out the ChooseFI Vancouver fb group! I will come to an even in the future so we can meet up!
Love this so much! Just wanted to comment and thank you for the update! Love watching you learn and grow!
Thanks, Kristi! Love your name 😉
you guys are great! I was a bit worried about the lack of posting, but just do your thing!
I am in Seattle and love Vancouver and all of BC.
Take care!
Awesome that you are in Seattle! We are so close by!
Great move to Vancouver! It’s worth every extra cost and compared to Toronto? Please. Not even a conversation. Once you move there you realize the vast differences. Toronto is a stressed out city with brutal weather. Welcome to living the vacation life in YVR!
This is true. Toronto is made for working, Vancouver is made for living.
I read your Quit book in 2019 right after my husband died of cancer. We had been living the fire dream on a 350-acre ranch in Eastern Oregon. The estate was going south with his only daughter lawyering up and applying pressure to get me out. I was scared out of my wits on how I was going to survive on my portfolio (700k). Your book gave me the confidence to move to a tiny town in Western Montana and and the skills to live off my investments. Success! Now I work at a job that I absolutely love for very little pay. Who cares? I’m not working for a living. I don’t travel much because I love where I live. Thank you so much for your book and your blog and your lives, which you have lived so openly. Welcome to the West!
Did a ton of travelling years ago, and eventually got really bored with it. Sometimes people who have not travelled much, really desire to do it.
But at some point, once that itch is scratched, then staying put mostly is more interesting, due to doing interesting creative work, time to think, etc.
At some point the idea of being around crowded stinky tourists is not that appealing.
Not only did you completely abandon the “revolution” you spent years preaching, but now you seem openly dismissive of the very audience that helped build your platform. Reading this post, it feels like you’ve replaced the curiosity, independence, and unconventional thinking that made people follow you with condescension and self-importance.
And all of this because you had a kid? Millions of people have children without turning into preachy, self-righteous versions of themselves. Having a child doesn’t automatically erase your personality, your values, or your ability to relate to people. Yet somehow it seems to have done exactly that here.
What’s most disappointing isn’t that your lifestyle changed. People change. Priorities change. It’s the attitude. Instead of acknowledging that you’ve taken a different path, you act as if everyone who doesn’t share your new worldview is naïve or inferior. The irony is that the people who once challenged social expectations have become just another example of them.
The blog used to be about freedom, questioning assumptions, and living life on your own terms. Now it often reads like a lecture from people who have lost the very spark that made them interesting in the first place. It’s honestly remarkable how quickly a platform built on being unconventional became so predictable, judgmental, and boring.
Sorry but I’m joining the people above and jumping off.
Is this satire?
They literally did not say even ONE thing you say.
They are just telling people what they choose to do with their lives right now. If you don’t like it, have a little cry, and then move on.
So this is what “revolution” looks like now? After years of preaching freedom through unconventional living, the conclusion is: settle in an expensive city, write for a major newspaper, slow down the travel, and embrace the same lifestyle most people eventually choose. There’s nothing wrong with that, but let’s stop pretending it’s rebellion. The revolution didn’t win—it quietly became the norm.
Hi K&B,
Thank you for this post and your honesty! I also moved to the Vancouver area five years ago from AB. Everyone I knew thought I was crazy and wouldn’t make it financially. With a live style change to minimalism but keeping all our outdoor gear as that is what brings us joy, we have been able to not only make it work but we are thriving and working our way toward FIRE! We are honestly so happy here and do a lot of local travelling with a bigger international trip every two years. I look forward to continuing reading your blogs and using your free information probably for the rest of my life as things change. Seriously, thank you!
Sweet update on your families life and to verbalize pivoting/flexibility is key to the movement! Please don’t stop portfolio updates which are very helpful and solidifing that math!
Hope to run into you guys in real life one day!
Cheers
Great to hear about the move. I loved living in BC but also dreaded October and November. My cheat code is to find a desert to visit. Cheap flights to Arizona work, or go further afield. Anywhere warm and dry to get the chill out of your bones.
