Okay, technically we got here on Friday night. But I just charged my iPad and my cell phone does not like the blogger website...
So far, it has been great. A good, slow pace from the crazy business of packing/cleaning the house. We still have tons of stuff to do...
But to tell you about our moving in process. Moving away from the house was long and exhausting work. Driving down was terrible since I stuff the car as full as she could go. Everyone was tired of being in the car by the end. Even though we were starving, we agreed the best thing for everyone was to order pizza just so we could avoid the car.
We haven't even finished unpacking. We only have a little left to do, but it has been nice taking our time. Though I think as soon as my son's Disneyworld birthday adventure is over, we are going to buckle down and try to get the boat ready to sail so we can get some practice in. Well, more like my husband can teach me visually what he has been telling me.
We are planning two or three day trips and coming back to this marina then heading out and south towards the end of the month. Though we haven't officially decided where. We were planning on heading to the Caribbean since November is the best time to go, but we have relatives saying to stay in the states for a year so I personally can get my "sea legs" so to speak. We are still talking over all of the options.
Oh, and the coolest news... We had a dolphin come and swim around our dock the first day we got here.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Hell Week
Okay, so maybe Hell Month.
I have not sat down properly and done "nothing" for quite some time. I am always doing something. Actually, I haven't been able to do any of my crafts which I adore in a while and I have a list of people waiting for me to get crafting for them. I figure I will do this on the boat when things calm down and they can just wait.
But in all seriousness, for the last week, I have been going nonstop. Staying up late and waking up early to get my house cleared out. I have been doing what so many liveaboards have done before me and have looked at all of my belongings- well, not all, I still have stuff to go through- and had to decide if I needed it or wanted it so bad I was willing to let it take up space on the boat. If not, then I needed to decide if it was going to be sold, donated, or trashed.
A few things I have learned from this experience-
1) I am NOT the person with the most attachments. I mean I should have known since I was raised in foster care and most of my belongings would not even make it out of the house it was bought in. If it did, it rarely made it to the next house. In fact, I still have one teddy bear as the only item that started the journey with me and has made it this far and it's only missing a nose. I am keeping that.
2) We own a lot of things we NEVER use. We keep a lot for "just in case."
3) I need more storage bins. I have some. I have tons in fact. I am selling most because they "grow mold" on boats or "might grow mold" and we just don't want to chance it.
4) I am more attached to my son's toys than he is. In fact, when I told him to pick out his absolutely favorite toys in the whole world, he picked out some cheap McD's toys he hasn't played with since he got the happy meal since they were on the top of the toy box (we were cleaning out some of the broken toys a few weeks ago and he hasn't looked in there since). I am the one who is blinking back tears as I put dinosaurs he spent hours with every day for months when he was two into the "sell" pile.
5) Babies either have very bulky toys or small toys that my daughter has long ago deemed "boring."
6) We love to read but love to own books that we plan on not reading for months. I am still convinced we need to get rid of more and just buy some on kindle when we are sure we will read them.
7) People say they love my furniture. They do not. Only people who do not need my furniture love my furniture. Everyone has bought the "organizing" stuff such as cubicals and shelves. A friend who just moved bought my couches. My beds and dressers? Nope. People are just saying "that is really beautiful."
8) A yardsale would be so much easier than selling online. However, I do not have a free day available.
9) Kids (all kids, even those who are not yours) will undo all the organizing you are doing while trying to sort through your junk, treasures, and trash. Work quickly.
10) I am deeply afraid even when we get to the boat, we will still have too much stuff. Seriously. I have a lingering fear that I will need to give away my sewing machine as soon as I am done sewing some new sheets or that a game station will have to go or that one of my new tubs I bought just for the use of doing laundry while not at a marina will be taking up too much space. I bought a second one here just for the use of storing the clothes we are keeping.
11) My husband and I are annoyed with each other. Funny thing, this is a highly stressful situation. Though we have both done it more times than the average American, we are stressed out to the max. He is still working full time and has to get sleep since he is on meds that require sleep... So I have a limited amount of time with him to sit there and say "this needs to get done, that needs to get done, did you tell so and so this when you saw him, and help me go through this pile of our movies" since I know he wants to spend time with the kids (which also helps me out).
