It’s strange being home.
I guess it’s because reality is setting in. While we were in SoCal I was following the news and markets insanely closely. I knew what was going on, more so than most folks, but, and although I didn’t realize it, I wasn’t internalizing it.
We had no issues getting groceries, dealing with day-to-day problems, or going insane. My wife’s side of the family decided to hold their reunion, and there were distractions galore. It didn’t feel like there was a global crisis even though I knew there was.
Now that we’re home we’re outside our bubble. The house is bare. We left essentially no food here, so Kaitlin is out fighting lines to get a few essentials. It’s not too terrible, but it will take a few days to stock up a bit.
The markets are absolutely wild. I don’t remember anything like this since 2008. It seems like a lifetime ago, but I distinctly recall watching similar insane moves with my friend Oliver while working as glorified proofreaders (they called us analysts) in the management consulting space.
I recall investing as much as I could. He did the same; we both did well in the coming years. Oliver may still be holding some of his Google stock he bought in his retirement account. I wouldn’t be surprised.
This time is different, at least for me. The only equities Kaitlin and I own are in our 401(k)’s (no, I haven’t bothered looking). Most of our money is going into Detroit real estate now. I have no idea what this will spell for that market, but if it drags on, it can’t be good. Regardless, we’ll keep doing our thing because we have a plan and we’re forming a plan to work through this challenging environment as well.
I’m not sure what bubble the market is exiting but I’m sure they’ll label it in the months and years to come.