Last Day at Apple - Mini Retirement Begins

After two and a half years working as a Software Engineer at Apple I have given my notice. My last day will be March 3rd 2023. It has been a dream of mine to work at Apple since I first laid eyes on an iPhone. I’ve always loved Apple products and I really admired the futuristic vision Steve Jobs brought to technology. 

Putting in my notice was not an easy decision; however it was the best decision for my family. I am a proud mom to three amazing kids Kyle, Madison, and Liam. I realized that while my husband Dan was getting pulled deeper into his technology consulting business and I was working hard for Apple our kids were having to fight for our attention. This is not the kind of life I want for them to have growing up. They are and always will be our first priority. 

I learned about mini retirements by reading the book “The Simple Path to Wealth” by J. L. Collins. In the book he specifically mentions taking a few mini retirements during his career to spend more time with his young daughter. While my family life was becoming more stressful and chaotic, I remembered taking a mini retirement might be an option. 

Dan and I have been pursuing FIRE, Financial Independence Retire Early, since January 2020. We have been saving half our income for three full years and investing it. This has given us a safety net and has provided us with the confidence that we can live on only one of our incomes.

Our current plan is that I will retire for about one and a half years, until our youngest son Liam is ready for preschool. I’m looking forward to this mini retirement for many reasons. I’m hoping to enjoy time with my kids while they’re young, slow the days down, and lessen the stress for my whole family. 

So while it’s sad to say goodbye to Apple and I’m so proud to say that I’ve worked there; I’m happy to start this new chapter and focus on my family while they need me most.