Never Retire: The Three Shifts That Let Me Leave the U.S.—and Actually Stay Gone
Not just financial moves, but a way of working that lets you go—and keeps you from needing to come back.
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You don’t have to be rich to leave the U.S.—or to live the life you wanna live now and for the duration anywhere. You just need a rhythm of work that supports your life in real time and grows what matters over time.
I didn’t always know I’d leave the U.S. But by the time I did, I had made three key shifts—not all about money, but all about how I work—that made it possible to go, and more importantly, to stay gone. Because that absolutely is the plan.
Core Shift 1: I stopped chasing full days and started stacking small wins
I don’t grind for 8–10 hours anymore. I wake up and write something that covers X euros.
Then I do something that builds slightly beyond that.
Then I might shift to something that pays nothing now—but supports the future I want (Friki de Bici, YouTube, learning Spanish).
That rhythm is worth more than “hustle.” It keeps me fresh without burning me out.
I describe what I mean—as I’m doing it—in the video. But in the shell of a soft life nut, I work in spurts—a total of no more than a few hours each day—and do the things that make me feel lighter, less anxious, and more refreshed to sit down and get shit done.
It’s how I earn what I need (and then some), build what I care about, and deal with real anxieties—like currency risk, which I talk more about in the video.
Core Shift 2: I broke up with lifestyle creep—for good
I don’t add fixed expenses to my life unless I absolutely want to keep them.
I don’t spend based on income—I spend based on intention.
Living like an obsessed writer who never quite understood that less absolutely can be more wasn’t helping me do better work. It was just keeping me stuck in cycles that took more than they gave.
I grew up in a place where people consider work ethic the defining quality of a person. It takes time to break free from that grip. It triggers guilt as you try to disconnect—where you need to—from the people who raised or where around you as you grew up. Taking the good you absolutely got from them and leaving the rest. But once I did (and maybe you do!), I could (and maybe you can) work less now so you can work less longer.
Core Shift 3: I built a second stream with a long game in mind
I started writing here and on Medium knowing it wouldn’t pay much (at first).
But I treated it like something that would matter down the road—because it aligned with how I wanted to spend my time, not just make money.
It gave me a creative outlet, a connection point, and now… a real income stream that feels like mine.
I’m doing the same now with Never Retire (which is rolling full steam ahead) and Friki de Bici, where I have focused on YouTube and pumped the brakes on the Substack and website to ensure it gets to where I want and need it to be.
This isn’t about being clever with cash flow (thought that helps and it’s something we have and will continue to discuss).
It’s about giving your work—and your money—just enough structure to move forward without swallowing your life.
One thing for today. One thing for tomorrow. One thing for the long haul.
That’s how I’ve kept going—not with a master plan, but with small shifts that add up to something sustainable.
So what about you?
What three shifts—financial, creative, or otherwise—are moving your life in the direction you actually want?
Write them down. Even if you're still in motion, that’s the start. That’s your Never Retire plan—whether you call it that or not.
