Leaving on a Jet Plane

 20 hours in the air and through four airports will take us back to San Francisco and then after a week of some very special reunions it will be on to Vancouver for Ev's parent's 50th.

Flying makes me realize just what a different kind of journey sailing is. We took two and a half years to sail from Vancouver to Australia. We left with a seven year old—I’m taking my almost 11-year-old home to celebrate her birthday. She’s taller, wiser, more capable and self-sufficient. She’s not really a little girl anymore.

 Reunions are the main reason we’re going home. It was important to us that even if we have a nomadic life Maia should know her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We’re been lucky that my mum and stepdad, my sister and her family, Ev’s parents and many, many of our friends have made travel plans to include us. But taking Maia home so she can follow her grandparents through the garden, or spend a few hours looking at old pictures are things we think her childhood needs to include.

It also gives us a chance to buy cheap boat gear. We’re slowly finding our around the Australian economy (yay for bulk beans at a wholesale price!) but boat gear is one thing that stays stubbornly expensive. We’ll include the list of spares I’m hunting down when the shopping commences.

The tough part of our four week trip is leaving Evan behind. Someone needed to take care of Charlie. That and having us off the boat gives Ev a chance to do a bunch of painting and varnishing. So watch this space for his progress.