Thursday, August 16, 2007

Aren't you excited?

So, the most common thing we hear when people hear about our trip is, "that's so exciting!" and second is, "that's so romantic." Not to dash anyone's image of sailing away into the sunset but . .. Let me tell you what we've been working on. I've been applying for new health insurance, sorting through papers, and figuring out how we're going to manage finances from a distance, starting to collect things we'll need/want or things we can give away to local schools as we get to know people in villages along the way, and getting in visits to friends and family. People have become more precious to me than ever as I imagine not being able to call up or drop in on someone when I want. Brian has been building cabinets, reinforcing other cabinets, building supports so that our table area can turn in to a very comfy bed for 2. Anybody want to visit?

Still to be done: Get the SSB installed, make a sun awning, buy more supplies, get a liferaft, have a goodbye party (Sept 9, 1:00 til ? at 321 26th AVE), give the sails a once over, give the engine a once over, have someone else give the electrical system a once over, buy replacement parts for everything we couldn't live without, haul the boat out of the water and repaint the bottom and replace the through hulls, stock food and other supplies, and the list goes on. It's strange to me that for some people this is completely foreign, for me it is familiar because I've been thinking about it for over a year, and yet to cruisers many years into this life these steps would be elementary.

So, no, I'm not excited. But I'm looking forward to new places, new people, a view of the world outside of oh-so-comfortable california, being challenged by poverty, weather, and newness. Already I'm dreaming of teaching kids how to read Spanish, or floss their teeth. I can't wait to have the children teach me new words or their best way to eat a mango.

Yellowstone

Brian and I just got back from our 2 week land voyage. I insisted on a return to Yellowstone National Park, a blur that caught my fancy the year my parents drove our family around the United States in an Isuzu Trooper II with two car top carriers strapped on top. Then, we were in the park less than 24 hours, as best I remember. But the Morning Glory Pool sucked my breath away even at the aloof age of 13. This time the bubbling power spilling up through the white encrusted soil in various colors and muds and temperatures was jump up and down delightful. Bison eyeballing me without an ounce of friendliness and baby great horned owls squeaking from limb to limb made me wonder why people sit at home watching TV when there's so much REAL stuff out here to be felt and known in 3-D. Brian and I felt like we were on a second honeymoon getting to backpack 5 nights in a row.