Paul Terhorst

Paul Terhorst and his wife Vicki are what we call PTs: perpetual travelers. Sometimes they stay in one place a month or two, sometimes a year or two. According to Paul, "Home, for us, is wherever we plug in our little computer." In 1984, at the age of 35, Paul retired. He wanted more time to himself, more time with Vicki. He wanted to travel, see old friends, and make new friends. They were living in Buenos Aires then, and during those early retirement years they kept a small apartment there and returned to it every summer after six to nine months of travel. In 1991, however, they decided to let the apartment go and travel continuously. They have been on the move ever since. Most recently Paul and Vicki left Paris, where had been for a little over a year, and headed to Thailand. At last report they were somewhere in Asia.

Stick Around

By Paul Terhorst August 2007

Last month I talked about "touch and go." With touch and go you keep moving, you make the world your home. Your life is filled with adventure, challenge, and excitement-that is, if you can afford it.

Touch and Go

By Paul Terhorst July 2007

My friend Mariela has a 14-year-old daughter. Says Mariela of her daughter, "She's all touch and go." I asked what that meant. "Teenagers want to touch everything, to do everything. But they quickly get bored and move on. Today it's piano lessons, tomorrow horses, next year golf, tennis, ballet, singing lessons, whatever. They never stick to anything. I call it touch and go, it's a way of life. All kids act like this."

"To be thrown away"

By Paul Terhorst June 2007

The song in the musical Oklahoma says, "Don't start collecting things, people will say we're in love." We collect for good reasons: mementos to remind us of treasured moments, souvenirs to give a trip focus and add to the adventure, art for intellectual stimulation.

Take care of the costs first, then the income

By Paul Terhorst February 2007

Last month, Paul and his wife Vicki, who retired at 35, told you how to fund your retirement. This month, Paul tells you about controlling your costs once you've made the leap.

When is the right time to retire?

By Paul Terhorst January 2007

First off, you need financial resources to retire. In our book, Cashing In on the American Dream: How to Retire at 35, published by Bantam in 1988-we said that $500,000 was enough for most couples. That was nearly 20 years ago. Today you might want to have a few more bucks set aside before making the leap.

Shake things up-don’t time-waste your retirement days

By Paul Terhorst March 2007

We retired young, 22 years ago, at age 35. Since that time, we've been asked what we do all day, and we've asked others the same question.

Don’t be afraid to retire

By Paul Terhorst April 2007

When Hérnan Cortés, Spain's brilliant but unstable conquistador, landed in Mexico in 1519 he and his men were terrified by what they saw. Montezuma had all the advantages: a huge Aztec army, knowledge of the terrain, and seemingly unlimited resources. He'd likely crush the tiny Spanish fleet and its handful of men like he'd step on a cockroach.

Can you guarantee you have enough money to retire?

By Paul Terhorst May 2007

Paul and Vicki Terhorst retired young (they were 35-years-old) and have traveled the world ever since. As Vicki puts it "the world is our home." You, too, can do something extraordinary in 2007. All you need to do is make a decision to make the change. Every month this year, you'll here from Paul and Vicki, who'll pass on their hard-earned tips on life in retirement.

Your new life in 2005, Part V: How to retire at 35 and live happily ever after

By Paul Terhorst July 2005

My husband Paul and I walked the two miles from our Buenos Aires apartment to the newly gentrified neighborhood of Palermo Viejo. We peeked into trendy new restaurants in refurbished colonial buildings. When we arrived at our destination, a restaurant called Bodega 52, friends were waiting at a reserved table. We had a delicious dinner as we sat back and enjoyed an Argentine blues singer-who sang mostly in English.