The Story
About Armchair Musings
Life and freedom of thought
Definition of Musing
noun
a period of reflection or thought.
adjective
characterized by reflection or deep thought.
Hi, I’m Ed. I think, I brood, I despair, I hope.
My worldviews, with some flexibility and caveats: Atheist, Stoic (in the classical Greek sense), Technocrat, Introvert, Libertarian, knowledge maven, and conscientious INTJ.
Welcome to my publication about random life musings. I read…a lot…about everything. And I like to connect the dots between different topics. So I sit and ponder, whilst listening to classical vinyl records. All I need to complete the cliché is a slow-crackling fireplace to stare deeply into while overlooking a city skyline.
I’ve found more time on my hands these days, I like to treat time as my most valuable currency. So with that time, I’d like to share some of my stories and thoughts about a wide variety of topics: personal finance, investing, life, philosophies, humanity, society, relationships, and onwards and upwards.
Here’s my crazy story — I achieved financial independence and basically retired at age 31 while living in NYC. I know what you’re probably thinking…super crazy, I get it. I happened to be in the right time, right place, and knew the right people. It all came together for me. But I took extremely high risks, worked hard, adapted well, got super lucky, and have plenty of privileges in life.
The other bits about me: Currently based in NYC but have lived all over the place, with childhood roots in Florida and Hawaii. My educational background is in Finance and Accounting. Professionally I’ve been working for over ten years in the compliance field, focusing on anti-financial crimes, money laundering, sanctions, and fraud. I started off working at a big consulting firm, then transitioned to fintech startups. I still do some compliance consulting on the side…only if the projects are cool. I’ve since morphed into more of a Product role and design cool stuff in the world of blockchain and decentralization (purely for fun).
My life philosophies combine elements of Stoicism, Bushido/Hagakure, Taoism, Buddhism, Miyamoto Musashi, balance, and love.
But most days I work on my artistic hobbies and read/write. My other hobbies include performing street magic (cards+coins) and sculpting armor (fiberglass+bondo). I’m an old soul and prefer classical, jazz, swing, big band, and 1970s-1980’s pop music. I have a collection of over 1000 vinyl records. I love traveling and exploring new cultures — I spent many years on the road and have fast traveled across most of Europe and Asia. Classic Sagittarius explorer archetype. When I’m not traveling, I stay at home and typically read 6+ hours a day. I seek lifelong learning and exploration, I yearn for knowledge and experiences above all else.
So grab your drink, get comfy on your armchair, and let us muse together.
Good night and good luck.
Ed
