Since we set out on this
adventure, I have learned (and observed) that every cruising family is eventually
faced with our situation. For some combinations of reasons: money, family,
health, job or simply life preferences, a time comes when the family begins to
wrap up their aquatic adventure and move back to the more ‘normal’ life on
land. For the Millers, that time has come.
Fortunately for us, the
reasons come down to life preferences. When we made the decision to move onto
Stochastic and head south, we had an open-ended timeline. We knew this trip
might be for 5 months or 5 years, and as many of you may have heard us say, we
will be taking baby steps. While we fantasized about sailing to the Marquesas
and other far off places, we also said that at any point if we were not having
the time of our lives, we could move on to the next adventure...
For us there were several
things that led up to the decision. I like hot weather, but I also like air
conditioning. Being on a boat does not allow you to get away from the sun very
often and a cool refreshing shower lasts about as long as it takes to towel
off. Oh, and we haven’t been here for the HOT season yet. Really! It get’s
hotter….
Sailing is romantic,
captivating and peaceful, most of the time. Other times you find yourself in
20’ seas (waves) crashing into the cockpit, rocking back and forth for hours on
end, trying to find a safe place to vomit without falling overboard. Sophie
became an expert at this; I think she could throw up into a Coke bottle if
necessary. Seriously, this is a skill set that can’t be acquired; cruisers are
born with it. J Many
cruisers get accustomed to being seasick and we were ‘OK’ with it, but it
certainly was a bummer.
Owning a boat is a lot of
work! There is a saying, “Cruising is fixing you boat in exotic places.” Truer
words have never been spoken. I talk with friends and family and often have to
reassure them that I don’t get to spend every day sipping Pina Coladas (though
we did plenty of that, too). Some folks we have sailed with have older boats-
ones that require constant attention. That is not the case for Stochastic. She
is in great shape and despite her age, most everything is new. And yet, daily
maintenance and new things breaking, compounded by trying to find replacement
parts in a foreign country - well, it wears on you. Some cruisers embrace it
like a challenge, for me it was just an obligation like mowing the lawn (only
it would be like having to walk to the gas station in 95 degrees and 300%
humidity before you got to cut the grass).
Probably the biggest
factor for us was both a positive and a negative. While cruising you have the
wonderful experience of meeting absolutely amazing people. We have made friends
that we will stay in touch with for life, based on a bond that could only be
created by sharing similar experiences and helping out when help was needed
(cruisers bend over backward for one another – it is special). The dark side to
all of this is that, well-we cruise, which means that we move on. So, for every
friendship that blossoms, an inevitable goodbye is looming over the not-so-distant
horizon. For adults this can be difficult. For cruising kids, it's twice as hard.
Sophie is remarkably social and makes friends easily, but having Mom and Dad as
the "anchor" friends in her life must be a huge challenge.
So, I need to be careful.
Reading this, one may come to the conclusion we had an awful trip. That is so
far from the truth. If given the choice, each of us would choose to do it all
over again, with a few improvements of course.
As I mentioned above, we
have made friendships that are immeasurable. We have experienced new cultures
and observed families finding happiness regardless of how much money they
possess. We have volunteered with a Christian organization whose works are far
more meaningful that I can express. I have had the pleasure of homeschooling
Sophie, something I had serious reservations about when we set out on this trip,
but now feel quite positive about.
Most importantly, I have
bonded with my wife and daughter in a way I certainly could not have had I been
on land. That alone is something I wish every father could experience. And yes,
we had our moments of Pina Coladas in the warm sand, tropical breezes blowing
through the palms and any other stereotype of life in paradise. Now, however,
it’s time for this cruising family to turn life in paradise into fond memories
and begin the next chapter of our adventure.
As I write this, the girls
(and Monty) have made their way back to Wisconsin. I will be departing Banderas
Bay (with crew) mid May and making my way back north (did I mention it's hot
here?) I should be in San Diego by the end of May. I will keep you posted.
