OFF TOPIC: As an introduction to my next post about our deregistration in Germany, our move to Indonesia, I think it makes sense to understand my life a little.

A few days ago I turned 54 and in a fit of sentimentality I looked back on my life once and asked myself:

"Are you happy with what you have achieved" ?

My family background

I am a child of divorce who grew up with siblings and a mother who always valued men and alcohol more than her children.

My mother and my sisters have been big fans of the citizen's allowance (formerly Hartz 4) for as long as I can remember and representatives of the "Why should I work when I can get by this way" faction. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of my childhood with my aunt and uncle, who both had good jobs, went on vacation 2-3 times a year and were simply very well off. I have this positive example and influence to thank for the fact that it was clear to me at a relatively young age that I wanted to have the same kind of life.

My education

I finished secondary school with an average grade more bad than good and then completed my training as an "industrial mechanic". Alongside my apprenticeship, I worked as a bartender in a nightclub three times a week so that I could afford my first apartment at the age of 18; I just wanted to get away from my family.

My professional background

After my apprenticeship and during my 3.5 years of further training as an industrial foreman and trainer, I worked as an industrial mechanic in a drop forge, which I would describe in retrospect as a back-breaking job. After completing my further training, I then applied for a job as a "medical technology service technician in the field" at a US company and really enjoyed the job and the working environment.

I traveled a lot around the world, got to know interesting people and cultures with the small disadvantage that I hardly had anything like a private life, but a full bank account. I then changed my employer on average every 3-5 years and slowly but steadily worked my way up from team leader, to manager, director and finally to "VP Operations" in the medical technology sector.

American employers

Since the age of 25, I have worked exclusively for American companies and start-ups in the medical technology sector. My professional experience has shown me that in many American companies and start-ups it is much easier to work your way up through performance, self-learning and specialization compared to German companies and that the salaries are significantly higher than those of German companies.

Personal goals

After my apprenticeship, my goal was to stop working shifts and lying under machines with oily hands and repairing them by the time I was 40.

After achieving this goal much earlier, I set myself the new goal of becoming a manager and earning 100k. I would never have dreamed that I would "end up" where I am today.

My family

I completely cut off contact with my mother and siblings because I personally didn't get on with their attitudes to life. Looking back, this was absolutely the right decision.

My first marriage to my "German childhood sweetheart" lasted 10 years and then ended in divorce because she thought that I could live very well with my money and other men. Thanks to property division, I got out of that marriage without any problems.

Thailand

After the divorce from my first wife, all my plans for the future were invalid and I was devastated. I then compensated for this with extreme stays in Thailand from 2011 to 2013, sometimes lasting several months, with far too many parties and previously unknown, powdery substances. It was here that I met one of my current business partners, Suki, and opened my first Beerbar together with her.

The most important person in my life

At the beginning of 2014, I met my Indonesian wife during an excessive drinking spree in Bangkok. She came from Hong Kong and was on vacation in Bangkok where I accidentally poured a Mai Thai over her dress while she was drunk.

We got talking, got to know each other over a period of months and my life returned to normal. At the beginning of 2016, after endless problems with the German bureaucracy, we finally got married in Germany.

Without my wife, I wouldn't be sitting here today, writing this post or have my job.

Real estate and beer bars

I got to know Indonesia through my marriage to my wife and fell in love with the country. It slows me down and calms me down, I am part of your family, I feel safe there and enjoy a high standard of living due to my income.

My wife already owned a few properties and land in Indonesia, so it didn't take long for us to build our first pool villa together for rent in Bali, followed by another one that we use ourselves. Step by step we then built a house on Java, which we also use ourselves. After my first Beerbar with Suki in Pattaya was very successful, I opened another Beerbar in Bangkok in 2023.

What if I die tomorrow?

Since my wife left her home country, her family and her grown-up children behind for our relationship and is the most important person in my life, it was clear to me that she should have an independent life without financial worries in the event of my death. As a result, my family was disinherited, my wife became my sole heir and in the event of her death, your children, who now call me Dad and respect me accordingly, inherit everything.

Finances

My job, our real estate in Indonesia, the two Beerbars in Thailand and existing financial reserves enable us to lead a financially carefree life and to get by at any time, even without a permanent job.

You will get a deeper insight and what is really left in the end in the next post about finances, taxes and our experiences three months after deregistering in Germany.

Am I satisfied with what I have achieved

From a financial point of view, I have achieved much more than I ever dreamed of.

From a personal perspective, I found and married the best woman in the world for me and was welcomed by her family with open arms, which is very important to me personally as I have never had a real family.

However, there is one thing I miss and that is having my own children; it seems fate had a different plan and today I'm just too old for that ☹

Final words

Start building up something early on, be it financial reserves, real estate or something else, because the time will come when you will be glad to have it. But don't forget to live, money isn't everything and time runs faster than you think when you're young and before you know it, it's simply too late for some things.

If you have children, treat them with respect, prepare them for life, share your love, knowledge and experiences with them and be their best friend.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I know this is not FB which is why I asked you in advance if you were interested in this and the next post.