12) As much as we are annoyed with each other, my husband and I are actually not fighting a lot. It's a lot of "snap at you for this." Spouse just nods and apologizes because we know we should have/could have/really wanted to. "I'm sorry. I'm just really stressed. I cannot wait for this to be over. Can we buy more time during the day but not for when we are leaving?" Spouse agrees full-heartedly and accepts apology. Those who know me personally know I am the snapper. I get as much of my emotions out as possible so I don't bottle though I do bottle when I think the person there may not be able to handle my "Portuguese ways." That's the "Eskimo" me taking over.
13) My son loves to tell every person stopping by to buy items "We are going to live on a boat. Are you buying this?" and pointing to something I am in fact keeping such as my cloth diapers or knitting needles.
There you go. I am sure everyone goes through this. We are moving away forever in one week. Just one week. So maybe this month was more like Marine boot camp and this week will be hell week since I still have tons to go through and a list of things to fix for the house on top of a birthday party for my son.
I have not sat down properly and done "nothing" for quite some time. I am always doing something. Actually, I haven't been able to do any of my crafts which I adore in a while and I have a list of people waiting for me to get crafting for them. I figure I will do this on the boat when things calm down and they can just wait.
But in all seriousness, for the last week, I have been going nonstop. Staying up late and waking up early to get my house cleared out. I have been doing what so many liveaboards have done before me and have looked at all of my belongings- well, not all, I still have stuff to go through- and had to decide if I needed it or wanted it so bad I was willing to let it take up space on the boat. If not, then I needed to decide if it was going to be sold, donated, or trashed.
A few things I have learned from this experience-
1) I am NOT the person with the most attachments. I mean I should have known since I was raised in foster care and most of my belongings would not even make it out of the house it was bought in. If it did, it rarely made it to the next house. In fact, I still have one teddy bear as the only item that started the journey with me and has made it this far and it's only missing a nose. I am keeping that.
2) We own a lot of things we NEVER use. We keep a lot for "just in case."
3) I need more storage bins. I have some. I have tons in fact. I am selling most because they "grow mold" on boats or "might grow mold" and we just don't want to chance it.
4) I am more attached to my son's toys than he is. In fact, when I told him to pick out his absolutely favorite toys in the whole world, he picked out some cheap McD's toys he hasn't played with since he got the happy meal since they were on the top of the toy box (we were cleaning out some of the broken toys a few weeks ago and he hasn't looked in there since). I am the one who is blinking back tears as I put dinosaurs he spent hours with every day for months when he was two into the "sell" pile.
5) Babies either have very bulky toys or small toys that my daughter has long ago deemed "boring."
6) We love to read but love to own books that we plan on not reading for months. I am still convinced we need to get rid of more and just buy some on kindle when we are sure we will read them.
7) People say they love my furniture. They do not. Only people who do not need my furniture love my furniture. Everyone has bought the "organizing" stuff such as cubicals and shelves. A friend who just moved bought my couches. My beds and dressers? Nope. People are just saying "that is really beautiful."
8) A yardsale would be so much easier than selling online. However, I do not have a free day available.
9) Kids (all kids, even those who are not yours) will undo all the organizing you are doing while trying to sort through your junk, treasures, and trash. Work quickly.
10) I am deeply afraid even when we get to the boat, we will still have too much stuff. Seriously. I have a lingering fear that I will need to give away my sewing machine as soon as I am done sewing some new sheets or that a game station will have to go or that one of my new tubs I bought just for the use of doing laundry while not at a marina will be taking up too much space. I bought a second one here just for the use of storing the clothes we are keeping.
11) My husband and I are annoyed with each other. Funny thing, this is a highly stressful situation. Though we have both done it more times than the average American, we are stressed out to the max. He is still working full time and has to get sleep since he is on meds that require sleep... So I have a limited amount of time with him to sit there and say "this needs to get done, that needs to get done, did you tell so and so this when you saw him, and help me go through this pile of our movies" since I know he wants to spend time with the kids (which also helps me out).
