10 Reasons Why We Are "Heading For the Hills"...So To Speak

I was going to write a short post today saying "Merry Christmas" like what most bloggers are writing seeing as how today is Christmas Eve. Then I read a response to my last post and decided to answer the question here in an expanded post format.
Anyway, the questions was "why are you leaving for a third world country now?" While my crystal ball is probably about as fuzzy as anyone else's and I don't have any "secret insider information", there have been a number of things that have happened that just sort of ended up culminating in a rather sudden and drastic change to my lifestyle. Including:

1. I have known more than a dozen people who died or become medically incapacitated this year. They always said "when I retire I'm going to..." fill in the blank. Only they never got the chance to. Since I and the spouse are both healthy and while not retired, able to take months or years out of the work force at a time, we decided that now is as good a time as any to hit the road and travel as we have been planning to do.
2. One of the major contracts for my business which required my actual presence is terminating at the end of the year. Although my income will take a hit, I now have the freedom to not have to be anywhere which is great when it comes to traveling. I will still make money through other business endeavours which don't require my presence.
3. The housing market continues to decline no matter what you hear on the news. My house has lot a ton of equity, however at this point, I am still able to get an OK price for its sale and still get money out of the sale which will fund our lifestyle for the next few years. The market may eventually come back up but I don't want to wait around that long. (Note: I told a friend this and he wondered if he should do the same, however since he has a fairly secure job that he loves and four small children I told him that his best bet would probably be to ride out the market since he is in a much different place than I am).
4. I am a fan of minimalism and have been paring down my life for about the last five years. Although the spouse would disagree, I don't need much "stuff" to have a happy and healthy life (compromises are still being worked out at this writing). For once in my life I want complete freedom. No mortgage, no car payments, no need to earn a large income, no responsibilities for work/staff/community commitments/etc. Freedom.
5. We own property and a business in Southeast Asia (said third world country). We visit often but have yet to actually "live" there. And while I don't intend to stay there for years at a time, we do plan to stay for longer intervals such as months instead of weeks. And no, this place isn't any safer, free-er, or better than the US...quite the contrary. But I think that learning how to get along in a foreign culture is definitely a skill worth having.
6. I do have some concerns about the socio-economic-political situation in the US at this time. Minor concerns but concerns nonetheless which make me think that being as portable as possible is a good idea (again, I don't recommend this for everyone).
7. Of course there is the whole "the world is going to end in 2012 thing". Do I think the world will end? No. Could there be significant changes that will impact every one of us? Yes.
8. My life is making me bored silly. Same old thing. Everyday. Now that I have the opportunity to be un-bored on a daily basis, I'm going to take it.
9. We don't have the things that usually tie people to one place and the job treadmill. Namely, the kids are all grown and settled into their own homes and families, we have no debt, we have no need to keep a big house, our parents have all died (no need to care for aging relatives as many others do), we don't shop and buy stuff like we used to, retirement is already funded, etc.
10. This is the perfect chance to explore new personal and business opportunities. Among the plans this year: a month-long+ bike ride, maybe an appearance at Sturgis, attending a couple of conferences that I actually want to attend instead of HAVE to attend, more time for shooting/backpacking/fishing, extended time with the kids and grand kids, etc.

So that's it in a nutshell. Nothing is forcing us to "head for the hills" excect for the opportunities that converged to make it possible.

p.s. Hope you all have a great Christmas!

Big Changes Are Afoot

It's been a bit quiet around the CNI blog/website for the past month or so, and with good reason. Here's the latest:

• We are selling our house. This has been in the works for a while but I really see no end in sight to the real estate downturn so I figured now is as good a time as any to get out of real estate (if my crystal ball was a bit clearer I would have done this about three or four years ago and I would have been, let's just say, much wealthier).
• We are selling nearly everything we own. I am on a minimalist kick which means I don't want to be weighed down by my possessions any more. When I see relative's homes that have 30+ years worth of accumulation that their kids are going to eventually have to clean out, I get the heebie jeebies.
• We are "homebasing" ourselves out of a relative's attic. Considering said attic is in the ginormous new home of a relative who is single and travels often, it will actually work out quiet well. Super low rent, very nice space, and the opportunity to be "off the radar" so to speak since we won't have a single bill in our names.
• I am ratcheting back my business considerably which will equal lots less "must do's" and much more time to work on projects that have been on the back burner for a while.
• We intend to travel for the next couple of years. Not a non-stop-around-the-world kind of travel, but extended stays at some of the places we enjoy around the globe with the occasional stay at our "home base".
• Preparedness will still be the center of my life. Actually I get many of my preparedness ideas from those who are anything but "rooted". I can learn more about survival from a homeless guy, illegal immigrant, or itinerant artist/student/worker than just about anyone else simply because, in many survival situations, you don't have the luxury of having every tool known to man at your disposal. You have your wits, your knowledge, and your ability to think on your feet. These are the skills that are critical to survival.
• By scaling back our lifestyle, we will be, more or less, financially free. There is something to be said about not having the "overhead" of the typical American lifestyle to free up lots of cash.

Finally, I feel there is too much uncertainty in the overall socio-economic, political-industrial complex that is America (and in turn, the world) to not be optimally portable. Does this mean everyone should be ready to bail? Not really. Each person has to determine what is most important in their life. When the kids were growing up, being firmly rooted in a community was of the utmost importance. Now that they are grown and spread out all over the world, we don't have that responsibility. And while we are sliding towards our retirement years, we aren't there yet. I do know quite a few people, however, who say "when we retire we are going to do X". Unfortunately, by the time they actually retire they are too old, sick, broke, or stuck in their ways to do what they once dreamed of. And I don't want that to be me.

Strategic Planning in Three Easy Steps

Strategic planning is usually used by organizations to set goals and a path to follow in order to fix problems or realize a process that will move their organization forward. Strategic planning is also useful to help you move your life forward and reach your own goals. It really is much simpler than the mountain of books on the topic would have you believe. Here's how:

1. Decide what you want the outcome of your situation to look like. For example, if you are feeling less than prepared for the possibility of a hurricane in your area, your goal may be "I am completely prepared for the possibility of a Category 5 hurricane to make a direct hit on my neighborhood".
2. Do some research and then make a list of all of the components that being prepared for the hurricane would entail--the bigger the list the better. Your list should include things like make sure I have full coverage insurance for my home, including flood and hurricane-type coverage. Other components may include getting a weather radio, having $5,000 in the bank specifically for evacuation, never having less than a half tank of gas, having BOBs at the ready, having enough plywood and screws stored in the shed to cover all of the windows, having a plan to move or rebuild if your home is destroyed, etc.
3. Make a "to do" list based on the items in #2 that you need to accomplish to reach your ultimate goal then take steps everyday to knock these things off of your list. Obviously big components should be broken down into smaller pieces in order to make them more reachable such as putting $5 in the bank every day for 1,000 days if that's what it takes to get the money put aside. You will also want to prioritize your "to do" list based on the importance or necessity of each task. Something like making sure your insurance is in order should be of the highest priority, while getting a special weather radio may be of lower priority due to the possibility of receiving the same news on your local radio or TV.