Part II: Miss Defy
I have always been one to (mostly) follow the rules. That is until one fateful summer after graduating college when I decided to throw caution to the wind and work as a ski town coffee barista. To most, this may sound like a normal course of events for a young 21-year-old, but to me it was against my entire life plan. My type A tendencies led me to believe success was wrapped up in getting straight A’s, going to the best graduate school, having a successful career, and making money. It was pure rebellion to move to the other side of the country only to make over-priced espressos for minimum wage. I went back and forth as to if this would look acceptable on a resume, but then said screw it and bought a plane ticket.
I spent the summer climbing mountains, backpacking, biking, hammock camping, and playing in nature (and I guess a little bit of making triple shot mocha-choco-lattes). After this experience, I never quite had the same view on life. I realized the best opportunities can come on a whim, and amazing adventures can evolve from a last-minute change of plans. I still had my goal of being a healthcare professional, but I also yearned for spontaneity and freedom.
Faced with the dilemma of becoming a mountain nomad vs. chasing a steady career, I felt the push of society telling me I needed a real job. Couldn’t I have both? Societal norms were telling me I needed a house, a car, and all the Pinterest-worthy things at the price of working for one annual two-week vacation. Couldn’t there be a way to keep my zest for fun alive and still pay the bills? Caught in this see-saw, I eventually decided on graduate school as the safe choice.
After grad school, I was tens of thousands of dollars in debt and about to start my seemingly decades-long career. My next chance for carefree travel may not be until I’m retired. So, I used this fear to justify taking out the remainder of my student loans to fund an 8-week solo backpacking trip to Europe. Most would call this a financial mistake, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. No, I didn’t have a spiritual awakening or a time when I “found myself”, but I had fun after years of studying and cramming for tests. A reminder to myself that life experiences are worth more than money.
I came back to the states with $200 in my bank account and started to pay off loans and build my “dream life”. However, I soon learned that working 70-hour work weeks can crush the most hopeful of souls. My idealism of a dream career faded, and I began to second guess myself. Was this my life? To have to choose between a paying job that takes up most of my time or becoming a broke nomad living out of a backpack forever?
As I was contemplating what to do next, I met Mr. Defy. He opened my eyes to real estate investing and financial independence as a way to solve this impasse. I could decide my own future. I mean, I had always been frugal (despite some travel splurges), so the transition was just slightly different than my normal day-to-day activities. I reallocated my savings into various investments while significantly cutting down my student loan balance. I also changed jobs to a more manageable schedule and noticed a significant increase in happiness with more days off.
Together, we slashed living expenses by cooking at home, having roommates, and being mindful of small purchases. I began building up my asset column and contributing to my retirement, and am starting to see some financial gains. I’m happy to say we are living a life far from the quintessential Joneses. Our paths were far from the same, but we feel fortunate to have found each other as we work to define our version of wealth.
My hope for this blog is to share my successes and failures in the attempt to live a life of adventure, travel, and purpose. Come join me as I ponder the tightrope of life from vagabond to businesswoman and everything in between. Let’s throw out the notion that you must have more to be more, and instead talk about how to get to where you want to be.
Welcome to the Defy the Joneses blog!
– Miss Defy
