I know this couple and have dined with them a few times. They're really nice, and I don't begrudge them their success and happiness. They worked their butts off, had some good luck, and took some risks to get where they are.
I do feel that their comments in this article are maybe being presented by the CBC as more smug and self-assured than they are in person. My wife and I went a different direction (condo ownership, kid, stability with job), and they were always genuinely happy and gracious about our accomplishments. The first time we met them, my wife and I were having a celebratory dinner after having made a $10k prepayment on our mortgage, and they were there too, introduced by a mutual friend. This was right around when they were leaving their corporate jobs and exploring different options. If they read this, they'd probably know who we were from the above two sentences alone.
While I'm happy for them, I know I can't live that sort of life. I need a place to come home to, and curl up in. I also don't think having a million dollars at 30-something is a lot of money. I'd feel VERY precarious if I had interrupted my career with 30 years still to go for retirement. Inflation would eat into that million, and if a bad market diminished my investments, I'd have a hard time restarting my career after being away from it for so long. I also love living in Canada. I love seeing the same people every day, and forming relationships with them. A permanent vacation would quickly become tiresome for both me and my wife.
Ultimately, you gotta do what's right for you based on your circumstance, your goals, and your temperament. That may mean working a "corporate" job that you may not like, but getting your life satisfaction from your hobbies or extracurricular activities. I like my job, but sometimes it wears me down too, but I have a kid to support, and every time I have a bad day at work I can still come home, see his dumb grin as he waddles furiously over to greet me at the front door, and it all washes away.
Bryce and Christie are a great case study on some non-conventional options available to people in their circumstance. Good for them, and I wish them all the happiness in the world. If I'd suggest one lesson to take from their experience, it would be: enjoy the good things in your life, no matter how small.. know yourself and your goals.. and don't sweat too much about how other people succeed. Life your life as best as you can, and try to find some good people to live it together with.