First log entry: 16 April 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 10:20AM It is hard to believe that Code and crew will leave in just 3 weeks from today. They will sail to Portugal where Aethan, Graeme, and I will be meeting up with Code on June 21. That's our official beginning, and puchasing those three one way tickets to Lisbon, Portugal was when the abstract began to turn into a reality. That, and having Code finish up his job.
Recent weeks have been busy. Code is either at the marina outfitting the boat, shopping for equipment, or obsessively planning. A new order from Amazon or other on line retailer appears at our doorstop almost every day. Fuel containers, ropes, fenders, harnesses, flags, and bits of metal objects in various shapes and sizes to do everything from fasten batteries to start one. I think we even had a battery delivered. The kids have long since stopped getting excited when the FedEx man arrives with a parcel...the know it is 'just another boat thing for Dad'. The UPS guy is getting to be like a member of the family.
People always say...'You must be so excited!!'. That is not exactly the word I would use. At least, not the only word. I would say instead, I feel like I am a blank canvas. I have only the vaguest ideas as to what the picture will look like, and even when I try to imagine, I know it will be nothing like the final. I dont try too hard to fill in the picture ahead of time. I just imagine our life--with all the same things that we do, like school, work, cook, clean, shop, play, work out, sleep in, and experience joys, fears, happiness, and frustration, and lots and lots of yoga (naturally)--except on the boat.
I am excited about seeing all the things I have never seen before (or at least, lately!). I have never been to Paris or Rome and dream of their beauty and romance. Turkey, especially along the Black Sea, totally captures my imagination, though. Egypt (despite their turmoil, they are still actively encouraging tourism) will fascinate me. I will be overwhelmed being so close to the cradle of Western civilization, and at the cross roads of east and west. All this, however, will be minor relative to the experience and knowledge that it IS possible to find the proverbial 'off ramp' from the rat race. At least, take a detour.
I think we will be grateful to come home to what I anticipate will seem like a mansion (our house in Silver Spring, which I currently feel we're outgrowing). Back to unlimited running hot water, our car, Value Village, the dishwasher, and the laundry!!!! Surely, I will miss those dearly. Instead, we'll be going on foot and public transit (or, I hope by bike). I will adjust...and the kids will experience life as they have never dared imagine, whether that means walking to the market for groceries, limited space for toys, or jumping off the side of the boat for a swim as a study break.
To our friends and family, please come with us! Either here, by Skype, by email, facebook, in person (yes, we can meet up somewhere!) or just in spirit. We can't wait to hear about your year as you'll want to hear about ours. Boy, we'll miss you, and it will make the trip all the more wonderful to know that you are in our lives and will be sharing this experience with us.
Reader Comments (1)
Enjoyed the eloquence of your words. Thisadventure has been about the grunt work thus far but greater the effort greater the beauty and pleasure me thinks. Much to envy in a life so well lived. Look forward to future posts - need a vicarious adventure at the moment. I am in the wellies and out gardening in the chill and wet.