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Original poster

Who has the best life set up?

46 replies

tartantulips · 04/08/2022 17:02

I'm looking for some inspiration.

I met a lady the other week who writes four books a year and earns about £11k a month. She has published 26 books in total and churns them out.

She moves country every four months chasing the sun around the world and sits every morning on her balcony overlooking the sea with a coffee writing for four hours every day. She spends the rest of her time with friends, reading, volunteering and fulfilling her hobbies. She has lots of friends in the four countries she flicks between, but sometimes she goes somewhere new. She has just met the love of her life, who has a similar flexible lifestyle to her.

From what i've been able to work out she must be 33/34.

She has no presence online and uses a fake pen name and meeting her you would never know. She is humble and kind.

She is living my absolute dream.

Do you know anyone with an amazing life set up?

OP posts:
MrsOwainGlyndŵr · 04/08/2022 17:03

I bet it's not as amazing as she makes out.

GrandSlamFinalee · 04/08/2022 17:07

This lady probably has her struggles and worries too.

I consider my life amazing. I love my (rare but exciting) job, I have a few wonderful friends who are there whenever I need them, I get to travel a lot with my work which is something I enjoy.

But, I’m also constantly worrying about how I’ll pay my bills in 3 months’ time, I go through phases of thinking whether it’s worth holding down such a busy job as I have no time for a relationship atm, I have a parent trapped in an abusive marriage, and I can never get on top of the housework.

My life might look flashy and very interesting to other people but in reality it’s just as stressful as everybody else’s, in some ways.

RuthBrenner · 04/08/2022 17:19

She's just told you the best, most enviable bits though hasn't she? I'm sure there are some aspects of her life where she struggles and finds things a bit shit just like the rest of us.

EmmaH2022 · 04/08/2022 17:23

If she's telling you the truth, then I don't know anyone with a better set up.

JanisMoplin · 04/08/2022 17:26

I write books as a side hustle ( obscure ones). It's very hard work. I would not like to write 4 a year. It takes years to turn that into a paying gig. Most writers make very little money.

I have also moved around a lot and I would not like to move every 4 months. That is a lot of hard work too.

TheBikiniExpert · 04/08/2022 17:28

I don't actually fancy that tbh!

minipie · 04/08/2022 17:30

Ha, love all these classic MN responses.

OP her life sounds amazing. I know a bunch of wealthy SAHMs to school age kids, they have a pretty nice life, but tied to school runs etc and of course it’s all dependent on the DH. I think the person you met wins!

Movinghouseatlast · 04/08/2022 17:33

That sounds like the perfect life to me I have to say!

I am in the very lucky position to work only about 16 hours a week in my own business. I have had to move away from where I've always lived to achieve it, so although I live in the most beautiful part of the world now I really do miss my friends. I also miss the intellectual stimulation of my previous career ( although not the horrendous politics and misogyny)

JanisMoplin · 04/08/2022 17:36

I think you should all try writing books:) It's torture. She must be a very good, fast, clever writer to make that kind of money.

OldGreyAppleTest · 04/08/2022 17:36

That sounds amazing, can you link her books here? I can't beat that set up!

monsterastuckiosa · 04/08/2022 17:38

If I told you about my life setup it would sound pretty perfect.

But I have to keep reminding myself of that – if I could go back and tell my 25-year old self what she'd be doing at 35 she'd be utterly thrilled. And yet I'm still wondering what I 'should' be doing better.

The hedonic treadmill, innit 😁

Tanaqui · 04/08/2022 17:41

What's her pen name? Love to know what types of books earn that much at 4 a year!

JanisMoplin · 04/08/2022 17:43

To answer your question, I have some friends who live in Greece and have their own successful consultancy which they have built up over the years from scratch.They live near her family who help with the DC. They get to travel a lot and go every weekend to a Greek isle. They set their own working hours. Pretty good set up, I think, though I am sure they have their own problems as well.

JennyForeigner · 04/08/2022 17:56

That sounds amazing to me, but I echo those above. She must be very good!

I would totally go for that, but also for the workable version. I have family who moved out to Bordeaux and are raising young kids in a gorgeous ramshackle old farm on the edge of a village. They wfh and catch the train back to London for a couple of days every few months.

Somehow it's the train commuting that just makes this for me. So civilised!

Twattergy · 04/08/2022 17:58

It sounds amazing. Although not for me I wouldnt want to relocate every 4 months even to familiar places. I'd like £130k a year though!
She may well in a few years though be yearning to be a mum in the home counties....so you can't tell what she will desire as a perfect set up in years to come...Good luck to her though sounds like she's worked for it.

FourTeaFallOut · 04/08/2022 18:15

It sounds like someone who has worked hard to build a life that suits them. It wouldn't be my cup of tea but I admire her drive. I don't see why she needs to hide some secret pain that would take the gloss off it all. What do we people always assume that?

FourTeaFallOut · 04/08/2022 18:18

I'll try that again...why do people always assume that? This is why I could never be a writer

EmmaH2022 · 04/08/2022 18:20

JanisMoplin · 04/08/2022 17:36

I think you should all try writing books:) It's torture. She must be a very good, fast, clever writer to make that kind of money.

I have about 2/3 of mine and it's not torture

I wouldn't want to move every few months but at 11k a month, I just assume she likes it. perhaps I would too on that money!

I would never assume secret pain either.

the reason I doubt her is that in my group of writing contacts, when I got to know them better, I found a few who had inflated their earning figures and actually had trust funds etc.

I hope she is telling the truth!

autocollantes · 04/08/2022 19:40

My "D"H has the best life set up.

  1. Well-paid international career (he wanted that - wasn't sent abroad unwillingly!) doing a job he loves.
  2. A wife at home to facilitate everything outside of his work.
  3. A wife at home to facilitate his ability to randomly travel for his job - built in childcare. If would be impossible to do his job otherwise.
  4. Lovely children, with/for whom he does things when it fits into his schedule. AND EVERYBODY THINKS HES AN AMAZING DAD. (Neighbours have come up in the street to tell me how lovely it is to see him with them - I'm like well I'm with them all the out of school hours you don't see him with them.)

As this skivvy wife didn't agree to be in position number 2 or 3 on that list and he's not willing to compromise because his life is perfect, she's getting divorced.

LaPerduta · 04/08/2022 20:23

I work part-time for about 32 weeks of the year, have no debt (mortgage paid off) and go on maybe half a dozen holidays per year.

NB I do not have a trust fund, inheritance or wealthy husband, nor do I work for an investment bank or hedge fund.

Original poster
tartantulips · 04/08/2022 20:24

@JanisMoplin that sounds amazing

@monsterastuckiosa what is it that you do?

OP posts:
1982mommaof4 · 04/08/2022 20:26

monsterastuckiosa · 04/08/2022 17:38

If I told you about my life setup it would sound pretty perfect.

But I have to keep reminding myself of that – if I could go back and tell my 25-year old self what she'd be doing at 35 she'd be utterly thrilled. And yet I'm still wondering what I 'should' be doing better.

The hedonic treadmill, innit 😁

Intriguing

RaininSummer · 04/08/2022 20:50

Sounds like a great life. I probably wouldn't move every 4 months but maybe find the sun between Nov and March.

EmmaH2022 · 04/08/2022 21:07

OP I'm interested to know how you met this lady.

byvirtue · 04/08/2022 21:21

Is she constantly moving for tax reasons? Wouldn’t be my dream life but sounds ok!

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