This thread reminds me of the ski resort I’ve been to for the last three years. No matter when I go, there’s always this one guy in the same après-ski bar. He’s there the whole evening and buys everyone a drink. The only thing you have to do to get the drink is talk to him.
I always imagine he’s some ~50 year old in FI retirement who bought a house there, has enough cash, and just kind of buys himself conversations in the evenings.
And I never know whether to find that beautiful or weird.
The last months I have not been working much.
The one person I spend more time than ever before is a friend of mine, who happens to be unemployed for several months now.
I am in a very similar situation as you - FI or semi-FI, love sports, finance and the mountains. Contact me if you would like to meet. I will be in Zürich.
Let’s start the introverted FIRE club.
Next meeting date and location: irrelevant!
Honestly not sure if that solves the problem. Working provides most people some kind of „controlled social interaction exposure“ (trademark terminology). Stop working removes this layer and requires significant more effort to satisfy the basic human need for some kind of social interaction.
The areas you are struggling sound quite familiar. I wrote about some of the topics that I wrestle with multiple years into the journey here:
I started to be more active in a club where I organize activities on weekdays. Great way to meet lots of interesting people with similar interest. Also doing some mentoring and development work, which is very satisfying. Weekends, I try to spend with my family and friends.
Great discussion, thanks for being so open. I haven’t reached FI yet, but according to estimates I could hit my number in the next couple of years. For awhile now i’ve also started to think about these issues of “Life after FI”. Really unsure at the moment if I’ll actually stop working immediately because of issues like identity, positively contributing to society, social benefits of work, etc. Currently I could imagine reducing from my current 80% to 50 - 60% once I’ve got to FI to see how that feels. Maybe work at 50 - 60% for a few years before pulling the plug completely. I’ve personally started some volunteering on the side, which I would maybe increase after hitting FI to replace some of the positive things about work that would disappear after leaving work.
Well, FI never meant for me to stop working, I just like the idea that I could. So I am still working stressless in job and enjoy the corporate chaos ;-).
But I have the same problem, I know very few people who know FI and for most it´s even out of reach anway.
So work doesn´t solve the problem 
Thanks for being so open with you two posts, I totally get you! I’m no longer as close as I’d like to FIRE after divorce a few years ago but getting ready to accelerate again soon and hopefully catch up most of it even if it will take much longer than planned.
But i clearly realised that if it were now, I’d be in a very similar situation, especially if I wasn’t divorced 
. I’m really starting to see that even if I manage in 10 years to stop, the large majority of my entourage are planning 65+ … the main difference there is my kids will be older and I hadn’t thought enough about stopping when they were still in school enough.
so I wanted to thank you as in the least, you’ve helped me realise that I was fixating more on the setback the divorce made but in the end, it also avoided a situation you describe with younger kids. So silver linings are more positive that dwelling - thanks for waking me up to this even if I know that doesn’t help you as much.
Coincidently, I’ve already started to take up some of the advice that people have added here (already before, not since the thread but taking notes of new ideas).
Two things I am really told works well : a) daily gym membership to age well and meet new people of all ages b) becoming a regular at a cafe (ie reading there rather than on your couch)…two things I am trying to start soon….
Yeah. I really need to develop healthier habits before RE.
My big fear is that I replace spending time in front of a computer at work with time in front of a computer at home.
At least with work, I’m cycling 40 mins a day for the commute. I would like to establish a good exercise regime before retirement but haven’t managed so far.
I can never do that due to the costs of coffee in zurich 
Just do it the mustacian way and bring your own coffee there 
Hello, This is my first post on the blog and I live in Baar, ZG - I’m also FIRE since last March 2025 and see the same setbacks. I’d love to organise a meet-up with you during the week.
Congrats!
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