100 Days Later

This week marked the 100th day since we sold all our belongings and our house, quit our jobs, and left Kansas City to sail the Caribbean.

With better tans, an overabundance of vitamin D, and Ben's beard growing out of control, you could say we've changed. We're loving life, loving each other, learning a lot about ourselves, about sailing, and about nature, and about the world.

So, what have we learned with nearly 3 months at sea? Here's a few tidbits we've recently come to realize.

Our Dreams Aren't as Scary Up Close

We were insanely afraid when we left Kansas City. We were afraid of things not working out the way we had hoped. We were afraid of losing everything we had worked for. We were afraid of stunting our careers. We were afraid of our dream, because we were most afraid of the unknown.

But everyday, we took another step. We quit our jobs, kept moving south, found our boat, and moved aboard. Then we started sailing. Eventually, the dream was a reality. We had achieved our goal, and not one of our fears had materialized. Sure, things didn't always go as planned, and sometimes it was unpleasant, but we were sailors. And it turns out, the journey to get us here was really fun, fulfilling, and exciting.

In our minds, we had thought our dream was huge, almost unattainable. If we had let them, our fears could have crippled our plans by holding us back. But instead, we achieved our goal and our lives have changed dramatically for the better!

Like the child going down the slide for the first time, we can look back and laugh at ourselves for being so afraid of such a wonderful experience!

We're Not the Only Ones

One of our first encounters in Florida was with a boat broker, to whom we immediately with pride recounted our brave story of quitting our jobs and moving to Florida to go sailing. We were surprised when he responded, "You know how cliché that is, right? You're like the fifth couple I've met this week doing that."

We laughed it off, but in our heads we were abuzz with confusion, as Ben and I exchanged glances. This is COMMON down here? We're NOT crazy after all? We were happy to hear we weren't the only ones embarking on a wild sailing adventure, but a little disappointed to feel so unimportant. In Missouri, this wasn't part of reality; it wasn't something that people did. Here, apparently we were the fifth ones this week.

Sometimes, now, we look around the marina or the anchorage to see the hundreds of other sailors on similar boats, going on similar or even more courageous journeys. Now, we've met people our age who have already circumnavigated, who have lived abroad for years, and who have visited hundreds of countries by sail. We met a family of six living aboard their sailboat, who homeschool their children while traveling and speak six languages. SIX. We feel reassured, while kind of small in this big world of experienced traveler, but most of all we feel excited about what we can achieve in the future.

It Isn't Always Fun

Living aboard can be really unpleasant at times. And really hard work.

To kick things off, the beds are too small, the bilge stinks and is weird, sea sickness happens, there's no washer or dryer, and privacy is non-existent.

Then, when it comes to the actual activity of sailing, I for one, totally underestimated the physical requirements. I had imagined wearing my sunhat and having a cocktail on deck. But oh, how I was mistaken. I see now why sailing is considered a sport. Steering a 40 foot boat is an arm workout, followed by some serious cranking on the wenches and pulling of sheets, while balancing your body against a 15 degree moving tilt. Now do that for hours in the beating sun.

To top it off, in the moment you buy a live-aboard sailboat, you immediately become your own plumber, electrician, desiel mechanic, housekeeper, chef, outboard mechanic, woodworker, weatherman, and home security system. Not to mention Captain and First Mate. Wearing all these hats is time consuming, sometimes dangerous, and often exhausting.

There, I said it. Living aboard a sailboat isn't all rosy and glamorous all the time. I was as surprised as you.

Although the reality of full time sailing isn't exactly what we imagined, we wouldn't give these hundred days back for ANYTHING. We're loving the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here's to hundreds more wonderful days at sea, learning a zillion more things and having a zillion more experiences! Cheers!

Thanks for reading,

Quinn, Ben and Ruca

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