We're meeting my mum and stepdad in PV, in four-days, which was part of the reason for our departure (we were having such a nice time in Mag Bay we could have stayed longer.) The other reason is we're all ready to be south. Somehow just being down there and knowing all we have to do for the next year is gunk hole up and down the coast and into the Sea of Cortez is really inviting. This passage to PV is the last big one for a while.
It's funny how I still don't quite feel like I've arrived in my life. I keep having the sense that in one more harbour I'll be there. I'm not sure if it's because we spent the past seven-years being completely goal and deadline oriented, but that self-imposed pressure to get to the next harbour lingers. And the ever-present demand of deadlines just adds to the feeling that we're not quite there yet.
My guess is the fault lays with my personality type. Despite the barefoot-on-the-beach nomadic romance to cruising, to get this far you have to be at least a little bit type 'A' (and likely a lot type 'A'). There's no getting around it--dreaming doesn't get the boat finished or the cruising kitty filled. Then there's the reality of being endlessly aimless--pretty much anyone who gives it a try will tell you that having no goal comes with its own stresses (boredom even). We found it was fine for a year or so, but sometimes you want to feel like you've accomplished more than fixing a boat part, reading a book and looking at the waves. You want to have a purpose.
For today though it's enough to ghost along in seven knots of wind, making maybe four, knowing we have another full day of travel before we drop the hook, watching the waves change colour and shape as the sun rises and the wind shifts. Spending hours on deck with Maia--sighting silvery flying fish as they soar along the surface; cheering as they escape the hungry beak of a Boobie bird; and listening to Maia as she tries to imagine just what it would feel like to fly is fulfilling. Once we get to PV I can work on discovering a more structured purpose to give this life shape. But for today, I'm content.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
3 comments:
For us... the purpose is Zach. At this stage, it's all about seeing the world/ cruising/ even the everyday through his eyes and showing him all the different things life can bring. I don't see that as boring or aimless, it's the whole reason we're gearing up to cruise again. Watching him grow and discover is it at this stage.
Having a purpose in life is truly essential to life itself. What really is the purpose of life? Why are we here? There really are answers to these questions :)
On a different note: We will be in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for about a week (with all five of our kids). We would love to get together with you guys for a bit while we are there visiting Totem.
Thanks for this insight- something to think about for sure. We are both truly type A, but it will be interesting to see how we feel about the unscheduled time, whether we'll be bored or not. We're doing it at the end of long careers and I think we're ready for some unscheduled time!
We really enjoy your blog. Thanks for sharing!
Deb
www.theretirementproject.blogspotlcom
Post a Comment