Looking back, it’s hard to imagine but they say “time flies when you’re having fun” and today marks the one year anniversary of my unexpected layoff. Recognizing that the odds of unemployed workers in late career successfully re-entering the workforce are slim, the life-changing event was the final straw in our decision to push up early retirement and become overseas expatriates.

Choosing Malaysia over Thailand despite large financial requirements for the MM2H visa, a social entry visit pass allowing unlimited entry to the country, I developed a new sense of the expression “patience is a virtue” as we began the long 18 month wait to my 50th birthday. Reaching that milestone allows an individual and their dependents the right to file paperwork under a status that demands a mere $150,000 MYR fixed deposit. Owing a large debt of gratitude to my former employer for getting me out the rate race, I’d like to personally thank H*** M*** Capital Management for their horribly stupid decision that left them devoid of the best operations and support person they ever had. An example of the thanks you get for breaking your ass include the useless brochure seen here ⇐

Reflecting on my first year of semi-voluntary retirement, I’d like to consider my accomplishments in a positive way, exactly the way my “outplacement counselor ” would have professed had I opted to use this complimentary and useless service they offer staff after they shit-can you.

A useless service companies offer you after they kick you out

For the benefit of those new to my blog, I offer a synopsis of my first year as a retired house husband on his way to Malaysia for an experimental early retirement. Basically a chronological recap of the blog so far, please click the links and familiarize yourself with the events leading up to our big change-of-life (not menopause).

• Received notification that “my position was being eliminated“
• Became a House Husband, officially accepting the reigns of the residency while Diane keeps working for 18 months
• Changed our diet, hit the gym, lost 25 pounds and two pants sizes.
• Equating to a marathon jaunt from San Francisco to Denver,  walked five to eight miles daily on the trails of Walnut Creek
• Survived the scare of MH370 along with CNN’s team of geniuses for 28 straight news days.
• Began a working relationship with Joy-Stay, our agent for filing the MM2H application.
• Researched the Malaysian Healthcare System thoroughly, ensuring we’d be safe in case something tragic happens.
• Spent six weeks out of the gym recovering from surgery to fix a hernia
• Started the transition process, utilizing an awesome app to sell our crap
• Enjoyed my first blog award after only 25 days after my first post.

Possibly best of all was the time given to me, allowing me an opportunity to craft posts that I hope you find entertaining as well as informative. I’ve learned an immense amount about everything I never had time or patience for. Taking an opportunity to thank everyone, I’d like to give special thanks to the WP CSS team for providing personal tutoring when I simply can’t figure out what damn selectors to use.

I’d also like to thank everyone who spent some time checking us out. Understanding the greatest content is useless without an audience to share it with, I’d like to express my appreciation for all the comments, page views and especially the followers. Knowing there are thousands of experienced bloggers with more interesting topics than the life of an expat, thanks to all.

I’m not really sure if this number is good, bad or indifferent but I’ve now received 2,133 page views in 32 days of blogging. Amazed at the global scope, I’m happy that citizens of 48 countries have checked in at one point and look forward to sharing the rest of our transition from closing escrow to arrival in Penang and everything thereafter.

Know anyone who’s been laid off ? How did it feel and what did they do? Maybe you ? Please share or comment

Please stay tuned and watch for the Big Fall Cleanup next.