Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Dale Knight Update Interview

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

We have known Dale Knight for over a decade. An inveterate world traveler, Dale has logged more miles and seen more countries than we can personally name. Traveling is good for the mind and soul, and Dale shares his wisdom and perspective below.

To read our first interview of Dale, click here. For a COVID Travel Update Interview with Dale, click here.

Dale on the island of Koh Samet, Thailand

Retire Early Lifestyle: It has been a decade since we interviewed you on the beach in Phuket Thailand. What have you been doing the last ten years?

Dale Knight: I've continued to travel as much as possible, expanding my horizons as well as revisiting favorite cities and renewing acquaintances with friends scattered around the world. I've even managed to catch up with the two of you a few times. In Chapala, Guatemala and in Vietnam. 

I haven't lost the lust for travel in the least.  If anything, it's increased.

REL: How did you survive the 2008/09 recession? Travel less?

DK: I don't think I traveled any less, but I did probably keep a closer eye on expenses. Fortunately I had enough cash reserve to keep me sane. Worst case scenario and everything goes to hell …. as perpetual travel guru Paul Terhorst said to me the other day, "we wind up stuck in a place like Chiang Mai. What's so bad about that?"

Dale with children in Kenya

REL: How do you manage your finances especially with your never ending travel schedule?

DK: I have all my monthly bills automatically charged to credit cards … and then the credit card payments automatically deducted from my bank account when due. A side benefit to that is that I'm able to rack up points/miles on the credit cards, which I then apply to award ticketing or hotel stays. When traveling, I use ATMs for cash and I carry two cards as insurance, in case I lose one. 

That's happened more times than I care to admit.

REL: How has your portfolio changed since we last spoke? Did the market downturn of 2008/09 cause you to modify your investments?

DK: I readjusted my portfolio a little. Sold some that were underperforming before the downturn and replaced them with stocks and funds I thought had more upside when the tide turned. I recommitted to keeping enough cash reserve to survive a couple of years should we go through all that again.

However, I must admit it's painful to sit on too much cash when the market is soaring, as it did in 2017, but when the market takes a sudden dive, I'm able to sleep at night.

REL: Also, you are age qualified for Social Security. Has this income changed your life in any way?

DK: Social Security is a nice little monthly bonus, isn't it? I figure every month I earn a few nights lodging … or an airplane ticket to somewhere.  Money I didn't have before. There aren't many advantages to getting older, but getting a social security check is one of them. 

Also senior citizen's discounts.  Never thought I'd be saying that! 

REL: I believe that you are now on Medicare. Do you use it for normal checkups? Do you still utilize medical tourism for your general care?

DK: I've not yet used Medicare. Last US doctor I saw regularly was my pediatrician and that was a few decades ago. For the last several years I've paid all of my medical expenses out-of-pocket, and have long term relationships with doctors at the internationally renowned Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok. I  track my annual medical expenses and so far, I've spent far less than I'd have paid for insurance in the US. 

Just last month I saw a cardiologist at Bumrungrad, and converted to US dollars, I paid about $200 … that for blood work and the doctor's fee. I was in and out in two hours. I'm content to stick with that program and rely on Medicare only if I should have a very serious problem where out-of-pocket expenses would be financially crippling.

Dale in the Russian Red Square

REL: The last time we interviewed you, you mentioned that you logged between 100,000 and 200,000 miles a year in travel. Have you slowed down your travel schedule? How many miles do you log per year these days?

DK: I still fly over 100,000 miles each year, but just barely. I haven't slowed down but have changed my travel itineraries somewhat. 

Ten years ago, I was buying around-the-world tickets, originating in countries where currency fluctuations made prices favorable. But those tickets are no longer the great deal they once were. So I fly point-to-point these days … and consequently don't rack up as many miles -- or new countries -- as I did ten years ago. 

REL: With the many years that you have been traveling and the amount of miles you have logged, are there any countries you still have a passion to visit? What is it about a country that appeals to you in order to put it on your list for travel?

DK: Oh my. There are so many countries I still have a passion to visit. 

I'm intrigued by countries that are not on the average tourist radar quite yet, but are developed enough that traveling there isn't particularly grueling or difficult. I look for that middle-ground. Not touristy, but still relatively comfortable. I'm going to Colombia in May. That will be new for me. I'm interested in traveling through the Balkans. Old Soviet republics like Belarus, Georgia, any of the "Stans"  are on my list. Mongolia. And I still haven't been to Greenland. 

The list is long.

REL: Has your life digitized? Do you utilize Skype? iPhone? What devices do you travel with? Do you make financial transactions online?

DK: I do utilize Skype as well as free messaging/phone apps such as LINE which is immensely popular in Asia. Kakao Talk and WhatsApp are a couple of others I use. 

With an iPhone, I'm able to do just about any financial transaction I need to do. I can transfer money between accounts, pay bills, buy and sell stocks.  Everything I need is contained in that little phone. I don't even travel with a laptop or iPad. Just my phone.

REL: You travel light, what is your advice to others? Do you have a special travel tip?

DK: Laundry. 

I travel with about a week's worth of clothes and regularly do laundry. As long as I'm in one place more than a couple of days, I can usually find a wash and fold service that costs a fraction of what a hotel might charge. Shoes are a problem as they take up space. Usually I wear the one pair of shoes I travel with … shoes adaptable to any climate. If I'm going to a warm weather destination, or a beach, I buy sandals once I'm there. Having said that, I currently have a pair of sandals packed in my bag. They lay pretty flat and don't take too much room. 

Tee shirts you can buy anywhere and everywhere. I've also discovered at ski resorts in New Zealand and Japan, you can rent everything, including a ski outfit, gloves, hat. Anything you need. Another tip that works only if you return to a place often enough, store some clothes with a hotel or guesthouse where you're a frequent guest. 

Dapper Dale in St Petersburg, Russia

REL: I notice you are always wearing stylish clothes. Do you buy them in the countries you are traveling in?

DK: Thanks for the compliment but I look like a vagabond most of the time. Actually, I wear the same basic uniform … sticking with shades of blue/black/gray. I do pack one dress shirt that I can wear if the occasion warrants as well as trousers that can double as dressy or casual. Depending on where I'm going and for how long, I might wear a sport coat on the plane. I do sometimes buy clothes when traveling, usually out of necessity. 

A couple of years ago, when in Northern Ireland,  I was unprepared for the cold and rain. I bought a parka that has become a wardrobe staple. 

REL: We understand that you own a home in the U.S. Will you sell that home at some point and travel full time? Or will you rent somewhere and keep a domicile inside the US?

DK: As we've discussed many times, and you stress in your blog, a home is a burden if you love to travel. I vow to sell my house  every year, but I first have to get rid of STUFF. It's paralyzing, but once I get past that hurdle, I'll sell the home and probably do as you both do … pick a place to base out of … for me that would probably be in Asia, and travel from there. 

I'm at the point where I feel more at home when traveling than I do when back in my real home in the US. 

I know your readers can relate.

Retire Early Lifestyle would like to thank Dale for his time and generosity in sharing his perspectives and wisdom about traveling. We all have benefited from your skill and your tips!

Thanks, Dale!

For more stories and interviews of Captivating Characters and Early Retirees, Click Here

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

HOME   Book Store

Retire Early Lifestyle Blog      About Billy & Akaisha Kaderli      Press     Contact     20 Questions     Preferred Links    

Retirement     Country Info     Retiree Interviews      Commentary     REL Videos