David and I have been in Kansas for one month now, acting as
temporary landlubbers. If you’ve never
heard the term before, a landlubber is someone who’s unfamiliar with the sea
and isn’t a sailor. Depending on how it’s used, it can be quite derogatory
(just ask any self-respecting pirate). Lubber, after all, means a “clumsy” or
“stupid person”. The word has taken on a softer definition over the years and
is more often used to describe someone who lives on land: a landlubber. Sadly,
that’s us right now . . . and my word of the week.
Since
leaving Cambria in December to spend the holidays with my family, we’ve been living on
land and have succumbed to all of its trappings: eating out, movies, bars,
sporting events, shopping, television . . . even the local zoo. And I have to
tell you, we feel like fish out of water: We’re restless. Lost. And
disconnected.
Don’t
get me wrong. We’re not miserable and are enjoying the relative ease of life on
land: No concerns about the weather or the upcoming forecast. Water flows
freely straight from the tap. There’s an unlimited supply of electricity. And,
yes. It’s nice to flush a toilet rather than pump it out. But Cambria’s our home. Our refuge in a storm. She connects us to
nature and to the sea. With her, we know where the sun rises and falls. Which
way’s north. From what direction the wind is blowing. Whereas on land, we’re
sheltered from those things which can leave us feeling a little out of place.
My
life on land is just starting, but David’s will be ending soon. He needs to get
back to the boat to take the final steps in getting her ready to sell and it
looks like that journey will start sometime next week. Honestly, it’s a bit of
a bummer. I know it’s best to divide and conquer (especially when some of that
dividing is because paint and glue fumes make me sick) and we both have plenty
of work to do to keep us busy. But life is never quite as good without David by
my side . . . on land or on the sea.
What word sums up your week? Join the conversation below
in the comments section or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you!
14 comments
Unlimited hot showers are pretty nice! Hopefully the time will pass quickly and you can move on your plans and be out of the woods and into the clear.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about patience when living on a boat, isn't it?
DeleteSounds like fun! Our little family are definitely landlubbers too, although we do occasionally like to travel by ferry too :) or any boat for that matter! #wotw
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to take a land-based break to visit the family and appreciate how great living on a boat really is.
DeleteIt must be such a strange adjustment period for you, I can understand why you're feeling restless. Hope David isn't away from you for too long x Thanks for sharing with #WotW
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jocelyn. It's funny how strange it can feel to rejoin a land-based society (who the heck is everyone talking to/texting/Facebooking all of the time?).
DeleteYou are missing your boat home, and I am sometimes missing my land home. Some days I prefer the term 'LandLover' to 'LandLubber'. But enjoy your time and unlimited hot showers! You'll be back soon and gearing up for your new adventure.
ReplyDeleteLandLover is definitely the kinder, more gentle term. It's tough. I'm enjoying the extra space and regular doses of sunshine, but there really is no place like home (it's hard not to go there when you're a Kansas girl at heart).
DeleteHopefully your word of the week next week won't be "lonely". Enjoy the conveniences of the landlubber life! Soon, it will be back to the basics again. I know how you feel about being a "fish out of the water". We have been feeling like this for months now, but more in social settings. But, at least we are together. :-). That being said, I do like my "me time" once in a while and I hope you will be able to take some advantage of that as well.
ReplyDeleteI actually already have my word of the week picked out for next Friday and it's a BIG one!
DeleteI'm not sure what the right word for this week is. Is there one word that describes constantly fixing things and spending money on things for your boat? If so, that's our word :-)
ReplyDeleteI think the word is "routine". ;-)
DeleteI hope you are not apart for too long, I feel exactly the same way about my husband.I hope you enjoy the rest of your time on land though #WotW
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angela!
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