My Cup Runneth Over

The lack of blog posts is due to the fullness of life living. 

This crew has been adjusting to life in one place and enjoying everything that involves. 

Still not taking ourselves too seriously though. And that's how we like it. 

Back to Life

We have finally made back to the place we will call home.  

Is the wanderlust gone?  
No.  
I don't think once you've really started to see what the world has to offer you can ever really be satisfied in one place.  The next trip will be aboard a plane though!  Europe anyone?

But, we aren't really gypsies.  So, it's time to get back to reality.  Or rather the reality we want for our family.

So, when choosing the place we would settle down it was important to look at what brings us joy.  Jobs, work~ that's available in lots of places.  But, we had to consider what, outside of income, would be comfortable, attainable and in line with what our lifestyle is about. 

And, duh.  Just, duh.  Of course we knew where we wanted to make our roots.  We had already started before and came back during this great big Airabess adventure.  We keep coming back.  
Again and again and again; where layers include a bikini and sarong~ not fleece leggings and flannels.  

The Florida Keys really is where this crew calls home.  
I think we have known for a long time.  But... we thought maybe.  And now there is no question.  No, "what if?" 
What if... we could sail the Caribbean and set ourselves up in the Virgins?
What if.... we see the west coast and really, really love it?
What about... a cabin in the mountains?
Why not... where we have a house?
Why?  Because none of it worked, or worked out (i.e. the USVI).

It feels absolutely amazing to be able to know for sure. 

We get this life to experience and I don't want to look back at the end of it and wonder what it would have been like if I had put it all out there.  
It's all out there.  No regrets or questions.

I was welcomed back to the job I had last Summer before we took off to the Bahamas and the beyond that never happened.  RV Airabess is a convenient bike ride to and from.  Which is perfect because when you step out of life for a year or two there are a ton of things that need to come together- car, housing, furniture etc...)  

It will all work out.  I'm not worried.  Not stressed.  Just super hopeful and excited about this next chapter.  

Life is so full of every day moments that are worthy of recognition.  So, I am still going to post about our adventures. Maybe not as regularly, or maybe more.  For right now, we are getting into the groove of Airabess life here, at home, and still living this amazing dream.

Texas Part 3.... because it is a HUGE State, and a tiny slice of New Mexico

The drive to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park was dusty, windy and rough.  RV Airabess was blowing all over the place and Hubs was white knuckling it the whole way.  
Oil rigs as far as the eye could see.  
Big semis pulling out huge containers.  
Dust storms.  
But, seeing the mountain range come into view after going through so much flat land was amazing.  It was Coco's first time seeing something so large looming on the horizon... needless to say, she was impressed. 

The park has a fantastic visitor center with interactive exhibits and wildlife displays.  Coco made Junior Ranger and started working on her Junior Paleontologist badge. 
***Home school science has been a cake walk lately.  We have been immersed in so many different habitats and terrains.  It has been hard to take all of it in. ***

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park was our first "destination".  Every other place has been part of the journey for sure, picked because it was part of the path.  This was the first place we marked as 'must see'.  It's also where we picked up our National Park Pass and had our first real dry camp (i.e. boondocking). 

We arrived at the park pretty early, set up (made sure everything was secure as the wind was gusting at 60 mph) and toured the visitor center.  

The next day we got up early (for this crew), put on our hiking gear and hit the trail.  The long, steep, rocky trail.  It was four hours up and fourish hours down.

Coco was absolutely impressive.  I am in awe of her 'charge ahead' attitude. She went for it, didn't complain, and took the lead at times.  My girl is going to do great things.  She will change the world. 
I was slightly terrified in some places.  Apparently I have some serious anxiety and fear of sheer (and not so sheer) drop-offs and ledges.  There were real tears and freak outs and I was going to quit several times.  But then there was my Hubs.  
Sherpa Hubs.  He held my hand.  He guided Coco and myself over some of the sketchy parts.  He was the coach and captain.  The ONLY reason I made it to the top is because he motivated me and supported me (he did give me an out at the very bottom, middle and almost top of the peak~ but I am stubborn). He was perfection.  
I know I am waxing poetic about Hubs, but there are times in a marriage and a life when real change can happen.  When we grow together or apart.  This whole trip has been about togetherness.  But I felt very apart.  Not because I couldn't physically do it.  Because mentally it was a mindf@!k.  And we are better and stronger and more together than ever before.  It totally snuck up on me and we as a partnership and family learned and loved.   
This particular adventure was Team Airabess all the way.   