12) As much as we are annoyed with each other, my husband and I are actually not fighting a lot. It's a lot of "snap at you for this." Spouse just nods and apologizes because we know we should have/could have/really wanted to. "I'm sorry. I'm just really stressed. I cannot wait for this to be over. Can we buy more time during the day but not for when we are leaving?" Spouse agrees full-heartedly and accepts apology. Those who know me personally know I am the snapper. I get as much of my emotions out as possible so I don't bottle though I do bottle when I think the person there may not be able to handle my "Portuguese ways." That's the "Eskimo" me taking over.
13) My son loves to tell every person stopping by to buy items "We are going to live on a boat. Are you buying this?" and pointing to something I am in fact keeping such as my cloth diapers or knitting needles.
There you go. I am sure everyone goes through this. We are moving away forever in one week. Just one week. So maybe this month was more like Marine boot camp and this week will be hell week since I still have tons to go through and a list of things to fix for the house on top of a birthday party for my son.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
We are boat owners!
Well, we did it. We bought our boat. She is tiny and big at the same time. Crazy, right? Well, she is tiny space wise. Only the dogs can really run around and that is on top of the boat. But she has tons of storage space inside. I have tons of ideas as to utilizing that space as well.
Though, physically looking at the boat has really made me realize that I can only pick the things that are really, really important to me. And staying on the boat for a few days has made me realize that some of my treasures such as pictures will need to be sent to family for safe keeping. Also, I need a whole new wardrobe. As a girl, feeling wet and dry at the same time is not nice, especially when you have not been in the water. I get that it's humid, but it's so much more humid than where I live now! Like crazy humid on a boat. But I got some tips from some other women who sail so yay! Hopefully for Christmas my gift can be all new clothes. I won't need much since you only want a weeks worth anyway.
We had so much fun on the boat though. The dogs loved it. They were able to come and go as they pleased. Though they weren't really going since they couldn't get onto the dock. One dog did take a swim, but he did that once and hasn't since so cross your fingers he learned that sea water is nasty tasting. The kids had fun too. Though I can't wait to go back with toys and games for them since we brought next to nothing this trip. We stayed on the boat longer than anticipated so the baby had one toy and our son had his DS and we brought the ipads with all of the kids apps available, but they mostly had fun climbing and figuring out how to reach stuff.
My husband had a blast too. He is aching to get back to the boat as soon as possible. At this moment, he is trying to decide when it's best for him to give his 2 weeks notice. We have two options we are considering but haven't actually had some free time to talk yet.
Though, physically looking at the boat has really made me realize that I can only pick the things that are really, really important to me. And staying on the boat for a few days has made me realize that some of my treasures such as pictures will need to be sent to family for safe keeping. Also, I need a whole new wardrobe. As a girl, feeling wet and dry at the same time is not nice, especially when you have not been in the water. I get that it's humid, but it's so much more humid than where I live now! Like crazy humid on a boat. But I got some tips from some other women who sail so yay! Hopefully for Christmas my gift can be all new clothes. I won't need much since you only want a weeks worth anyway.
We had so much fun on the boat though. The dogs loved it. They were able to come and go as they pleased. Though they weren't really going since they couldn't get onto the dock. One dog did take a swim, but he did that once and hasn't since so cross your fingers he learned that sea water is nasty tasting. The kids had fun too. Though I can't wait to go back with toys and games for them since we brought next to nothing this trip. We stayed on the boat longer than anticipated so the baby had one toy and our son had his DS and we brought the ipads with all of the kids apps available, but they mostly had fun climbing and figuring out how to reach stuff.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Getting Nervous
Okay, I will admit it. I am a control freak who likes to plan things. But my entire life has been crazy from moving in a days notice as a child to having the Navy tell me I am supposed to be on a flight that left two hours ago to move across the country. As much as I love to plan, I have to just jump in with both feet to get the process really started.
Well, we are jumping. Tomorrow my husband is going to one appointment for his knee to see what they found, then heading to get his second letter from a doctor for medical school, then asking for time off work to drive up and see the "perfect boat" we found.
