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Financial power to live our values and change the world // Blog by Tanja Hester, author of Work Optional and Wallet Activism

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Mark and Tanja on the east shore of Lake Tahoe, just after dawn

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This is the first season since he was super young that Mark hasn’t skied in a resort, a sacrifice he made to keep me safe. (Most of the risk guidelines are developed for “normal” people, so with little info to go on, pre-vaccine we adopted an attitude of “avoid every possible risk.”) It has felt like too much to ask of him, so I’m glad he’s still been able to go on some backcountry adventures, like this trip up Lassen Peak a few weeks ago. 💜

Book done, fully vaxxed 🥂🤘

When winter returns unexpectedly, garden tragedy strikes. Or, as my dad called it, “Mother Nature’s reminder to focus on your book.” 😂 Weeping just a little for the death of my big hoops on the perennial beds, and then back to final edits on Wallet Activism. (Yes, we do know about weather forecasts. Living in the mountains generally, living in the Sierra specifically, and living in Tahoe in particular, are all exercises in seeing lots and lots of forecasts for snow that never materialize.)

Dose dos! 💉🙌🥳😭🙏🏼🥰

This probably looks like a nothing photo, but it’s everything. Yesterday, I hugged my dad for the first time in 13 months. Mark happened to catch the moment and snapped this picture that I will cherish forever. 💜 It was my dad‘s first time touching another human in over a year, not counting the nurses who vaccinated him. 😢 I’m so endlessly grateful for vaccines. I know they are not getting to everyone fast enough, and lots of folks are spending a ton of time trying to get appointments without success. I hope that will change very soon.

Sending love to my trans friends — both those I know and those I haven’t met yet — on this #TransDayOfVisibility.

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Best New Personal Finance Book and Community Builder 2019

Best New Personal Finance Book and Community Builder 2019

Blog of the Year 2018

Our Next Life, winner of Blog of the Year at the 2018 9th Annual Plutus Awards

Best FI/FIRE Blog 2017

8th Annual Plutus Awards Finalist

Disclaimer

Everything on this blog is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to substitute for obtaining professional financial advice. Nothing contained here or in the book Work Optional implies a consulting or coaching relationship. Please consult a licensed financial or legal professional for advice on your own situation.

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All photos are original and copyrighted by Our Next Life unless clearly noted. All rights reserved.

Linking encouraged with brief excerpts only, but posting photos and/or full content allowed only by express written permission.

Copyright 2015 – 2020 Tanja Hester / Our Next Life. All rights reserved.

Our Next Life income policy

The books I recommend include affiliate links, and the revenue from them ($.50 or less per book purchased) covers a small fraction of the out-of-pocket costs of providing ad-free, unsponsored content to you at no charge. In any calendar year in which affiliate income fully covers the cost of web hosting, photo editing and email list maintenance (currently $150/month+), I will donate all earnings above and beyond expenses to charity directly or to our donor advised fund for charitable giving, for the remainder of that year.

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We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. (These fees cover blog expenses only, and do not net a profit for us.)

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