Coco was so stoked (albeit extremely tired and went to bed earlier than she ever has EVER) and talked Hubs into getting up with her early the next morning (I stayed back with Ms Willow) to hike another pretty intense trail.  They left before the sun was up (and it was raining) and made it back before 10 (because the weather was getting worse they couldn't finish). They were dripping wet, cold, but smiling.  My people.  I love them so much and in moments like that I feel like my heart might explode.  


We left the same day about an hour later and headed up the road into New Mexico to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  The cavern entrance is at the top of the one of the mountains.  So we made it a quick trip through the park... totally worth it by the way.  Coco's eyes were as big as saucers as we took it all in.  We tried to take pictures, but they just don't capture the vastness of the caverns.  It's enough to have the mental memories.  

It's a good thing we made it a short excursion because when we came out of the caverns it was snowing and sleet was a definite possibility.  Not so much fun driving the good ole RV Airabess down and around an ice covered road.  

For tonight and tomorrow we are tucked into Whites City, New Mexico.  Staying warm and recovering from one of the most incredible family weekends we have had so far... and that's saying something.  

***

Next up?  We haven't decided yet.  We had a plan for the next few weeks, but the weather isn't exactly conducive to the route we had planned.  We were going to go to Roswell, because, well... how fun, right?  Don't think that is going to happen now with this weather pattern and we don't really want to stay here.  So maybe back to Texas for a bit, or maybe not.  

We did get a little taste of it (Roswell) though when we checked into Whites City.  They really own the whole thing down here.  From stuffed everything to Native American (not so authentic) souvenirs.  There are bats (an homage to the Caverns) and pueblo style architecture.... all in the smallest town I have ever seen. 

Tis the Season

I'm always pretty introspective  this time of year. It's the holiday season. Coco's birthday kicks it off.  Hubs and I remember  our first  date. My birthday falls a couple of days before the finale. We finish everything off with the new year. 

So between the regular festivities, there is the celebrations of us. Our family. 

That's what this blog has been about. Our family. 

It started out as my take on the boat life. But now it's just our life. Very cliche. But also very real. 

We aren't  living the boat life now. We are just living. We are finding our way. Struggling, surviving our choices, looking ahead to what is next, grateful for the opportunity that hard work has allowed us, and putting what we have out into the universe hoping that we get it right, that we get an experience worth remembering and holding on to. 

I put it all (well most) of it out there because that's who I am. I share. I learn from it.  I could keep it close and not put it out in cyberspace, but, for me, there is an accountability and responsibility to the reality of adventure I want to participate in. 

This world of blogs, and social media is connecting if we let it be. It's is also cruel. People can hide behind anonymity and be hurtful for spite or jealousy. They can project their insecurities. 

The trick is to not get lost in what other people say~ be it to your face or behind an anonymous screen name. 

So, this year, I'm going to look back on how I/we got here. How my family went from boat life to just life and how amazing that we have the choice to do that. I'm going to recognize the compromises we make to live a life that is full,  but challenging, and completely ours. 

On the Road

I'm still not ready to write down the why's of why we sold S/V Airabess. 

To say its personal would be an understatement. But I DO want to share. I think it's important. I know I want to. It's just that I'm not quite ready for that yet. I'm still processing. 

I am super excited about this next adventure though. 

 

Road trippen. 

It's funny. All those years ago, after we had bought the boat, we were already looking ahead at this next adventure.  The transition was easy. 

We had no idea that it would be so fast. (I think I might have whiplash). 

And tomorrow it begins. 

Crazy. 

We Sold Our Boat

Part of me thinks we will change our minds. The other part of me knows.  

Hubs and and I are absolute about things. Big things. Huge decisions. 

Sometimes I think we make the huge life decisions on a whim and then run Head first all the way towards those decisions. 

Years and years worth of effort.

Then we change our minds. 

The thing is... We always decide together. 

We talk IT TO DEATH.  We rationalize every single senerio. We work. We plan. We hypothesize. We ratonlize. 