After a lot of research, we found the perfect time to sail down to Grenada is late October to early November.
This gives me 2-3 months to work with.
I have 2-3 months to finish a fence, sell everything we can part with, figure out how to organize a boat, make simple changes to the boat such as making sheets and fitting a comforter, selling/renting our house out, finding new homes for most if not all of our pets, get everyone's shots done, throw a birthday party, and say goodbye to some good friends.
Ugh. My head is swimming. On top off it all, I need to learn how to sail, figure out how to chart a course, and actually pray this boat is as perfect in reality as it is on the Internet. I have been researching organizing tips for small spaces like crazy and looking at how other families baby proof their boats. Oh, and I still need to order my son's curriculum.
Planning must be done. I need to make a big checklist and just start doing things.
Well, we are jumping. Tomorrow my husband is going to one appointment for his knee to see what they found, then heading to get his second letter from a doctor for medical school, then asking for time off work to drive up and see the "perfect boat" we found.
After a lot of research, we found the perfect time to sail down to Grenada is late October to early November.
This gives me 2-3 months to work with.
I have 2-3 months to finish a fence, sell everything we can part with, figure out how to organize a boat, make simple changes to the boat such as making sheets and fitting a comforter, selling/renting our house out, finding new homes for most if not all of our pets, get everyone's shots done, throw a birthday party, and say goodbye to some good friends.
Ugh. My head is swimming. On top off it all, I need to learn how to sail, figure out how to chart a course, and actually pray this boat is as perfect in reality as it is on the Internet. I have been researching organizing tips for small spaces like crazy and looking at how other families baby proof their boats. Oh, and I still need to order my son's curriculum.
Planning must be done. I need to make a big checklist and just start doing things.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
He Found A Boat
Seriously, it has been so long... So many plans have been made, changed, and gone back to that my head is spinning.
NOW, our plan is to move to St. George, Grenada (in the Carribbean). They have an excellent school there that is perfect for my husband since he does not want to be a specialist in the medical field, just a normal doctor who can see anyone.
Well, someone else was joking about it and the plans to see the world. I brought up that buying a boat may be cheaper than traveling down there and renting a place there.
Well, he went online and found his perfect boat. It's within our means, it's very nice and up to date according to the ad, and it's on this side of the continent. So I guess as soon as we have the money we are going to be going on a road trip to see this awesome boat.
It's a 36 foot monohaul and CAN sleep six.
I asked if we were going to wait to see if he got a reply from the school and he mentioned the idea of just sailing away if he doesn't get in. I bet that last part is a joke though.
Well, cross your fingers everyone. This blog may take off as well.
NOW, our plan is to move to St. George, Grenada (in the Carribbean). They have an excellent school there that is perfect for my husband since he does not want to be a specialist in the medical field, just a normal doctor who can see anyone.
Well, someone else was joking about it and the plans to see the world. I brought up that buying a boat may be cheaper than traveling down there and renting a place there.
Well, he went online and found his perfect boat. It's within our means, it's very nice and up to date according to the ad, and it's on this side of the continent. So I guess as soon as we have the money we are going to be going on a road trip to see this awesome boat.
It's a 36 foot monohaul and CAN sleep six.
I asked if we were going to wait to see if he got a reply from the school and he mentioned the idea of just sailing away if he doesn't get in. I bet that last part is a joke though.
Well, cross your fingers everyone. This blog may take off as well.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Bahumbug!
Okay, my husband is a bit of a discontented man. The grass is always greener. Upon first meeting us, he is the positive and I am the negative, but if you stuck around, it is really the opposite. He thinks the worst as I find the best. We complete each other.
However, as many of you know, the sailing into the ocean blue is put on the back burner. My husband decided to finish school. Why does he need a degree to sail? He doesn't. He is planning on settling down someday and wants to be able to get a job.
Way I see it is that I will continue to leave this blog open as it is an option. I may close it down someday if we start a farm or take over an island or move into a castle...
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Bloggers!
I have become addicted to reading other blogs of the wives of liveaboards and their families. There are billions and each blog I read seems to answer a question and create a new one. I feel like I am moving into the world of Lost.
