Blog ideas come in all shapes and
sizes at different time of the day –
on my morning walk, while having dinner, in my sleep. This one was born in the shower.
It started off as a simple thought: I need to
come up with a nice way to say Happy Thanksgiving on our Facebook page. I decided to post a picture of the boat at anchor with the text, “I’m
grateful for it all.” But that just
didn’t seem to cut it. I wanted to say
more.
David and I have been cruising for 13 years, though
not in a conventional way. We set out to
see the world and discovered that we enjoyed living in different countries, on
a boat, for long periods of time while exploring and meeting new people. We’re both retired and haven’t worked since
2001 . . . we’re very fortunate. But,
like a lot of cruisers, I tend to underplay our lifestyle as if I’m somehow
embarrassed at its greatness. Or worse,
afraid I don’t deserve it. But I
do. We both do: David and I have worked very hard over the years
to get where we’re at in life, him undeniable more so than me. And we continue to work hard: Cruising isn’t easy. It is, however, extremely rewarding.
But, apart from the blog, we don’t say much about
our way of life – even then, I hold back because I’ve heard “must be nice”
covered in sarcasm one too many times along the way. And to be honest, there are people in our
lives who aren’t very interested: some because they’re envious and others
because they have no basis of understanding of how we live. This issue isn’t unique to us. Thousands of other cruisers have the same
problem. We get where it comes from,
have accepted it and have long since moved on.
The truth is, though, we have an amazing life: We sail the ocean with nothing to keep us
company except the stars. We experience
the kindness of strangers who later become life-long friends. We sail amongst the mountains where we bathe
in waterfalls and soak in natural hot springs
And I’m grateful for it
all . . . today and every day!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
6 comments
Couldn't say it better! The points you list are why we loved being on a boat. Now we are thankful for solid ground under our feet and a home that no longer rocks and bucks when the winds hit 50mph and you're tied to the dock. Happy Thanksgiving, Stephanie and David! We hope to see you again some day!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and Jerry! I can relate to your being thankful for solid ground -- between the ferry and strong winds, it's been rocking and rolling a bit around here lately. I'm looking forward to taking a break and spending some time with the family in Kansas . . . one more thing to be grateful for. Lol.
DeleteExcellent! And the photos really lock this down.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving, Melissa (or should I say Merry ThanksMas).
DeleteCheers!
Wow, must be nice!! 😁 Happy Thanksgiving! To be free to be who are and live in such natural splendor is an incredible thing.
ReplyDeleteIt bloody well is! Lol.
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