And we are at that point, place, time again. 

It's terrifying and at the same time a huge weight is lifted. 

We have a different direction. 

It feels so good. It feels right.  

But after years of this... This boatlife... This kind of promise, it's like the dream we were dreaming isn't valid. 

But it is. Because we have always been dreaming. We have been doing. We have been living a beautiful life of hope and future and love. 

We've just realized what freedom means for us.

And there is no point in prolonging a life that isn't ours. It's time to claim the life that is for us. 

That's one of the reasons we are moving on and heading back. 

So to all of the naysayers and... I told you so's... GUESS WHAT!? 

We are still living the dream. Still on our own terms. Still with hope and love and optimism. 

It's hard to swallow some of the bumps along the way. It doesn't matter though. 

What matters is what's right for our family in this place and in this time. 

Very long story short (the ways, hows and whys are for another post), we sold our boat. 

Yep.  You read that right. 

We bought an rv and are now taking this adventure on the road. 

Airabess is our family mantra. It was coined by our Coco. 

 It's our way of life.

Airabess isn't (wasn't) just our boats name~ it's us. It's our freedom, as a family, to want and to be who we are. 

With no regrets. 

Quick turn around, right.  Yeah... We don't do anything by halves. 

Ready to Live

We have almost emptied out our house.  What is still here either has a home to go too, or is up on the garage sale block next Saturday.  Hubs left this morning to take most of what we have kept to Airabess and do to a couple of pre-splash projects. 
SURREAL, to say the least.  
You talk about something for so long, you plan, you make the decisions to get to that goal... and then it's right in front of you .  It's kind of hard to wrap my brain around it.  

I have been having trouble sleeping.  I'm sure it has everything to do with the anxiety that comes with this change.  The whole family is a little on edge (even Ms Willow).  There have been quite a few what the hell are we doing's happening around here.  Not that we have any regrets.  It's just overwhelming, and a little sad too.  

I went to a friend's house to drop some things off yesterday and when I pulled out of their driveway it hit me that I wouldn't be going back for at least a year (if all goes as planned).  
I hugged my very best friend good-bye a couple of weeks ago (she lives in New York and we only get to see each other a few times a year) and I was balling the whole way home.  I don't see her often enough, but I always knew that I would get to see her smiling face every few months, but not this next year.  
We have no idea where we will end up.  We don't know if we will come back to our hometown, or set up shop somewhere else.  We might cash in and buy a bigger boat in a year.  We might find a new place to call home.  There are thoughts and pipe dreams of maybe here or there... but anything is possible.  It is the first time we have not had a solid 5 year plan.  The very first time since Hubs and I have been together, 14 years,  that we don't really know what direction we are headed in.  We have a loose sailing plan, which could change based on any number of things we can and can't control.  

Our planning and saving and dreaming have brought us here, to this moment, and I don't know what is going to happen next.  It is so awesome and so daunting at the same time. 

Regardless, the time is upon us.  It's time to start living.

Backyard Bouquets

One hundred percent ready to be back on our boat. But, trying to enjoy this time here.  We are so, so, so busy. 

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Paring down our materials to the bare minimum. 

Getting our house ready for our renter... Which is super challenging while we are still living here. 

I'm finishing up my Yoga Teacher Training.

 Hubs is cranking out some serious hours at work. 

Coco heads to sailing camp next week. 

School plans for next year. 

Collecting and purchasing the things we need for Airabess. 

Trying to see all the people we are going to miss while we are gone. 

You get the idea. LOTS TO DO!  

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It's so weird to think someone else is going to be living in our house. And exciting at the same time... Because that means we have taken the leap. 

We have widdled down to only a few material possessions each. It was a process. Now that it's done though... It's so liberating. I can honestly say I'm not missing any of the things that I've already parted with. And it's getting easier to let things go. Some things we donated, a few we sold, and others we gave to friends and family. The only things we've really held onto (besides necessities) are pictures and art work. 

Longing for family dinners and sunset chats. But it's coming. This time we have perspective. This time we have unloaded some financial and mental burdens. This time we are ready.... Well as ready as you can be we when you sell everything and move aboard a 34 foot ancient catamaran with your family of 3 and dog. 

For now, I'll be patient and enjoy what this space has to offer~ backyard bouquets.