“Crossroads”​ - An almost-53-year-old, single with no dependents, is being laid off at year-end with a couple months of severance and a lean-but-solid $2.4M portfolio (88th percentile): $1.4M in a 401(k), nearly $1M in brokerage, some HYSA cash, and a small slice in RSUs. Annual spending runs about $95K (pressured by ACA premiums), and multiple simulations show a dynamic withdrawal plan could comfortably support $100K–$120K per year with a 95–100% success rate. Also, they are planning for six months of low-cost slow travel in Asia in 2026, likely only ~$30K for that period vs $100K. Yet the real anxiety isn’t math: they’re tired of corporate life but unsure what comes after travel, worried about ageism in a tough job market, and intimidated by simply “going” even though it’s cheaper than staying home. Most replies urge treating this as a sabbatical with optional work later, reminding them that at 53, the bigger risk is overthinking away some of their best remaining years.​