A Professor's Journey in search of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)
thefireyacademic
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My First Solo International Trip as a New U.S. Citizen: Exploring Panama on a Budget with Points and Miles
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2–3 minutesRead More: My First Solo International Trip as a New U.S. Citizen: Exploring Panama on a Budget with Points and MilesThose who have a passport from a developing nation would understand how difficult and frustrating it was to travel with my passport from my home…
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Time Waits For No One
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2–3 minutesRead More: Time Waits For No OneA few months ago a student in one of my classes told me that he was going through chemotherapy. He was a rising senior, a…
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A Life Free of Guilt
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2–3 minutesRead More: A Life Free of GuiltI used to be afraid to go to the dentist for decades. I believe this became a fear when I broke a few front teeth…
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The Cost of Unconditional Love
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2–4 minutesRead More: The Cost of Unconditional LoveI tracked the annual expenses for my dog in the past two years, and in both, it was around 2% of my gross income. I…
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Where Did My Money Go?
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1–2 minutesRead More: Where Did My Money Go?When I was employed as a postdoctoral researcher, I started writing down every monthly expense I had in a spreadsheet. I loved seeing ‘where my…
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The Quality of Close Relationships as an Indicator of Physical Health
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2–4 minutesRead More: The Quality of Close Relationships as an Indicator of Physical HealthThe Harvard Study of Adult Development is a long-running study on happiness. It started in the late 1930s with 268 Harvard students and 456 young…
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How I Had a Weeklong Stay at a Hyatt for Free
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4–6 minutesRead More: How I Had a Weeklong Stay at a Hyatt for FreeMy first credit card was a United Airlines co-branded Chase card. I do not have a recollection of why I applied for it, possibly because…
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Are Low-Paying Postdoctoral Positions Becoming a Thing In the Past?
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2–3 minutesRead More: Are Low-Paying Postdoctoral Positions Becoming a Thing In the Past?More than a decade ago, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher right after graduate school, in 2009 when the Great Recession started. Although it was…
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What Does Queen Hatshepsut’s Mummy Teach Us About Money?
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2–3 minutesRead More: What Does Queen Hatshepsut’s Mummy Teach Us About Money?How do we gauge whether paying for an item, an experience, or a service is worth the price tag? This is something I have been…
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Enjoying Time Outside for Physical and Mental Clarity
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2–3 minutesRead More: Enjoying Time Outside for Physical and Mental ClarityI was listening to a podcast yesterday by ChooseFI called Outside 365 while doing yard work. It’s springtime and I was pulling invasive plants like…
Lucas Brey
I’m Lucas Brey, a travel blogger sharing practical guides, hidden gems, and honest tips from the road. Follow along for smart itineraries, great food finds, and stories worth bookmarking.