Dave and Lauras Dream

Dreaming of early retirement & travel

Welcome to Dave and Laura’s Dream

Welcome to Dave and Laura’s Dream

Follow us on our adventures of life, click on the bottom right [+follow] (lower right)

Were a Metro Detroit, Michigan, couple – second marriages for both of us. We saved for many years in hopes to retire early, and it is finally here – right in the middle of no travel. David retired in February 2021, and I am now part-time. Our kids are all over 18years old and we have plans for them to all be on their own in the next 4 years.

David is 52 and I will be in November, and we both have a passion for travel and a honestly after +30 years of exhaustive work hours, raising kids while divorced and really thrifty lifestyles, we retired early.

We both started over – unexpectedly in the prime of our lives. Opened our hearts to new opportunities and met at an online dating site, and now with our 5 year marriage & a merging our two families into one with five kids, we are stronger and happier than we have ever been. 

Follow us as we figure out what to do now that we are retired, and whatever adventures we experience along the way.

Copyright

All images and content on this blog are copyright (C)

133 responses to “Welcome to Dave and Laura’s Dream”

  2. What i do not realize is if truth be told how you’re not really much more well-favored
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    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. Hi and nice to meet you!
    It’s nice to hear your plan and I wish you well, my hubby and I have been trying to come up with an exact date for that ourselves (we are 57 and 58) but sometimes I think its never going to happen, that he will work til he drops!!
    We are in Texas, where were you thinking of retiring to?

    Liked by 5 people

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  8. Nice to meet fellow Michiganders! Yes, we feel since we spent five years in Michigan early on in our marriage we can be called that too. We were in Rochester…sure would love to visit it again. Excited to follow your story!

    Liked by 6 people

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      • Nice! We were practically neighbors😄 Is Rochester still as beautiful? And, have y’all been to the Upper Peninsula. We loved it there.

        Liked by 2 people

      • I think I’ve been everywhere in Michigan I spend an enormous amount of time on the west side of State because I do Consulting and I have a large client out that way so I’m out there at least one day per week been to the U P love it would go back again as soon as I get to retire and travel like my goal with Dave is

        Liked by 1 person

      • We never made it to explore the west side except driving through it on our way to Detroit. Hubby worked for EDS at the time😊. I’m with you on the UP☀️💚☀️

        Liked by 1 person

    • You have to dream … right, and we have the details, so that makes it a plan, and I work on that plan every single day. So I guess we will see on Jan 1, 2021 if we can do it and keep it up. Until then I am going to keep working on it. Thanks for the good wishes.

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  17. I love this idea! (Both of you starting this blog to document your journey and early retirement!) I am a firm believer that we should enjoy as much of this short life as we can. There is so much to experience.

    I hope and pray that your dreams will come true, that you find the perfect plan to make retirement in 2021 happen and that you will enjoy many years with your newfound family ♥

    Blessings to each of you. 💕 ~ Holly

    Liked by 4 people

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  19. Hi Dave & Laura, my husband, Peter Martel, is a Neutron Physicist. You can google him to see some of his work. I post parts of his memoirs everyday in the summer (one paragraph at a time). He wrote a book Memoirs of a Hayseed Physicist a few years ago. Now I’m back to art and music with a few reblogs from our younger daughter about Yoga.
    Leslie

    Liked by 3 people

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  24. Wow that would be amazing to retire at 52. I hope it works for you two. I just retired at 60 and my husband did retire but he is working just so we have insurance! If you figure out the secret to insurance, let me know!

    Liked by 3 people

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  26. Bravo, Dave and Laura! Good luck on your goal to retire early. My wife Janet and I, retired at 62 years old. We have never been sorry. Although, I have to admit we still take some jobs here and there to supplement income.
    We will be visiting your city next July. Is there anything you would recommend seeing?

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Ok, Mystic Dee – check you out, we have a similar belief system, positive and faith based. So what areas are you going to be in Detroit? There is the Henry Ford Museum, we have been there ALOT. The entire Greektown area with restaurants and casinos and fun. If you are in the outskirts – then there is Grosse Pointe – they have streets with restaurants to walk to – and little shopping areas, a blues club. Fill me in more on what you like.

