T minus 36 hours

Friday the 13th?

Five years of dreaming and planning come down to this - a date to pushing off. The house is rented, cars are disposed of, good-byes are underway - and then we leave Friday morning, September 13th. Now, there are superstitious folk (and sailors are some of the most dedicated) that would think it somewhat inauspicious to leave on Friday the 13th. The reason it works for us, is that Beth and I really discovered each other on September 11th 2001 - and if something that good can happen on that particular day, it suggests we are less susceptible to ill omens than others. That's what we keep telling ourselves anyway as Friday looms.

There really isn't much of a mad dash as I've had the whole summer to work on getting things ready while Beth worked. I've fixed everything I've broken and I have a reasonable amount of spares to fix the other things I'll break along the way. Because we moved onto the boat back in May, we got the biggest effort out of the way - disposing of most of our wordily goods and squeezing ourselves onto the boat. That makes this final week much less stressful.

The story of stuff

Some cruisers put things in storage or can simply rent their furnished house. We chose a slightly more drastic approach of getting rid of everything except for what will fit in a smallish closet. That will eventually catch up to us when we figure out what we're doing after cruising. The house will hopefully be sold next year, and then things will be about as simple as we can make them.

Stripping life down to the essentials feels good to me. It's so easy to wind up with garages filled with things you never use or storage rooms in addition to garages. You see it everywhere around you. I hear there are even TV shows dedicated to hoarders these days.  I guess because Beth and I have moved so much in our lives, we've gotten to somewhat resent packing stuff up and perhaps that is what allows us to feel a little more superior. But a boat is really good discipline to unloading and seeing what you can get by on. It's all relative too - there are many cruisers who would be aghast at all the stuff crammed onto our catamaran. We're sort of the hoarders of the cruising world for those sailing around in minimalist fashion. 

What next?

I have been terrifically busy for the last 9 months getting things ready and I do somewhat feel like I'm about to give birth to this new experience where everything will forever be different after it happens. It's a discontinuous event in our mostly linear lives. Most of you reading this probably have kids, so you know what I'm talking about. I'm not exactly sure what lies on the other side of Friday. Certainly there isn't a lot of projects anymore as I've done most everything that should have been done. Maybe I'll be able to relax more and do some of the things that I've always wanted to try. Or maybe I'll just be the plumber, electrician, diesel mechanic, computer IT guy that spends his whole time keeping everything running. I hope not. Stay tuned to discover what happens next!