Seriously though, these women seem to know so much. A few of them seem to be really cool and I hope to meet them someday. I am hoping that one of them finds my blog somehow (probably won't until I actually meet them and tell them I have one as well) and realizes I want pictures on how they organize things on board.
Okay, I know it's stupid for me to already be planning on organizing things on a boat we don't even own... But I want tons of ideas. I want to create a pinterest type thing with so many ideas that when we do get a boat I already know what I want to do so I can get it done quickly with ease so it doesn't become one of those projects I have that isn't finished laying around.
So far I have learned that I may need to buy a foodsaver (I have already been hinting to my husband that I want one so I don't have freezer burn anyway, so yay!). I have also learned that those LED lights that you tap and they turn on or tap and they turn off and they hang upside down in closets and things are miracles. I need more ideas! I am addicted to organizing things.
What's funny is I say this and I have a pile of papers that need to be organized right now. I hate organizing papers. I never know which ones are important and which ones I can toss... Ugh. Well, I will get back to cleaning and organizing until my baby girl wakes up and I go back to reading blogs or responding to people on Cafemom or Facebook.
By the way, having a blog or website is pretty common since it's an easy way to keep people updated without having to call them constantly.
Seriously though, these women seem to know so much. A few of them seem to be really cool and I hope to meet them someday. I am hoping that one of them finds my blog somehow (probably won't until I actually meet them and tell them I have one as well) and realizes I want pictures on how they organize things on board.
Okay, I know it's stupid for me to already be planning on organizing things on a boat we don't even own... But I want tons of ideas. I want to create a pinterest type thing with so many ideas that when we do get a boat I already know what I want to do so I can get it done quickly with ease so it doesn't become one of those projects I have that isn't finished laying around.
So far I have learned that I may need to buy a foodsaver (I have already been hinting to my husband that I want one so I don't have freezer burn anyway, so yay!). I have also learned that those LED lights that you tap and they turn on or tap and they turn off and they hang upside down in closets and things are miracles. I need more ideas! I am addicted to organizing things.
What's funny is I say this and I have a pile of papers that need to be organized right now. I hate organizing papers. I never know which ones are important and which ones I can toss... Ugh. Well, I will get back to cleaning and organizing until my baby girl wakes up and I go back to reading blogs or responding to people on Cafemom or Facebook.
By the way, having a blog or website is pretty common since it's an easy way to keep people updated without having to call them constantly.
Monday, January 30, 2012
So Exciting and So Daunting
As I Google more and more about this new lifestyle we are going to take on, I find that I am loving what I am learning and realizing how much I really need to figure out before we go.
There are so many terms and so many people talking about this online that it is insane. I understand that they would have to use the internet a lot more contact family and friends back home, but it is very amazing. I am just hoping that we will always find free internet when we stop so I can keep everyone updated too.
So many people encourage questions while so many others seem to think that if you ask questions, you shouldn't do it at all. I am afraid to ask a lot of questions I have right now because I feel like my questions will be many of the same ones that hundreds before have asked. I'm going through blogs and forums reading everything I can and realizing that I really hate reading about specs, which is what I am calling the proper names for tools people use. For example, a person might ask about radios and say "I have the xlr34523, but it seems bulky. Would a tyr2938 use more electricity since it has more functions?" No I haven't seen this question and yes those "codes" are made up, but that is what it is like. And about two thirds of the people to seem to be a know-it-all. Yes, I know I am one too, shhhh.
Also, I am loving looking at boats and seeing what the inside looks like as well. I read about people who made a few changes to their boats (such as adding bunk beds or painting a cupboard with chalkboard paint) and looking at insides now is no longer making me think "I hate that." but instead making me think "I could do this to it to make it better for us." Nothing major, but something to create space or make it more fun.
Oh, and it has a lingo that took me a while to catch on. I am bad at lingoes. When people type in acronyms on Facebook or Cafemom (they do it a lot on there and now I do too), I have to stop and think about it. There are even a few acronyms that I thought I knew what they meant for months then one day a light went off. Well, the community of "liveaboards" is the same. Several don't travel often, usually only going out for some fun on weekends. We apparently will be called "cruisers" because we won't stay long or call one play home. I will keep my military spouse tradition of having a home of record though.