      Liked by 1 person

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  28. Such a great plan. My hubby and I (we are 60 and 52) are thinking about it too. Our kids are getting older now (24 and 16), so we will soon be able to travel more. Good luck on your goal to retire early. Looking forward to reading about your journey. Hugs from cold Montreal —Dominique

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    • Thanks 3c, were in Detroit in the low 40s today, dry but brisk today. We just real how short life is and how we have given away so much to the kids and work life and while it will be tough with the early retirement finances, we are willing to try it. Only about 1year to go. I think we can do it…..hope you will try it too

      Liked by 1 person

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      • We really get where you are at. Our lifestyle tricks are eat at home, buy at garage sales anything we need, buy in bulk and work super hard, even then we still fall behind on savings, but never stop. So daughter with a masters?, what in????

        Liked by 1 person

      • You lifestyle tricks are cleaver. I do buy stuff sometimes at garage sales and estate sales and I use a slow cooker. Lol It is perhaps the best deal on earth for reducing cooking costs. I can just dump in the ingredients before work, put the crock pot on simmer, and dinner is done when we get home. I also buy clothes that mix and match well so I don’t need that many clothes –I just mix and remix what I wear by using timeless, simple pieces that go well together. And I take good care of my clothing, and repair them instead of tossing them. My hubby also installed a programmable thermostat to cut down on energy usage while we are not at home…. Even then we still fall behind on savings too. My daughter is doing her master in economic and my son wants to study either in chemistry or programming. The entire family has an interest in science -hubby (aka the lab rat) is a neuroscientist and I’m a scientific journalist.

        Liked by 2 people

  30. To David & Laura, Good plan you have, thank you for liking my post’s I am a Reader First, then a Writer, I sit in an old log house here in Alaska, I only say what I think, I do not belittle any writer because we are all only learning, so I try to offer encouragement, to keep on writing….. You made my old Heart Sing, with your quick response, something I never expected to receive……Word Press is so fun, I can say what I think, and so far have received only positive words from many readers/writers, It makes me feel like I am not wasting my time on here “Whistling into the Wind”…..I just lost my Lady Love of 35 + years, what to do without Her here? I write my Heart out to Honor Her Memory!

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Wow, 35+ years, that must be hard. David and I have only been together 6 years, and we are inseparable. We could only imagine. But yes, we really love WordPress. I like to check in sometimes during the day, If I can. David does when he is at lunch most days. We are just enjoying life and hoping this blog site will keep us busy when we are retired. We are from Michigan, but went to Alaska in September and for SURE Want to go back again one day. We took a cruise, because that is a compromise I thought. David is an outdoors person, I am indoors – but turns out I LOVED it and want to go back and jus drive around all summer – check things out.

      Liked by 2 people

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      • David & Laura, you are Welcome to visit this old man here in Anchor Point and look out of my front window, and view Cook Inlet, and those Volcano’s across from me. Every morning when I wake up^ and realize my old heart is still beating I give thanks to the Great Spirit for bringing me to live in this wonderful place here on Earth. Just remember my friends to share each moment Together, because each moment is Precious, and so easily left behind, as if it never happened, every moment I shared with my Lady is still in my Brain, I never, ever forget the time we shared together, when I think of her, she is right there, with me…..

        Liked by 3 people

      • We would love to come visit you as soon as we schedule are Alaska trip will let you know it won’t be in 2020 but probably in 2021 have to save up the money you know and we already planned a trip to China next year that’s already paid for

        Liked by 1 person

      • I really like your Posts, the Foodie stuff makes me so HUNGRY!. When I lived in L.A. in the 70’s I was a Produce Truck driver, and I knew all the Best Restaurants in L.A., Riverside, etc. Because I got to visit the Kitchens, and that is where you find out if they care about the food they make!, I got many a wonderful Comped meal, because I made sure they got the best Produce available…..

        Liked by 2 people

      • We just love eating, best is cool and we do go some great places, but that is because we like trying everything, seeking adventure. Not $$$$, but good. David loves high flavor. I just love David. Comped meals would be awesome for sure, sounds like that made a great job even greater.

        Liked by 1 person

      • We for sure I understand what you mean by every minute is precious life is so short we do our best to put our family first every single time I’m definitely each other it’s funny cuz David and I get a lot of time together but we really enjoy being together he’s my best friend and my partner in crime I always tell him

        Liked by 1 person

  32. You are doing “The Right Thing” Enjoy your life together, for life is all to short……I live in an Old Log Cabin, not much for amenities, but we have some really nice Inn’s and Hotels in Homer, Land’s End comes to mind, look it up……It is a First Class Place right out on the end of the Homer Spit, and in town we have the “Cosmic Kitchen” and Fat Olive’s to dine at…..+ if you like Fishing, you can still catch Large Halibut & Salmon……& Coal Point Trading will help you take them home safely……I have lived pretty much all over this world in my life, and I finally wound up in my Paradise……Good Travels & Happy Holidays to YOU!!!!!P.S. King Crab is to die for…..