Love the insights and blog – people have already made their money so they can live in Vancouver! Came to the same conclusion- why spend $$ and travel time when we have all this great beauty in our backyard here? Life gets great after 40, especially with a child too! But then the sandwhich generation hits families with the extremely high cost of senior care in Canada. A huge financial topic – few of us ever think to budget $15K a month for private long term care facility? Some can look overseas for that, but we do need to appreciate our healthcare, education and freedoms with our taxes and residency here. You have a great following here out West and look forward to meet ups! (edit this comment if you need)
Congratulations on taking the leap to Vancouver! It’s great to hear that you are enjoying your “life in paradise,” it’s a lovely area to call home.
Thank you for the update and for staying committed to the cause. Millennial Revolution has been pivotal in my family’s financial journey and keeping the resource free for the public is a service we, your readers, are all grateful for.
Hi guys, thanks for the post! It’s great to hear your updates, and they totally make sense.
I’ve enjoyed and appreciated your blog ever since a friend told me about it years ago.
Really cool to hear about the choices you’ve made, based on what you’re in the mood for, and the changes in your lives.
As a reader, I appreciate that you will still be keeping the blog going.
I’m not sure what’s up with the small number of grumpies making weird comments, but anyway, I think it’s really cool how you’re showing that the your version of the fire principles still works, even in an unlikely location.
Specifically, you’re still renting, which I think is awesome. I would rent if I could, but long story short it doesn’t work very well where I live.
And you found a great deal on your rental. Totally showing that your preference for renting can work really well!
All the best guys, and thanks again for everything. I’ll look forward to reading your posts, on the new schedule.
We love you guys and enjoy hearing from you. What an awesome update! Enjoy the freedom that your family has worked so hard for and do what you want to do. A few years ago we retired and realized we could live anywhere we wanted as well. How liberating!
I agree Vancouver is a beautiful city.
Interesting perspective on whether constant travel is still sustainable in the long run.
It also made me think about how access to public records and transparency tools like Mississippi Inmate Search can shape understanding of systems people rarely look into.
Freedom today feels like it’s defined differently for everyone, whether through travel or information. Stories like this always spark that comparison between lifestyle choices and long-term priorities.
Interesting perspective on whether constant travel is still worth it in early retirement.
Many people are rethinking lifestyle freedom vs stability after long periods of movement.
For those tracking ownership and valuation insights, resources like Haywood property records can help explore local data. It’s fascinating how priorities shift once financial independence is achieved. Thanks for sharing this thoughtful reflection.
Long time reader. Just want to mention that I still value real blogs and content from real people. I will never use AI to replace that. I came here today actually because I saw QT has a new custom index fund and I wanted to see if you’d written about it (doesn’t look like it!). I wanted to try it out but I’m a bit confused about what the tax effects would be when holding are sold – I’m using it for a FHSA so I’ll have to empty it within a few years hopefully. It’s US holdings I think so I’m not sure if that means I’ll get taxed higher as a Canadian holding foreign asses? Or is it not foreign b/c it’s QT? Idk. I was hoping I’d find the answer here, lol. Anyway – good for you for slowing down and taking time for yourself. It’s harder once you hit your 40s. I’m 42 without children, and that’s bad enough… I can’t imagine how it would be having a kid! Take care of yourself. We’re not going anywhere. ❤️
Wow, Vancouver… I did the opposite of what you guys are doing. I grew up in Vancouver and left for Ontario. Can’t go back either as my mom still living there.
Try going to PNE, it’s located in Hasting Park. They have the amusement park and the summer fair. I’ve been to both CNE and PNE and I personally think PNE is much better as a summer fair. Try the BBQ chicken there, it’s one of the best food item in PNE. There is the amusement rides but you don’t need to pay for this as your kid is too young for it. There is a section in PNE, it’s like down at the bottom of the hill, really close to the barn animals where a company has all sorts of inflatables setup. This should be more age appropriate for your baby. You have to buy tickets to go on the inflatable, it’s a a private company setup, so you pay for it seperately from the PNE fees. I used to work for this company every summer in high school and my university days.
The mountains are really close to Vancouver itself, Grouse mountain is like 30 minutes away from Vancouver. They have something called Grouse Grind, where you can walk up to the mountain top for free or you can pay to take the cables up. It’s pretty cheap.
Other than the rain which Vancouver is famous for and you’re already aware of, the other thing to watch for is the air quality during forest fire seasons. The air quality during this period is really bad, so watch out for this when you take your baby out during this period.
Hilarious. Vancouver is a fun place to be though. Congrats on joining the fun 😉
Where abouts did you folks decide to settle in?
