Day to day living on a boat is an adventure itself. The smallest tasks like using the bathroom, cooking etc are all an adjustment. Things take some getting used to, but overall there are very few concessions that have to be made. I have everything I need in my little tropical capsule, my sanctuary from this crazy world full of rushing, hurry and stress. I'm free from things I find I actually enjoy being without like television, however if I feel the need to watch a little of the boobtube I can just go to the community center. In the entire time I have been gone I have sat down and watched TV exactly 1 time and it was for less than 20 minutes.
We started this whole adventure after a family trip in October of 2011, it seems like so long ago but in actuality it has been quick. We went from a 3br house, 2 cars, no boat and never sailing, to where we are today in 15 months. We started with a 22 Catalina, quickly jumped to our Endeavour 32 and within a couple months we were liveaboards. We had a 5 year plan that shrunk to a 3 year plan, then a 2 year plan. Well here I sit in Marathon Florida a little more than a year later with a beautiful 36 Watkins sailboat, debt free and living a life I couldn't even imagine.
If someone would have told me in 2008 when I was diagnosed with cancer that in 4 years I would be living on a sailboat in the Keys, I would have laughed until I passed out. Just four short years ago our lives were rattled by my cancer diagnoses and we were repeatedly crushed with further bad news. My outlook on life was not very bright, but I was willing to fight. I went through the chemo, stayed in Paramedic school and between the friends, family and caring of total strangers that were there to support me, my body, mind and soul were healed. My faith in humanity and people was restored and my life forever changed. I made the decision from that point to make the most of every day, to seize every breath, every smell, sound and feel I could. Life would never be the same and I knew something was about to happen.
So today January 28th I sit under the Tikki Hut with the warmth of the sun warming my face, listening to the radio cruisers net in the harbor. Jessica and I have both found jobs to replenish our cruising fund and are enjoying a much more relaxed way of life. You see things are different in the Keys, they move at a different pace and many times in different ways then they do on the mainland. This is as close to the life I enjoyed growing up in the lush green state of Hawaii as I have ever felt, and in many ways it's much nicer. I'm still a quick drive to the mainland, the price of things such as groceries isn't out of reach and there are plenty of ways to escape island fever. Family is a cheap flight away, or we are a cheap flight away from them and there is some comfort for us in knowing that.
Jessica has started a new job working at Coconut Cay Resort & Marina. It's a small mom and pop resort. She is the person answering the phone, taking reservations and managing the front of house. The pay isn't,,,,,, well who cares about the pay, it's more than enough for us. The job is low stress and Jess gets to showcase her personality and just be herself.
I put in an application at West Marine for a small part time job and to work as few hours as possible to get the employee discount and got more than I bargained for. I went in to follow up and ended up in an interview where I was offered 4 dollars over the normal starting pay and placed into an assistant management training position. The hours are still only around 30 a week unless I want more but I've got so much leeway in my schedule. I can ride my bike to work, it's 1 mile away, and get to go to work wearing cargo shorts and a T-shirt. The only bummer is I've got to wear shoes ;-)
The upside to this is my job for the family is to replace, repair or upgrade the boat and my salary and deep employee discount will be great for that. Every dime I make will go to improving our boat and in a year that should add up to be quite a bit. Next year hopefully with a fresh boat, fresh crew and a sense of adventure we will head out and head south with no plans other than explore, taste and experience all that we can until it's time to work a little again. I have a tentative 3 year plan to transit the Panama canal and enter the Pacific where I hope to spend a significant amount of time. The Caribbean is beautiful but my heart lies in those blue Pacific waters and the people of Polynesian decent. But plans for us are basic guidelines and we might find ourselves staying in the Caribbean for several years, heck who knows a couple years from now I could be in Texas working to save up for the canal or already on the West coast enjoying the waters of San Diego.
You see my family and I quite enjoy not knowing where we will be, what we will be doing or even how we will be doing it. I trust in God and do what I believe is right, jump without questioning and enjoy the ride. Life isn't meant to be slaved away and I'm not advocating being a bum either. But if you get priorities straight, concentrate on whats important in life and live a little, you would be amazed how amazing life truly is. I've said it before and I'll say it again, thank God I got cancer. Cancer opened my eyes to how much there was around me, how much there was to see and do. It made me realize that I wanted life, not stuff and kicked me with a stiff boot in the ass.
