Birthdays help pin down the slippery slope of life. A moment
in time is captured in the light of candles flickering on a cake. You can compare
the moment to what happened all those many 365 days ago. Recently, I had such
an opportunity for reflection.
It seems ages ago that we set out on our journey, but it was
only September 2013 - not even two years ago. If you measure your life in the
places seen, people met and experiences enjoyed, then these last 19 months have
a timeless quality. We're so rarely “still” in this watery life. A few weeks
in one place starts to feel like a few months and time to move on. Such as it
does now, after spending three weeks on the hook in Palm Beach Florida after arriving
from the Bahamas. It’s time to move on, pull up the anchor and start heading
north at a faster pace.
Returning to the US after six months in the Bahamas is
always a mixed blessing. We give up the crystal waters and endless vistas of
bleached sand for a heavily developed infrastructure where anything you could
possibly want is available. I shake my head entering a grocery store with the
limitless choices on display. It’s overwhelming when the last store you were in,
you counted yourself lucky to find fresh salad greens or fruit. In the Bahamas,
you make do with what’s there, not necessarily what you wanted. Fulfilling your
wants is so easy here in the US. It’s easy to go overboard after so many months
with limited access. The boat is now stuffed with gluten-free treats,
chocolates and other goodies that just aren’t available in the Exumas. I think
the thirty pounds I lost since beginning our adventures is already rushing back
at me.
I miss our boat buddies and the casual discovery of what
each day holds. One day we’re fishing, the next exploring a new reef or
sandbar. Finding some new perspective on the infinite combinations of turquoise
waters, powdery white sand and golden sunsets. The day always ends with the
wind whistling through the rigging, the sun burnishing the horizon and the mournful
sound of a conch shell, blown to acknowledge another day done. You go to bed
early as the night descends, without worries of what the next day will bring.
Each day we get a new chance to practice existing in the
moment. I’m not very good at it, as Beth will tell you. My nature is to be
doing something, even at the expense of everyone else’s enjoyment of the
moment. But this life on the water is my best hope for a cure. It’s rare a day
goes by that I don’t stop, look around and go “wow, this is amazing”.
Admittedly, those moments happen more often in the Bahamas, but they happen
here too. It’s taken this crazy cruise to get me to focus more on my wife, my
children and those that mean something to me. I realize it shouldn’t take such
an elaborate break from “reality”, but I’m a tough nut and exceptional means
were required.
I know we’re lucky to be doing what we’re doing. It must
seem like an extravagance to many, and in some ways it is – at least how we
went about it. But I’ve now met many cruisers who have taught me how simply and
inexpensively the same goals can be pursued. They are enjoying the same sunsets
and beaches that we do. Money isn’t the determining factor, desire is.
On my 57th birthday, my desire is to continue
this watery wandering for another year, perhaps visit Cuba next season. Then
we’ll return to the USA for another birthday and I can take stock of the life
we’ve led and prepare for what’s next.
Here's a short video I put together to capture some of what the last twelve months was like:
Here's a short video I put together to capture some of what the last twelve months was like:
Video of our second year in 4 minutes (some details were left out)