As a Vancouver native, welcome to Vancouver! It’s great to hear that you are loving it so far. I often dream about living abroad nomad-style with my husband and toddler, and this is a good reminder that the Pacific Northwest is pretty amazing too!
I would love to read an article from you sharing how you are planning for the future given all the pending economic disruptions we are anticipating with AI in the next 2-5 years, such as high unemployment, changes in purchasing power and the impact this will have on investments and FIRE. I’m a year or so away from FIRE and have a portfolio that isn’t so different from your own. However, what happens when people are out of work, can’t afford to shop the way they do now, banks struggle as people can’t pay off their loans, etc? I imagine so many stocks crashing and never recovering. I know it sounds very doom and gloom, but I even worry about super AI just deleting our portfolios…Should we be mindful of things changing and start moving our investments into some hopefully safer options, like leaning more heavily into gold, tech/AI stocks, even BitCoin if that becomes the new currency to hold? Would so love to hear how you are navigating all of this.
Thank you for everything you’ve put out into the world and congrats on the new book too!
We were in Vancouver a week back for vacation with family before our son moves to the Bay Area for his work. We stayed at an Airbnb in Burnaby, and it was a pleasant vacation visiting tourist spots, trying various restaurants, strolling through downtown, and enjoying everything the city has to offer.
I didn’t realize that Vancouver downtown had a Din Tai Fung restaurant until I was walking past that area. We had a heavy lunch there; I am a huge fan of that restaurant and have almost eaten at all of their locations in Shanghai, so it was a pleasant surprise to find one in Vancouver. We also loved a hot pot place located right near our Airbnb apartment. It is truly a beautiful city to spend time in!
How people are still supporting this blog is beyond my understanding. They must be getting paid frankly because after years of championing freedom through an unconventional lifestyle, the end result is surprisingly familiar: putting down roots in a costly city, writing for a mainstream publication, traveling less, and settling into the kind of life many people gravitate toward anyway. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that path, but calling it a rebellion feels misleading. The revolution didn’t transform society—it gradually blended into it.
Hi. I just finished Quit like a Millionaire last week while on holiday, which I very much enjoyed. It was particularly gratifying to see someone succeeding as you did with essentially a 60/40 portfolio as this has always been my approach though I fret occasionally that I am being overly cautious. It was very interesting to then read your blog for the first time this week and see how much things have changed since the book – the portfolio constituents, the increased (and increasing) equity percentage, the massively increased worth! Plus the lifestyle changes. I have now delved back into your older posts and found useful ideas to take on board. Well done with everything and good luck going forward.
I’ve followed your blog since the very beginning. Thanks to you and the Greaterfool, I am in a very comfortable financial situation in my late forties. I no longer worry about money and just focus on my teenage kids. Enjoy settled life in Vancouver, it is a beautiful place.
Thank you for running this blog as long as you have! I’m a long-time reader who has enjoyed learning from the investment workshop and the reader case studies. I’ve traveled vicariously through your travel-posts, and have even had a few moments of “I was there too!” for some of them. I learned a lot from your book – Quit Like A Millionaire – and used some of its principles & lessons to retire early-ish, ie. in my 50s instead of my 60s. You and Wanderer have built an amazing website, and I will continue to visit to read your words directly rather than from some AI’s digitized summary.
Congrats on the move to Vancouver – may you guys continue to find all the joy, health, and happiness that your heart & hand can hold!
This hit home. We slowed our travel down a lot too, and honestly the shift from three countries a month to one place per season made the whole thing affordable again. Funny side effect: we started filming little clips for family back home instead of writing long updates. I run them through a subtitle generator so my parents can actually follow along without cranking the volume, which they appreciate more than the footage itself. Slower travel, better memories, lower burn rate.
You took a break from posting because caring for a toddler while writing a book, moving, and doing book promotion became overwhelming. That is completely understandable. I admire your commitment to posting through so much before, but you deserve a rest. Hope your family finds some calm in the new home.
The article’s central point is that even passionate travellers can hit a wall when caregiving, book writing, and moving pile up. We had a similar slowdown last year when we combined a cross-country move with caring for an aging parent at home; the travel blog just had to pause. Did you find any small habits helped you restart the writing momentum after such a long break?
Vancouver sounds like such a great fit for you — the community and family-friendly vibe really come through. I use nanobanana2 to create travel and relocation infographics.
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