Inferno

It's always a great idea to leave the relative moderate temperatures (in a house with air conditioning) of northeast florida in August to live on a boat (made for winter temps). ESPECIALLY if you are relocating to almost Cuba (aka the Florida Keys). There is only a major adjustment period. 

Um, yeah... About that. Hotter than Hades down here and this crew is struggling to adjust, as much as it pains me to admit. But, DAMN, it's hot. I mean, REALLY! I had no idea. 

Our first week in and we ARE flailing. The heat is oppressive. 

Today we kind of got a grasp on how to handle it.  It goes a little like this~ sleep as long as the sun will allow, while moving to reach the fan. SLOWLY, regain consciousness from a sweaty nights sort of sleep. Skip coffee (because its too damn hot to contemplate) and pour warmish (because cold no longer exists in your universe) water over your head. Regain composure and brain functioning. 

About that time you realize it's already noon and you've moved approximately 2 feet from your starting point... But we're doin it!

Seriously though, afternoons involve something IN THE WATER. Otherwise we will be cooked. 

Stay hydrated. Wear tons of sunscreen. Wear as little clothes as possible. You get the gist. 

Am I complaining?  That's not really my intent. Just laying out the facts. ;)

Would I/we go back? Absolutely not. Is it a major overhaul on the senses? Um, yeah!  So, we are doing what we can to assimilate and then pouring more water over our heads. 

Still living the dream. 

Home

I spent my last day in St. Augustine having lunch with a dear friend followed by a concert with my kiddo and another dear friend. Not a bad way to say goodbye to our hometown. There was, of course, a ton of running around finishing things up. That's not what I will remember though. 

I will remember the farewell hugs and dancing my booty off. 

The following 2 photos courtesy of Jana Vallone. 

Friday morning we woke up early and mopped our way out of the house. Someone else lives there now. So strange and I obsessed over it the WHOLE way down to the Keys. Once here though I had other things to focus on, adjust to and obsess about. 

FYI you can pack all of you necessary belongings into a shoebox size car and move. It's not exactly comfortable, but we did it. 

So we are here and plugged in so we can put everything back together. 

We had planned on doing a few things pre-splash.... But the boatyard launched it earlier than they were supposed to. We will see how that effects us moving forward. Probably going to have to beach it, unless Hubs can do the chores underwater. Time will tell. And now we have that in abundance. 

Galley Goddess

We have a new page~ Galley Goddess.  It is still a work in progress.  But, if you want to check out the back story head on over.  

Recipes and tricks along with any and all other galley type info will (eventually) find its way there.  

My hope is that someone will find it helpful.  I know that when I was contemplating the lifestyle it weighed heavily on me.  I live for food.  I am almost always hungry.  I always sometimes love to cook.  I am not a big fan of tons of gadgets.  Give me  sharp knife and a worthy cutting board and watch the magic, sometimes a lot of times mess, happen. 

I love simple, quality ingredients. I want my food to be beautiful.  We eat with our eyes too people! 
I am not a stickler for recipes.  I use them.  But at my own discretion.  Even when baking.  And yes, this has gotten me into trouble in the baking department... but I really don't care.  I figure out what works for me and go with it.   

Food should be fun, and thrilling, and unexpected.  Just like life.  It should be elevated.  There is no reason why living on a boat should change that.  It will at times I begrudgingly admit.  In those cases I will feast my eyes on the horizon and nourish myself and family with sunsets (and an glass of extra wine).   

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.

Too Many Adjectives

One more week and Hubs is finished at work. The next day he is heading down to Airabess to do a couple days of prep work on her, then back to the house. When he gets back it's serious crunch time~ last minute home projects, processing our last bit of stuff, logistics, saying our goodbyes... 

And we are outta here!

Oh, and the day before we leave, Coco and I are going to Soulshine.  It's her first concert. She can hardly contain herself. Neither can I for that matter. While she and I are getting our yoga and dance on my wonderful Hubs is going to be packing up the car and prepping us to head south first thing the following morning. Have I mentioned how much I love and appreciate him.  He does take care of us. 😊

www.soulshine.com/

To say we are excited would be an understatement. If you think we are ready, well, you would be right. But ready, and excited really don't cover it. A lot nervous... We are leaving our home in someone else's hands for at least a year, a little apprehensive to set out... um, yeah!  Ecstatic, joyful, eager, terrified, thrilled, hopeful, you name it we've experienced it on some level. 

But it is TIME! Finally.  Well, in 3 weeks. 

Sailing Camp

Last year she didn't want to go.  What she wanted out of sailing was... that we would do everything and she would just sit back and take in the scenery, or read a book.  

Well, after our shakedown last winter she changed her mind.  She wanted to learn.  She wanted to know everything she could about how Airabess worked, and why?  Always with the questions... and finally she wanted to get her hands dirty~ she was ready to DO something.  

She was a little nervous the first day.  But, by the end of that first day... she was stoked.  It didn't hurt that some of her friends were also attending the same week. 

My girl, who never sleeps and never has, passed out by 8:30 because she was so exhausted.  But she loved it.  For the first time ever she wasn't fighting bedtime.  She made no excuses.  She wanted to go to sleep so that tomorrow would come. 

 

 With her buddy John.

 

 Now we are all even more excited to get back to our boat.  Bring on the adventures!

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.