More than a year before I early retired, I published my ‘Not Bored List’ – over 150 activities that I could look forward to each year in our new FIRE lifestyle. Putting it together was a bit of a confidence test of how effectively I thought I could fill my days when I had “too much time on my hands”.

After three years, I assure people that getting bored shouldn’t be a real concern. In fact, I would say I’ve far exceeded most of the expectations I had on my ‘Not Bored List’. There’s really nothing on the list I don’t spend more time on than I initially expected.

This past week was a perfect example. The Federal Reserve Bank Of Minneapolis opened up to the public for a behind-the-scenes tour. My wife and I got to learn about the Fed, how they work with the banks, and even get a sneak peak into the cash room, where a billion dollars flows through almost every week. They had a ‘cash mover’ on display (behind very thick glass) that held $47 million in $100 notes. Pretty cool.

I love these oddball ‘field trips’ and look for them on Facebook or the local news. Many of them are on weekdays and cater to retirees’ schedules. In the last few months, I’ve gone to our Governor’s mansion for an open house, on a brewery tour, to our University’s landscape arboretum, to see a newly dedicated Chinese pagoda, and a behind-the-scenes tour at our NFL stadium.

I never factored these impromptu ‘field trips’ into our initial early retirement plans, but they’ve become a fun aspect of our FIRE lifestyle. There is something interesting to see almost every week.

Image Credit: Pixabay