This last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Camp Fi: Midwest 2018 on the banks of the St. Croix River. This was the 5th Camp Mustache/Camp FI event I’ve been to, and the 7th big meetup if you include the Chautauquas in Ecuador. Each one was special in it’s own way.
I find it fun to look back on past event recaps to see what I got out of them and how that’s changed over the years.
My first few events I went to get advice, soak up the knowledge of those around me and have some fun.
I’m still willing to get advice, soak up knowledge (like from Tanja’s excellent chat on health care), and have some fun, but that’s not my main focus anymore. I’ve learned that now I’m the one giving out advice and having others soak up my knowledge.
Oh how the tables have turned.
I also really, really appreciated the words of comfort and support I got from everyone there. My last post about things not working out the way I planned struck a chord with both the readers of this blog and the people I talked to at Camp FI. I had incredibly deep, raw, and honest conversations with some people while there that I will appreciate more than they probably know.
This is why I love going to these events. Where else can you go to have deep conversations with people who have been in your shoes? (or a pair that looks a lot like them). The people who go to these events are my people. They are my tribe.
If you haven’t been to one, I can’t urge you enough to go to one! Your life won’t be the same because of it. Is that statement bordering on slightly overdramatic? Maybe, but it is true. The path of my life changed after my first FI event. It’s as addictive as cocaine, but with good side effects instead of bad ones like tweaking out naked in a mall fountain or holes in your nose.
What do people do at events like Camp FI?
If your name is Carl (Mr. 1500) you run around with a plastic baggie full of dinosaurs in your pocket and leave pictures of dinosaurs on people’s unattended phones. Like this one. I’m actually proud I got dinosaured as that means I at least spent some time present in the moment and not glued to my phone.
Carl also gave a pretty excellent talk on what life after FIRE looks like. Don’t let him fool you when he says he doesn’t do well speaking to people — he crushed it!
Physician on FIRE, Chad Carson, Tanja, Anthony, Cait, and Carl were the main speakers and gave really awesome talks that left a lot of people in attendance with multiple things to think about. Kids, real estate, life after FI, #minimalism, and being more present in life were some of the topics discussed.
After the chats we all sat around and twiddled our thumbs while staring at each other for the rest of the weekend.
Just kidding!
We were at a beautiful retreat center on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin, so there was plenty to do outside. Basketball, volleyball, frisbee, football, corn hole, canoeing and hiking were just some of the many activities we could do.
That is my boyfriend and Noah playing corn hole/bags. Don’t play bags against Noah. He will utterly destroy you. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you.
I can also say I canoed to a different state, which is something I can’t say I can do everyday. The weather was beautiful and the company engaging (if not a little heavy to have 3 adults in one canoe because we definitely got stuck on more than one sandbar…). I don’t get much time to hang out with friends so I enjoyed every minute of it!
We also had a fun time playing games inside after the sun went down. My boyfriend and I learned how to play Euchre, which we were told is a True Midwestern game. All I know is my old lady trifecta is now complete — cat, euchre, and knitting. I’ll get a sweet wheelchair one of these days. In blue!
We also played other card drinking games and the classic Cards Against Humanity. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a loooonngggg time. Nights like those are good for the soul. And when else can you see PoF looking goofy by pulling the back of his shirt up on his head? Or Miss Mazuma getting silly? It helps everyone to remember bloggers are real people too!
I was definitely sad to leave everyone on Monday, but a lot of the attendees at this Camp FI were local to the area, so we’ll be able to meet up easier than is the case with some of the other events I’ve been too. A good chunk of the non-local attendees I’ll see soon at FinCon, so it’s hard to be super sad about leaving!
Special thanks goes to Young FIRE Knight and Reaching for FI for making this weekend extra awesome! You rock!
Thanks for reading! Will you go to a Camp FI event next year? Have you been to one before?
It was such a fun weekend! Thanks again for everything you and Erik did, you were awesome hosts!
So sad I’ll be missing FinCon but hope to see you again in the near future! 🙂
Sounds like such an awesome experience! Hoping to make it to the next Midwest Camp FI! Thanks for the recap.
Thanks for the kind comments Gwen! That was one fantastic weekend and for better or for worse, Camp FI Minnesota probably won’t be the last time you get dinosaured.
Permission not granted to use that photo!! 😉 It was awesome hanging out with you as usual. And a big thanks to you and Eric for taking Stephen and I in for a sleepover Monday night. Just like old times!!
CampFI was so much fun. Great to meet both you and Erik. Can’t wait for FinCon. Did someone say beer party?
This is why I CANNOT wait for FinCon! Everyone seems so awesome and many have been internet friends for years now. Can’t wait to finally meet so many people that have helped steer the trajectory of my financial life!!
Very cool! I just got the nomination form in my email to speak at CampFI in 2019. I’m tempted to go again this spring to Midatlantic!
Yeah!! Do it!!
It was fun to meet you, Gwen! I also find it ironic that you mention “people who have been in your shoes”…considering I don’t think you wore shoes the whole weekend 😉
Let’s get together sometime soon! We’d love to have you and Erik over for deck drinks!
HA! You’re right, I spent most of the weekend barefoot. I prefer the no shoes life 🙂
Deck drinks sound excellent!!
“Bloggers are people too”
Ha, love it!
Great recap! It was nice finally got to meet you in person albeit the new hairstyle did confuse me a little at first 🙂
Great recap Gwen! Agree on all points, particularly that we all feel like a tribe during these events.
It’s amazing how comfortable it can be striking up a conversation with someone new at these events, simply because we share that common interest in FI.
Now I just need to figure out how to turn cornhole skills into an income producing hobby…
Noah,
I challenge you to a duel.
Challenge accepted!
It was great to hang out again, Gwen! A great pre-FinCon warmup. And yeah, Noah should be a professional bag tosser, or at least semi-pro.
See you soon!
‑PoF
You betcha! It was so much fun I skipped sleep most nights (err… every night). But, there was no warning of the many, mighty mosquitos… Turns out Minnesooootans talk funny, too! I’m still trying to figure out how to use ‘Uff da’ in a sentence
Thanks for the awesome write up! I’m going to Camp FI South next weekend and it will be my first event anything like this. The more Camp FI recaps I read, the more excited I get!
Really hoping to make it to one next year!
Now I’m really feeling like I missed out. Didn’t get to this event, missing FinConned, but worst of all, I lost a golden opportunity to get Dinosaured by Carl when I was out in Longmont in July.
Alas.… Calendar management 101, Cubert!!!
Hi
It seems that you have an awesome camp. I believe that you would have gained valuable insight during this period.
WTK
Man, it really looks like y’all had a great time! I hope I can go next year.
It was so nice to see you again, friend, and thanks so much for the ride to/from the airport and for hosting us at your place! I look forward to you and Erik crushing me (or at least attempting to) at euchre at FinCon… 😉
Sounds like a great time and a wonderful learning experience. It is on my goal list for 2019!
Hey Gwen that sounded so great and it was so close to us.
How do we find out about these events? I knew about the one in Seattle that got so hot it’s super hard to get in but now it seems there are more spread out around the US.
How do we find out when the next one is?
Hi Gwen!
I’m new to your blog, I came across it while reading the latest MMM article on his headquarters. I went down the rabbit hole of seeing what FI enthusiast’s reside around Minneapolis. From what I’ve read so far I am enjoying your blog and your sometimes brutal honesty of some of your experiences thus far. I’m really interested in attending one of these FI Midwest meets. Could you share where you find out about them and any other local meets?
Keep up the good work!
Cool & pretty post. Mixed with a lot of information and experience. Thanks a lot, GWEN.