Farewell Bahamas!

March 23^rd, 2016 - the end. Our amazing journey is over. I’m struggling to make sense of it. So much is changing as we sell the boat and move back to land. I fear losing what I’ve left behind.

We had no idea when we set sail 922 days ago from Milford, CT, that we’d become addicted to the Bahamas. For three winters, we’ve sailed the crystalline, shockingly turquoise waters of the Exumas, wandering with the winds. We’ve made great friends, caught lots of fish and lobsters and enjoyed beach campfires with guitars serenading softly against a backdrop of the snaps and crackles of a fire. A jumble of memories that I want to keep forever.

How many sunsets and sunrises have we watched, stunned at the impressive display of Nature's artistry; distant bruised-grey-green clouds edged in golden hues by a sun lurking on the horizon. How many nights have we laid on the trampoline, staring up at a bright infinity of stars? We’re part of nature here - we’re surrounded by it and breathe deeply of it.

It feels like I’m leaving a part of me in the Bahamas. I won’t be whole when we return to land. There will be a yearning to return to these waters where I found such peace and tranquility. Life is slower here and more balanced than anything I think I’ll encounter in Maryland or elsewhere.

We’ve sailed some 10,000 miles on Dream Catcher since we left on September 13, 2013. Now, our lovely Exumas is just a dusky bump on the horizon as we set sail for Florida – some 225 miles ahead of us. We are whisked along on a strong breeze; all too quickly we’re leaving it behind.

10,000 miles and 10,000 memories. Certainly no regrets for making the decision. The only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner. It was a difficult choice to leave careers, friends, everything we owned, but it was the right choice for us. This life isn’t for everyone. It was our dream, not everyone’s dream.

My only advice to anyone reading this; life is to be lived, so live it. If you have a dream, follow it.

The journey is over (for now).

p.s. I wrote this as we were on the boat and headed to Florida at the end of March. The boat is now sold and we've begun a new life in Rockville, MD. Once Jeanette is off to college, I expect we'll once again be seeking new adventures. 

p.p.s. One of my ideas is to share a Bahamas island-by-island blog of pictures and 360 images that I've captured over the last 3 years. Stay tuned...