I know I keep repeating myself, but I honestly hope just one person that reads this blog gets out there and does it, whatever that may be. Just ask yourself "whats the worst that can happen?" Failure? Well in my opinion failure is laying there getting ready to die and wondering what if. Don't be afraid to let go, don't be afraid to fly, but do be VERY afraid of regret and the what ifs that will plague you later in life.
We started this whole adventure after a family trip in October of 2011, it seems like so long ago but in actuality it has been quick. We went from a 3br house, 2 cars, no boat and never sailing, to where we are today in 15 months. We started with a 22 Catalina, quickly jumped to our Endeavour 32 and within a couple months we were liveaboards. We had a 5 year plan that shrunk to a 3 year plan, then a 2 year plan. Well here I sit in Marathon Florida a little more than a year later with a beautiful 36 Watkins sailboat, debt free and living a life I couldn't even imagine.
If someone would have told me in 2008 when I was diagnosed with cancer that in 4 years I would be living on a sailboat in the Keys, I would have laughed until I passed out. Just four short years ago our lives were rattled by my cancer diagnoses and we were repeatedly crushed with further bad news. My outlook on life was not very bright, but I was willing to fight. I went through the chemo, stayed in Paramedic school and between the friends, family and caring of total strangers that were there to support me, my body, mind and soul were healed. My faith in humanity and people was restored and my life forever changed. I made the decision from that point to make the most of every day, to seize every breath, every smell, sound and feel I could. Life would never be the same and I knew something was about to happen.
So today January 28th I sit under the Tikki Hut with the warmth of the sun warming my face, listening to the radio cruisers net in the harbor. Jessica and I have both found jobs to replenish our cruising fund and are enjoying a much more relaxed way of life. You see things are different in the Keys, they move at a different pace and many times in different ways then they do on the mainland. This is as close to the life I enjoyed growing up in the lush green state of Hawaii as I have ever felt, and in many ways it's much nicer. I'm still a quick drive to the mainland, the price of things such as groceries isn't out of reach and there are plenty of ways to escape island fever. Family is a cheap flight away, or we are a cheap flight away from them and there is some comfort for us in knowing that.
Jessica has started a new job working at Coconut Cay Resort & Marina. It's a small mom and pop resort. She is the person answering the phone, taking reservations and managing the front of house. The pay isn't,,,,,, well who cares about the pay, it's more than enough for us. The job is low stress and Jess gets to showcase her personality and just be herself.
I put in an application at West Marine for a small part time job and to work as few hours as possible to get the employee discount and got more than I bargained for. I went in to follow up and ended up in an interview where I was offered 4 dollars over the normal starting pay and placed into an assistant management training position. The hours are still only around 30 a week unless I want more but I've got so much leeway in my schedule. I can ride my bike to work, it's 1 mile away, and get to go to work wearing cargo shorts and a T-shirt. The only bummer is I've got to wear shoes ;-)
The upside to this is my job for the family is to replace, repair or upgrade the boat and my salary and deep employee discount will be great for that. Every dime I make will go to improving our boat and in a year that should add up to be quite a bit. Next year hopefully with a fresh boat, fresh crew and a sense of adventure we will head out and head south with no plans other than explore, taste and experience all that we can until it's time to work a little again. I have a tentative 3 year plan to transit the Panama canal and enter the Pacific where I hope to spend a significant amount of time. The Caribbean is beautiful but my heart lies in those blue Pacific waters and the people of Polynesian decent. But plans for us are basic guidelines and we might find ourselves staying in the Caribbean for several years, heck who knows a couple years from now I could be in Texas working to save up for the canal or already on the West coast enjoying the waters of San Diego.
You see my family and I quite enjoy not knowing where we will be, what we will be doing or even how we will be doing it. I trust in God and do what I believe is right, jump without questioning and enjoy the ride. Life isn't meant to be slaved away and I'm not advocating being a bum either. But if you get priorities straight, concentrate on whats important in life and live a little, you would be amazed how amazing life truly is. I've said it before and I'll say it again, thank God I got cancer. Cancer opened my eyes to how much there was around me, how much there was to see and do. It made me realize that I wanted life, not stuff and kicked me with a stiff boot in the ass.
I know I keep repeating myself, but I honestly hope just one person that reads this blog gets out there and does it, whatever that may be. Just ask yourself "whats the worst that can happen?" Failure? Well in my opinion failure is laying there getting ready to die and wondering what if. Don't be afraid to let go, don't be afraid to fly, but do be VERY afraid of regret and the what ifs that will plague you later in life.
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