I’m Financial Mechanic, a 25 year-old software engineer living in Portland, OR. I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering (thus the mechanic) because I figured it would give me career options when I graduated (thus the software engineering).

I’m all about pursuing a life rich with experiences. I want to travel the world, climb mountains, and eat weird things. I want to be an author, an artist, a public speaker.

I read voraciously, but when I moved across the country I could only take a few books with me. I think they encapsulate my interests pretty well.

This is the collection: the photo book from when I lived in Nepal for three months. Some music books for the piano and the guitar. A cookbook that spans my favorite range of foods: from Indian to Vietnamese to Thai. (If I had to pick, Indian food is my favorite. Lamb vindaloo anyone?) I’m interested in questions, philosophy and truth. I love reading sci-fi, fantasy, any fiction really. Right now Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss are my favorite world-builders. I lived in Spain for half a year and try to keep learning by reading books in Spanish that I’ve already read over five times in English.

I’ve learned through travelling and personal trial-and-error that stuff doesn’t make me happy, authentic experiences do. My apartment once flooded, four feet of water forcing me to fit whatever possessions I had left in my car’s trunk. I’ve lived in three other countries (Nepal, Spain, England) out of one suitcase. I could pack up and leave everything behind right now happily, in pursuit of a grand adventure.

While building my life after college, I started exploring the world of personal finance. I stumbled on the concept of FIRE: Financial Independence Retire Early. The idea jived with me because it’s a radical departure from the way the majority of people live. It hinges on the idea that financial freedom is closer than we all think. With a solid understanding of investing, you could set yourself up so you no longer have to work for a paycheck. Instead, you work for your own happiness and fulfillment. By taking control of your finances, you can have the freedom to do what is truly meaningful. My goal is to be financially independent by the age of 32. This blog is here for me to share my adventures with you, recording the journey and figuring out if this insane goal is actually possible. 

I would be remiss to omit that I have a partner in this journey with me, Mr. Mechanic. He’s put up with me and my off-the-wall experiments for the last 10 years. He is a dependable rock, long-sufferer of my tendency towards impromptu escapades. He doesn’t plan on retiring early early, maybe just regular early (50s? who knows, we have tons of time ahead of us). This blog is more about my own personal financial journey, but Mr. Mechanic will surely make many appearances throughout the blog.

Follow me on my journey to financial independence; building the life I want to live in a radical way.