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About me
Hi, and welcome.
The Good Life Journey is a personal finance and FIRE blog focused on financial independence, long-term investing, and early retirement—with life design, work, health, and philosophy explored as they relate to building a sustainable and meaningful life while pursuing financial independence.
I’m nearly 40 and come from a research-driven background. I’m an engineer with a PhD in environmental science and spent over a decade working as an academic researcher and consultant, specializing in data analysis, modeling, and market-based systems, including work related to carbon markets.
In 2023, I started this blog to think more clearly about money, work, and what financial independence actually enables. Today, I apply the same analytical, evidence-based approach I used in research and consulting to personal finance and FIRE—analyzing saving and investing strategies, retirement planning, and long-term financial decision-making under uncertainty.
The core focus of this site is personal finance and financial independence (FIRE). Topics such as work, health, lifestyle design, and practical philosophy are explored through the FIRE lens, because these choices directly influence financial outcomes, risk, and quality of life both on the path to and after early retirement.
Much of what I write is grounded in my own FIRE journey—tracking spending and investments, making career trade-offs, and reflecting on what it means to build freedom gradually, not just after reaching an arbitrary number.
This blog is for anyone pursuing financial independence who wants to think deeply about both the numbers and the life those numbers are meant to support.
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Personal finance
So many of us struggle when it comes to talking about money, let alone managing it. This blog outlines strategies and personal finance habits that will allow you to take control of your finances and achieve financial independence.
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Philosophy
Are you ultimately interested in living a good life, one that pursues meaning but also contentment and tranquility? We distill the knowledge generated from philosophers, writers, and thinkers into actionable advice that you can incorporate into your day to day.
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Health
A good life depends not only on financial independence, but on the health that sustains it. Here, we explore evidence-based habits, longevity insights, and mindful approaches to physical and mental well-being that support a long, active, and meaningful life.
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