So, now that I have learned that you can add a "fence" to your boat to keep kids and pets on board, buy special watch-type things that sends off an alarm inside the boat louder than the smoke alarm if it gets wet (for kids to wear while playing on deck alone when they are older), how to turn a regular bed into a makeshift crib for toddlers. In learning those things though, I realized that I just scratched the surface. I have months though before we even start actually shopping for a boat so I have plenty of time to do more research and use pinterest to be creative in how we will live comfortably and happily on a boat.
There are so many terms and so many people talking about this online that it is insane. I understand that they would have to use the internet a lot more contact family and friends back home, but it is very amazing. I am just hoping that we will always find free internet when we stop so I can keep everyone updated too.
So many people encourage questions while so many others seem to think that if you ask questions, you shouldn't do it at all. I am afraid to ask a lot of questions I have right now because I feel like my questions will be many of the same ones that hundreds before have asked. I'm going through blogs and forums reading everything I can and realizing that I really hate reading about specs, which is what I am calling the proper names for tools people use. For example, a person might ask about radios and say "I have the xlr34523, but it seems bulky. Would a tyr2938 use more electricity since it has more functions?" No I haven't seen this question and yes those "codes" are made up, but that is what it is like. And about two thirds of the people to seem to be a know-it-all. Yes, I know I am one too, shhhh.
Also, I am loving looking at boats and seeing what the inside looks like as well. I read about people who made a few changes to their boats (such as adding bunk beds or painting a cupboard with chalkboard paint) and looking at insides now is no longer making me think "I hate that." but instead making me think "I could do this to it to make it better for us." Nothing major, but something to create space or make it more fun.
Oh, and it has a lingo that took me a while to catch on. I am bad at lingoes. When people type in acronyms on Facebook or Cafemom (they do it a lot on there and now I do too), I have to stop and think about it. There are even a few acronyms that I thought I knew what they meant for months then one day a light went off. Well, the community of "liveaboards" is the same. Several don't travel often, usually only going out for some fun on weekends. We apparently will be called "cruisers" because we won't stay long or call one play home. I will keep my military spouse tradition of having a home of record though.
So, now that I have learned that you can add a "fence" to your boat to keep kids and pets on board, buy special watch-type things that sends off an alarm inside the boat louder than the smoke alarm if it gets wet (for kids to wear while playing on deck alone when they are older), how to turn a regular bed into a makeshift crib for toddlers. In learning those things though, I realized that I just scratched the surface. I have months though before we even start actually shopping for a boat so I have plenty of time to do more research and use pinterest to be creative in how we will live comfortably and happily on a boat.
We Made THE Decision
Okay, my husband was a Sailor. Well, not really. He was in the Navy but he never stepped on a boat his entire enlistment. At least, not at the Navy's request... I will explain that later. But he will be a sailor again.
Water runs in my husband's blood. When we go to the beach, he runs off as fast as he can to the ocean and I get stuck with the munchkins we happen to have with us until he is hungry, then he is off again. When we spend time away from the ocean and return to where you can smell it, he gets giddy like a cat with a toy. He has spent a fair amount of time googling islands and boats trying to tell me that it makes sense to just own one. Whenever we talked about visiting other places, he always wanted to go where you could play in water first, then he may talk about places with cool museums and stuff later.
We are like night and day. I like going to beach, but only my feet touch the water. When I get in a pool, it is to cool down and even then, I like to sit and kick my feet around. When I see cool fish, I want it to be at an aquarium. Night and day.
As just friends, we would talk about seeing the world and traveling. Not having to worry about money or getting home to that job. As a young couple without kids we talked about doing it someday. As young parents with one child, we talked about taking our son to see other cultures. As parents to now two children, we have decided that the dream must become a reality.
Okay, you think I have gone crazy. But stick with me here.
