I retired to travel more; Part -time jobs help to complete my pension

• Darcy Flynn, a lawyer, wanted to take a 2 -month trip to Spain, so he retired at 64.
• He divided his time traveling abroad, visited his mother, driving cross-country and occupying part-time legal jobs.
• He delivers company cars for $ 0.45 per Mile to complete his pension and explore the country.

This test also told is based on a conversation with Darcy Flynn, 65, a semi-retired lawyer from Washington, DC. The following has been modified for duration and clarity.

At the beginning of last year, my partner and I understood how to get enough free time for a trip to Spain. I was 64 years old and I worked as a legal aid lawyer in Washington, DC. Although I could have asked for prolonged leave, I decided that it was the right time to retire to have the flexibility to travel more.

We ended up making a two -month trip to Spain. Since then, I have traveled – both alone and with her – in Gibraltar, Morocco, Germany and Nigeria. I also spent time in Ireland and, as a big fan of the Beatles, I finally had the chance to visit Liverpool in England.

My first year of retirement

By traveling to Europe, my partner and I developed what to do when we returned to the United States. After praising our houses for a year, we knew that we have to be creative in the place where we stayed on our return.

I entered the pet when we were traveling and I started looking for other ways of traveling to travel to the United States. I found companies paying to have cars delivered to the country’s employees. As an independent entrepreneur, I could look for a job when I wanted.

So, in the last nine months, I spent my time doing one of the four things: traveling abroad, visiting my 91 -year -old mother in Michigan, driving across the country and occupying part -time legal jobs.

I was offered my first driving assignment when I was in DC, preparing to travel to Michigan. The round trip of 1,200 miles generally costs around $ 700, including car rental and gas.

Instead, I led a Chevrolet Equinox to Sandusky, Ohio, for $ 0.45 per Mile. The journey earned me about $ 225 and I spent $ 32 for a three -hour levy bus for Detroit. It was less practical than going directly to my mother, but since my retirement, I had a little more free time.

I continued to assume this work at my convenience. In January, I led for three weeks in a row, from Massachusetts. I arrived in Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

In New Mexico, I visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park. In Los Angeles, I stopped by some sadly famous sites and Grizzly Charles Manson Murders. In Atlanta, I ended up reconnecting with one of my best friends on the university, and we have been in contact since.

It is a completely different approach to travel. I used to choose a destination, to make a hotel reservation, then take the road. But these days, I like not to know in which city my little journey will take me.

So far, I have finished 11 records and earned more than $ 6,000. I spent a little under this amount, because I travel frugally and I do not make madness on restaurants or accommodation. Driving is essentially paid and allows me to save my pension and my rental income; I rent my house to DC for about $ 1,500 a month, while my pensions total $ 2,700. I collect $ 300 per month of interest income. It increases about $ 4,500 per month.

I have not completely retired from the law

I first planned to retire because I had enough income. But then, an opportunity to work on a ten -week legal project in New York arose. I had never worked in New York and I saw it as an opportunity to live like a room, so I jumped at the opportunity.

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I like the idea of ​​continuing to work. My initial plan was to work part -time until I am 70 years old and I start collecting social security, but now I can see myself working in my 70s.

Although there are more permanent positions of positions, I am not interested. I need more free time to visit my mother in Michigan, travel and explore.

I am 65 years old and I want to continue doing this while I can. I see people around my age whose physical health would make this way of life difficult. These days, I walk about 7 miles a day, both to save on transport costs and to exercise. I lost 25 pounds of walking.

It’s good to be uncertain about what will come.

Do you have a personal trial on retirement early to travel you want to share? Contact with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.