Our New “Normal”…Again

Mark & I have been liveaboards before.  We purchased our boat in 2008 and spent 3+ months sailing from North Carolina to Texas.  That was an experience to say the least and a topic for another post.  At that time we needed to get back to land to finish our house and get it on the market.  It only took three months to get back to the boat full time.  While living aboard we had everything that we had owned while in the house, that  wasn't on the boat, in a storage unit. 

Fast forward two years.  Just when it was time to get ready to cruise we received an offer that we couldn't refuse and returned to land for three years.  It was a strange transition, now we had two fully functional homes 1500 miles apart, both needing to be cared for, both full of our stuff.

When we were aboard full time we knew that almost everything had to be thought of in advance.  The dog is going to have to be walked, better get moving early.  I’m going to need to be walked, don’t wait until the last second!  Little things like “I just ran out of underwear” become a big deal; we really should have carted all of our laundry up to the boaters’ facility a couple of days ago.

Google Earth view of our "T -Head".  The yellow line leads
from our boat to the facilities.  The path box shows it's
.15 miles one way to the bathroom and laundry!

On land that’s not the case.  The dog needs to go out, no problem, open the door and call his name.  No need to plan a personal potty break either.  Friends all think that life aboard a boat is such a romantic notion, little do they know that the most basic things that we all take for granted become serious points that need to be planned and perfected.

 

So here we are again, back on the boat for the past seven months.  This time we've sold or given away the bulk of our land junk.  It has taken a lot more time to get back into the swing of boat life.  There are so many things that I miss from land.  My king size, pillow top mattress is a biggie.  As boat mattresses go our queen bunk isn't bad, but man do I miss being able to spread out and not hear that I’m crowding my hubby.  I also miss night time bathroom trips that don’t involve climbing over your partner.

 

Not my actual plant but
a good representation of
the final result!

Fresh herbs, on land I had a huge herb garden and tomatoes and peppers and zucchini, well you get the idea.  I attempted a single basil plant here on the boat.  That poor thing really deserved to go home with someone that could keep it alive.

 

In a couple of weeks we will be house/dog sitting for good friends followed by a 10 day trip to home to Chicago for a family reunion.  We’re looking at a good month off of the boat.  I have to admit I’m a little worried.  I love my little floating home.  I can’t wait until we can finally cut the lines and head out to cruise, but that isn't where we are right now.  We are tied to a dock in a nice enough marina but not living our dream.  The challenges of day to day life on the dock don’t have the rewards that cruising promises.  Am I going to want to come back after a month?  Probably, but the old normal was a lot easier than this new one. 

I’m sure all will be fine and I’ll celebrate a joyous return to this fine yacht.  So in the mean time I will live life the way that I always have.  Taking what today gives me, hoping and planning for tomorrow and enjoying whatever is thrown at me to the best of my ability.