Kristy Shen grew up poor. Knowing her parents couldn’t help her financially, she gave up her dreams of being a writer, and went to school to make big bucks as a software developer. She even graduated on the five-year program with an internship to limit her student debt and increase her chances of getting a job after graduation. That gamble paid off and she was rewarded with a high stress job requiring her to be on call 24 hours a day. After seeing that same job stress almost kill a co-worker, she re-evaluated her own health issues, decided this path was ridiculous, and set out to make a change. Kristy and Bryce share their journey through saving up enough to leave their jobs, the actual quitting process (it’s not as easy as you think) and into one of the worst ‘first years of early retirement’ - an oil crisis that sent their portfolio plummeting. Clever tricks including their Yield Shield and Cash Cushion got them through their tumultuous first year, and ultimately proved that this DOES work, and you CAN retire early to travel the world. If you're yearning for another option outside the traditional career path and wish you had the time and resources to see all of the faraway places on your list, tune into this episode—and get inspired. In This Episode We Cover: Bryce and Kristy's journey with money  Kristy's fear-based relationship with money How they made the practical decision to be financially secure  Why being a pessimistic-optimistic combination made their lifestyle work out Changing fear-based mentality to hope-based mentality  How they ramped up their savings rate to 60% a year after graduating debt-free  How they discovered financial independence  How their lifestyle contrasted with that of their peers Tips for getting over the hoarder mentality  How they manage their expenses  How they prepare for their world trip  The idea of geographic arbitrage  What their portfolio looks like in a year leading up to them quitting their jobs What their typical day looks like when traveling  The advantages of expat insurance And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Podcast 35: Hacking Your Life to Live for (Almost) Free with Craig Curelop BiggerPockets Money Podcast 11: Financial Freedom in Less Than Five Years with Joel from FI 180 BiggerPockets Money Podcast 20: The Simple Path to Wealth—Index Funds Explained with JL Collins Mr. Money Mustache JL Collins AutoShare Zipcar Gas Buddy The MathShitUp-Inator - Millennial Revolution Financial 180 Penguin Random House Go Curry Cracker The Yield Shield: Putting It All Together - Millennial Revolution How Not To Deplete Your Portfolio In Retirement - Millennial Revolution