    Liked by 2 people

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    • My husband loves fishing and everything outdoors. I like a running bathroom and hot water, almost opposites on that. The short trip we had this September to Alaska it was paradise. So why we want to come back for sure. I’m going to look up Homer today at lunch, check it out.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • I live 10 + miles out of Anchor Point, Ak. Which is just 18 miles from Homer…..I have not had to go fishing in 15 + years, because neighbors & Friends keep gifting us with Fresh Salmon, Halibut, & once in awhile with a Cod or two…..Every once in awhile I gift us with a few pounds of King Crab, what a Treat! I have a freezer full of fish! What a Paradise I am gifted to live in!

        Liked by 2 people

      • Oh! yes it is a Paradise, yet even in Paradise, one must be prepared for 7 day power outages, a generator is an Essential piece of equipment, so as to keep the freezers freezing all of those sweet fish…..I have secured enough wood to keep me warm through this Winter (Should it ever decide to arrive) 40 + degrees in 12/17/2019…..No Snow, just Rain…..So I just went & took a break from Words & Played on my Wooden drums, made by Master Craftsmen, solely for my enjoyment…..It is what I do NOW with my time left to me; eight & twelve tongued Drums….I Practice, Practice, and the more I Practice, the better I seem to get……I would like to get so good at it that I will be invited to play them at the MET or Carnegie Hall….Some-day soon, I hope, because I am old, and not going to be around here on this Earth for long….

        Liked by 2 people

      • No one knows how long we last, today, tomorrow or 30 yrs. We would be happy with 30yrs if possible. Fancy fancy drum playing sites….who knows maybe date to dream. We just want to travel and seek adventure

        Like

  35. Nice to meet a Nuclear Physicist for the first time on WordPress..
    Best wishes to you on your breakthrough research, travels and early retirement.. 🙂
    Hope you take a trip to CERN and publish a post regarding your trip to CERN..!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  36. Exactly..!!
    Since you are a Nuclear Physicist, you will really enjoy CERN. The place is so in line with what you love to do.
    In my honest opinion, you should pay a visit there. Waiting for your post about the same, and learning about some of the breakthrough concepts of Physics.. ☺️

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    • Mostly, what I work on right now is patient medical radiation treatments of all kinds, nuclear based. I spend a lot of time performing Y90 liver treatments for those with cancer that has progressed past all other treatments. Also x-ray equipment calibrations. So hospital based research and practical work. But my heart is in all of it, I love reading up on all physics.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • That’s awesome..!!
        I have always been fascinated by such micro scale application of radioactive elements like in the case of medical science, dating, tracing etc.
        I am sure you will find many experiments or research work of gigantic scale going on in CERN – perhaps the largest laboratory in the world.. ☺️⚛️

        Liked by 2 people

      • I’m working from home so “business as usual.” Trying to do my part by following the hygiene and social protocols. It would be great if everyone did the same so we wouldn’t have to remain cooped up for so long. Alas, however, that is not to be, so be prepared for an extended sit-in . . . It is a challenge, I know. That is our human nature.

        Liked by 1 person

  42. Adventure awaits you no matter when you retire since it is a different culture then the daily going to work, raising children. In our early 40 we took a, by faith step and went into mission, at that time, New Tribes Mission. Our first country to serve in was Bolivia, SA, as dorm parents at a boarding school for missionary kids, MK”s. Best thing we ever did, loved it despite the few trials that came, you can’t go far enough away to get away from trials. We also served in Papua New Guinea which was a little more of an adventure just because it is so primitive. Now we serve stateside with our mission, renamed, Ethnos360 as Member Care Reps. We travel a lot but at 73 it’s time to think about retiring to full time ministry. Never in a million years would I have thought our lives would turn out full of adventure. I was perfectly content to stay in the states, my husband had a good job with the airlines. But God had a different plan for us. People ask me all the time are we ready to retire and we both say, no. I hope you get your dream, honestly my dream was to live in one house for the rest of my life, surrounded by my grandchildren. As I said, God had something different. Whether it’s God our your dream pushing you it takes a step…going forward and not standing still. Having enough money is not the answer, having your health is smart. Stay safe through this latest trial or adventure.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I love this response!!! We are definitely enjoying each other, as the kids grow and start to leave and we get the time to just be. Even in this time of stuck at home, we are still making plans of the next adventure.

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