Last year on a train trip in Germany, I got to know a retired German doctor and we became good friends. When I travel to Germany to see my children, sometimes he invites me to stay at his home. He lives in a very humble place, a one-bedroom apartment with a monthly rent of about $700. When I stay with him, I coachsurf in his living room since he does not have a guestroom. 

Out of professional interest, I asked him about his income during his working years and how he provided for his retirement security. As an internist, he made about $100k a year. He does not receive the German national social security income. Instead, his pension is currently provided by a doctor’s association he belongs to. This pension pays him about $60k a year. He has no real property to his name, other than an old beat-up VW. 

He lives in the Rhein River area near a train station. The two banks of the Rhein river are not only picturesque but also historical – dotted with old castles. Every morning he wakes up at 5 and takes a 30 minute train ride to hike his favorite mountain. He arrives back home around 9 am to have a breakfast of coffee and German brot (bread). I joined him once, and the hike was strenuous, lasting for a few hours. 

Yesterday, I joined him for another hiking trip. This time we went to the Laacher Lake area, a volcanic lake with a historical monastery.  We hiked all the way around the lake, which was 9 kilometers (6 miles)! 

By the end of the hike, my legs were dragging, but he was still walking briskly!  I can see that due to his daily habit, he is even stronger than I am when it comes to walking. He is 79 years old, a full 24 years older than I am. 

I almost forgot to mention, it was not just the two of us, a medical school classmate of his also joined us on the hike.   

This got me thinking, what is the wealth of my German doctor friend? In financial terms, he has very little. But he lives a much happier life than many retired American doctors I know. He has impeccable health, and he maintains his friendships (like that with his medical school classmate,) He also continues to develop new friendships like making friends with a stranger (me) on a train. Aren’t these the true wealth?

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