My husband's (we should give everyone a nickname) aunt and uncle bought a sailboat and moved on with three teenage boys and traveled the world for two years. We even went aboard and did Thanksgiving with them on a sailboat when our son was a toddler (yes, it was cramped, the food was delicious, and it was fun). That was the only time my husband stepped onto a real boat while he was in the military.
We have talked about doing it for a while now, but assumed we should wait until my husband has a medical degree and the children were much older. But it wasn't settled. We still talked about moving to a town in our home state. We talked about moving to new states. We talked about moving to other countries.
But tonight, after doing tons of research on statistics of places including states, countries, and even islands (yes, my husband researched islands again) we realized we hated it all.
We drove to another town nearby to buy groceries to get better deals (I cut groceries down to $150 from $300 so well worth it) we took a wrong turn home. What normally takes just half an hour ended up being a two hour drive (awesome, right?). During this time, my husband talked about islands and how we could get away from big societies and live in a place where everyone knew everyone so at least the fear of those predators would be cut down. But to be frank, I am not a small society type person. Most people just don't like me. I am opinionated and I don't tolerate people giving me crap. I live my way and a lot of people don't like that.
So we started talking about living on a boat again. I asked tons of questions and my husband who has had experience in this area answered them. I had already done some research before so I knew some things. We talked about the pros and cons and decided that it was time. We wanted to see the world, be able to move when we wanted, and just get away from it all.
So, this semester will be my husband's last. We still have tons of questions and research to do. It's going to be a long journey. But you get to read about it! Hopefully this summer, we will be moving onto a boat and before the hurricane season hits we will be off to visit some friends or family.
Water runs in my husband's blood. When we go to the beach, he runs off as fast as he can to the ocean and I get stuck with the munchkins we happen to have with us until he is hungry, then he is off again. When we spend time away from the ocean and return to where you can smell it, he gets giddy like a cat with a toy. He has spent a fair amount of time googling islands and boats trying to tell me that it makes sense to just own one. Whenever we talked about visiting other places, he always wanted to go where you could play in water first, then he may talk about places with cool museums and stuff later.
We are like night and day. I like going to beach, but only my feet touch the water. When I get in a pool, it is to cool down and even then, I like to sit and kick my feet around. When I see cool fish, I want it to be at an aquarium. Night and day.
As just friends, we would talk about seeing the world and traveling. Not having to worry about money or getting home to that job. As a young couple without kids we talked about doing it someday. As young parents with one child, we talked about taking our son to see other cultures. As parents to now two children, we have decided that the dream must become a reality.
Okay, you think I have gone crazy. But stick with me here.
My husband's (we should give everyone a nickname) aunt and uncle bought a sailboat and moved on with three teenage boys and traveled the world for two years. We even went aboard and did Thanksgiving with them on a sailboat when our son was a toddler (yes, it was cramped, the food was delicious, and it was fun). That was the only time my husband stepped onto a real boat while he was in the military.
We have talked about doing it for a while now, but assumed we should wait until my husband has a medical degree and the children were much older. But it wasn't settled. We still talked about moving to a town in our home state. We talked about moving to new states. We talked about moving to other countries.
But tonight, after doing tons of research on statistics of places including states, countries, and even islands (yes, my husband researched islands again) we realized we hated it all.
We drove to another town nearby to buy groceries to get better deals (I cut groceries down to $150 from $300 so well worth it) we took a wrong turn home. What normally takes just half an hour ended up being a two hour drive (awesome, right?). During this time, my husband talked about islands and how we could get away from big societies and live in a place where everyone knew everyone so at least the fear of those predators would be cut down. But to be frank, I am not a small society type person. Most people just don't like me. I am opinionated and I don't tolerate people giving me crap. I live my way and a lot of people don't like that.
So we started talking about living on a boat again. I asked tons of questions and my husband who has had experience in this area answered them. I had already done some research before so I knew some things. We talked about the pros and cons and decided that it was time. We wanted to see the world, be able to move when we wanted, and just get away from it all.
So, this semester will be my husband's last. We still have tons of questions and research to do. It's going to be a long journey. But you get to read about it! Hopefully this summer, we will be moving onto a boat and before the hurricane season hits we will be off to visit some friends or family.
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