10 Things We Miss About Land Life

Don't get us wrong, we absolutely love our live-aboard lifestyle, sailing Wanderlust around the Carribean. We love the sunshine, the tropical climate, swimming, and fishing everyday. But living aboard didn't come without a cost.

In order to make this lifestyle work, we had to give up some of our favorite things and traditions. Here's the things we REALLY miss about land life back in the US.

1. Lattes:

The climate in the tropics is of course, tropical... meaning, its damn hot. Therefore coffee isn't really a thing here... let alone my favorite vanilla chai soy latte with whip... swoon... The stores stock coffee grounds, but they're quite expensive, and you'll be stretched to find a coffee shop near most anchorages, except maybe the ones near large tourist resorts. We sure do miss heading to the coffee shop for a mid-morning perfectly brewed, steaming hot latte, complete with the foam swirl on top!

2. Going to the Movies:

This really wasn't an issue for us... until the new Star Wars was released in 2016, and we realized there was no chance of us seeing it, as we were anchored in the middle of absolute nowhere. We felt a little deprived, robbed even! As American citizens, we should be able to see new releases on opening day! Plus it'd be nice to throw on our nicest clothes and least casual flip flops for a date night every once in a while.

3. A Garage:

We sold or donated of most of Ben's tools during the downsizing process... and what a BATTLE! I basically had to pry the tools from Ben's clenched fingers on the last day we lived in our house, because we had to face the fact that there's not enough room to store all the tools he wanted on a 38 foot sailboat. But, now, we've caught ourselves in a pickle. There are many boat projects and improvements we'd love to do, if we just had the right tool, space to store that tool, or the room on board to work on things!

4. Appliances:

Dishwasher, coffee machine, a full size oven, microwave, four burner stove, and a washer and dryer... You don't realize just how important these appliances are to the convenience of your life, until you move aboard and... poof! Laundry becomes an all day process, making a cup of coffee takes 20 minutes, you can only cook 2 things at a time, and washing dishes literally never ends.

5. Yoga Classes:

Let's be honest... Youtube can only get you so far. Our down dogs are sloppy, our mountains are weak, and we often skip shavasana all together because... Well, its because we're easily distracted and unfocused. THERE, I said it.

6. Time with Friends and Family:

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter, and birthdays this year were all spent with just us two, our pup and our boat. Although it was fun to start our own small holiday traditions aboard, we desperately missed our friends and family to share these special days with.

7. Doggy Daycare:

Having a large dog aboard isn't always easy, especially when you've got to do business on land. Some activities just can't be handled with a 60 pound Boxer dog in tow, so Ruca's got to stay on the boat from time to time.

Because we've been full time travelers, we haven't stayed in a place long enough to find dependable pet care, which means our daily activities are extremely limited. Since Ruca's been left on the boat, we don't stay on land long because we've got to get back to let her out, feed her, take her for exercise, etc. We'll be very happy when we land somewhere that has good pet care. Who knows, maybe we'll take a little vacation from our vacation?

8. Brunch:

Brunch was a big deal back home because... YUM. A land-lubber's brunch was full of wonderful things like bloody Mary's, mimosas, brioche, bacon and eggs Benedict... some of the best things humans have ever invented. Plus, it was a great excuse to get dressed up in your Sunday's best and get hammered before noon with your friends. But sadly, other countries haven't caught on to the glorious thing that is brunch, so Ben and I have been stuck with home mixed Bloody Mary's in our PJs in the cockpit. Still fun, but NOT the same thing.

9. Bathtubs:

We haven't had a bath in 9 months and we feel like barbarians. I mean, this doesn't really need explaining, right?

10. A Grown Up Size Bed:

The beds on our boat were obviously not designed for real live human beings. Things are CRAMPED, and oddly shaped, and not very soft. We sometimes lovingly reminisce about the luxurious king size memory foam mattress in our old house... It almost makes us question the choice we made to sell everything to sail around the Caribbean.... almost.

Thanks for Reading,

Ben, Quinn and Ruca

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