Dear Blog
Wednesday, September 20, 2017TheCambrians
I
never thought I’d ever write a Dear John letter, especially one to a blog. But
here I sit, typing the words that spell out our future.
It
wasn’t an easy decision. Not at first, anyway. But once the thought entered my head,
it started to take root. So, I decided to take the summer off to see if I’d
change my mind, but I haven’t: It’s time to end this thing.
As
much as I enjoy writing, the blog has turned into a chore. Maybe it’s the
subject matter. Maybe it’s the realities of selling a boat. Maybe it’s the simple
fact that I’d rather spend my time doing other things. Whatever the reason,
it’s not you. It’s me.
My
hope is I just need a break while we stumble our way through the process of
selling Cambria and I’ll work a new blog once that’s done (one about
narrowboating in England). But, at this point, I’m not too optimistic.
It’s
not just the blog, you see. It’s the internet in general and social media in
particular: The hacking, the trolls, the bullies, the propaganda. I’m tired of
it all and need some space.
I
want to thank you for taking the time to stop by over the years. Whether it was
once or one thousand times, it’s meant a great deal to me. I’ve had a lot of
fun writing this blog, sharing our experiences and the lessons we’ve learned
along the way, and I hope you had fun too. But all good things must come to an
end, or so they say, and this is ours.
Good
luck. Take care. And I wish you all the best.
Stephanie
8 comments
I've read (silently) for a long time, and I've always enjoyed your blog. I understand completely, though, why it's time to stop. Just know that you were appreciated, and you will be missed. Fair winds and following seas in all you do!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Melissa!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that you won't be blogging anymore, but completely understand. If it isn't fun and something you want to do, what's the point? Life's too short to be doing stuff that doesn't bring you joy. I'll miss your blogging and do hope our paths cross one day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellen. But you're not rid of me just yet. I'll still be following along and commenting on your blog. D and I also hope our paths cross one day. We'd love to sit down with you and Scott over a few beers and a lot of laughs!
DeleteI do hope the move to the canals reinvigorates you; I would love to follow along on a journey I am so curious about. But if not, then know your words have been appreciated and the excitement and joy you have brought to my own sailing adventures is is beyond measure.
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys! I do, too. If I don't miss writing (which I haven't so far), I'll be disappointed. For so many years it's been the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning. But now that I've caught the drawing bug (I do realistic graphite drawings from photos), it's the only hobby I want to spend my time on. I hope once the newness wears off, I'll want to make more room in my life for other things.
DeleteThis reminds me somewhat of an old Jim Carrey movie called "The Truman Show." It might have been the first forerunner to the "reality" show craze. The viewers enjoyed watching and living vicariously through the life of the participant (singular in the case of The Truman Show). At the end of the movie, when the main character changes his life and goes in a different direction, the final two viewers just changed the television channel to watch something different. However, here with you two, there is no replacement. I've loved reading your blogs all along. I'd long ago fallen in the habit of checking your blog every single morning as I go through my wake-up routine and try to defer the onslaught of the day for just a few more minutes. Your blog will be sorely missed by this loyal reader. You are a truly talented writer, Stephanie. Fortunately, however, I know you're going on to new and different adventures, and I look forward to hearing about those. Best of luck with the sale of Cambria--may it go quickly and smoothly. Love you guys, Paul and Julia.
ReplyDeleteI think my mouth just hit the floor . . . a comment from S.V. Sabina. Lol. Paul, you just made my day!
DeleteIt goes without saying that D and I miss you guys like crazy and are counting on you to come visit us in England -- I'll plan a special canal side pub crawl in your honour! And, as always, thank you for your kind words and complements.
Putting the boat on the market turned out to be a lot more difficult than we anticipated, but not for the reasons you might think (the emotional ones, though I'm 99% sure David's going to cry like a baby when we sign the papers). We're both ready to move on and would be happy for her to sell tomorrow (truly, it's that bad). The problem has been working around the fact that she hasn't been imported. In order to keep the VAT chain intact so that any potential buyers from the UK won't have to pay it again, she can't be imported into any other country. That couple with brokers providing us with incomplete and false information has led to several false starts and months of delays (not what you'd call compelling blog topics). So maybe once this is all over, I'll want to jump back into the world of blogging. If I do, you'll be the first to know!
Love you both! S and D