So I’ve joined a group of bloggers called the
“Raft-Up”. It was the brain child of Dana
(svnorthfork.blogspot.com) and it’s kind of a chance to sit back and think
about a (pre-selected) topic, do a little soul searching, and share it via our
blogs. There are 11 of us posting right
now and it’s completely open. I feel
like it’s almost like a long distance book club of sorts – a fun way to get a
bunch of different perspectives. At the
end of this post you’ll find the rest of the writers and some other great blogs
to follow if you are interested….
Since Brett and I haven’t actually left yet, I am the newbie
writing from the “getting ready to go” perspective and this month’s topic – Are
you a Sailor or a Traveler? – had me doing some serious thinking.
When Brett and I first started dating, I had done enough
traveling to know I wanted more – a LOT MORE. So when he expressed his dream to
go cruising on a sailboat, I found myself thinking – people actually do
that? Are you kidding? Where do I sign up???
The bottom line is that I love to travel, but I can’t stand
living out of a suitcase and having to pack up and move to a new spot every
couple of days. While it’s wonderful to
see all the sights and visit the locations that everyone says you should see, I
have always wished I could stay in places for longer periods of time. I find the idea of making friends with people
in a location, meeting their kids, learning about their life and getting to
know the land really appealing. What is their
life really like?
Add the ability to do it from the comfort of my own home,
without the constant packing and unpacking or airplanes and it sounds like a dream
come true. Don’t get me wrong, I
understand that it’s really all about boat repair in exotic places – but I’m
pretty sure I’ll get to do some looking around between repairs.
So yes – initially it was about the travel. But after almost 10 years of preparation, I
have definitely discovered a love for being on the water. And while boating with your parents as a kid
is great, boating with the man you love as an adult is WAY better! Once you get past the (ahem) “communication
issues” that all couples have when they first start boating together (another
blog topic???), I can safely say that many of my favorite moments with Brett
have happened while we were out on our boat together.
Leaving one’s comfort zone is definitely
tough and somewhat overwhelming – that’s why it’s called the comfort zone! Leaving all our family and friends will be
one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
But the travel, the sailing, meeting new people and experiencing things
I could never even imagine – I can’t help but feel it will be worth every
moment of the fear and uncertainty I will face. I want MORE. I want to feel the peace I felt on my one and
only “real” passage from New Zealand to Tonga.
That feeling I had while just sitting on the deck, no land in sight,
listening to the rhythmic sound of the water against the hull and watching a
stray bird perfectly skimming the waves.
I’ve never felt so completely alone, but totally at peace in a moment of
time. I can’t wait to experience it
again.
But for now, prior to our departure, I just want to see,
feel and experience everything I can while we are still here in Seattle. To spend time with the people we care about, to
experience all of the things I love here, to sit in our cockpit and
watch a King Fisher catch his dinner, to be at anchor with good friends, to live
in this moment, while still thinking about the adventures waiting just over the
horizon. And while I originally thought
it was more about the travel than sailing, I’m beginning to see it’s really
about both.
Behan ">sv-totem.blogspot.com/
Jessica mvfelicity.blogspot.com
Great post. Your enthusiasm is catchy. :) And your description of those moments with your partner - on the boat - together, really resonate. For some reason I can't articulate (yet), it seems richer & more meaningful than moments in a house.
ReplyDelete