Diary of a future rentier (20)

And here is another rainy and gloomy day, heralding the autumn that is fast approaching. The summer was short, but particularly beautiful and warm. Too bad... We can try to cheer ourselves up by telling ourselves that we still have a few beautiful days left, but hey, the time of terraces, aperitifs, sunglasses and feminine micro shorts is coming to an end. Unfortunately. See you for the rest in 6 months. At least.

I know people who appreciate this alternation of seasons or even who strangely prefer winter. But when, like me, you hate the cold and humidity and you get off sipping a good beer by a well-frequented swimming pool, summer seems decidedly too short in our latitudes.

I have often dreamed of settling under milder skies, like on an island in the Pacific or the Atlantic. But staying there for a few days of vacation or living there all year round are two very different things. It is indeed difficult to free oneself from our landmarks, our little habits and our culture in general. Not to mention of course our family and friends who would quickly come to be missed in the event of exile.

You can become a rentier very quickly by moving to other latitudes. Not only is the climate more favorable there, but the cost of living is also lower. It is frankly tempting for individuals seeking financial independence. But is it really worth the effort? It depends on the ties you have here. When I was younger, I might have tried it if my financial situation allowed me to. Today, while I would have the capacity, I no longer really want to. Maybe it will come back later, who knows?

Maybe also that real life is to have the best of both worlds, a life in our latitudes during the beautiful seasons, and stays in the warm during the most rotten months. This certainly requires much more means than pure and hard exile, but if one is not in too much of a hurry, the game can be worth the candle. Especially since with age, access to health care becomes more important. And in the tropics this last point is far from obvious...

Until then, I will continue to daydream while watching the rain fall...

Have a nice rainy day 😉