Anyone with a hobby,has a big dream to go with that hobby. I used to ride horses when I was a kid. My kid dream was to ride in Madison Square Garden. Lol, my horse was a backyard hack and I didn't even know how to show jump. It was truly a pipe dream but I still love to go riding, though.
Boaters dream about cutting the dock lines and going off into the sunset. Sailors tend to dream about sailing around the world, trawler people tend to dream about doing the Great Loop. I say "people", usually it's men with these dreams and men are usually married.
Young girls eventually get married and what they want besides a good career and a wonderful husband is to have a home, raise a great family and keep the family traditions they have grown up with for holidays and family gatherings. How do you do this if you marry a man who one day says, "lets sell the house and go cruising", he has stars in his eyes, and a dribble of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth as he envisions taking off on his dream cruise. You look at him and see a lunatic. You've worked for years establishing a home and family traditions, now he wants you to throw it all in the wind and go skipping around the world. "Impossible", you say, shaking your head and crushng the dream.
But then some women think about it and will give in part way, agreeing to cruise part of the year. Some find out they love it and agree to sell the house and just cruise, others have to have that solid base and know they have a house to go back to so will cruise, but keep the home, and then there are those who realize that life is more than a plot of land with a building on it. They take the complete plunge and become full time liveaboards and fall in love with adventure.
Leaving family behind was probably my biggest hurdle. With today's technology, however, they are never more than a phone call, an e-mail, or even a skype away.
I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for anything. Someday it may all end, and again, Dave and I will find ourselves land dwellers, but for now.... For now, the thought of what's around the next bend is far more luring than a house and picket fence.
This is my best friend's horse, Chet, who I ride every chance I get!
Boaters dream about cutting the dock lines and going off into the sunset. Sailors tend to dream about sailing around the world, trawler people tend to dream about doing the Great Loop. I say "people", usually it's men with these dreams and men are usually married.
Young girls eventually get married and what they want besides a good career and a wonderful husband is to have a home, raise a great family and keep the family traditions they have grown up with for holidays and family gatherings. How do you do this if you marry a man who one day says, "lets sell the house and go cruising", he has stars in his eyes, and a dribble of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth as he envisions taking off on his dream cruise. You look at him and see a lunatic. You've worked for years establishing a home and family traditions, now he wants you to throw it all in the wind and go skipping around the world. "Impossible", you say, shaking your head and crushng the dream.
But then some women think about it and will give in part way, agreeing to cruise part of the year. Some find out they love it and agree to sell the house and just cruise, others have to have that solid base and know they have a house to go back to so will cruise, but keep the home, and then there are those who realize that life is more than a plot of land with a building on it. They take the complete plunge and become full time liveaboards and fall in love with adventure.
I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for anything. Someday it may all end, and again, Dave and I will find ourselves land dwellers, but for now.... For now, the thought of what's around the next bend is far more luring than a house and picket fence.
Just be thankful Dave didn't say what I said: "Honey, I'm going to build a boat and we'll sail away!" :-) She has a few choice words to describe me and lunatic is relatively mild! :-)
ReplyDeleteNicely written Pam.
Thanks, now I think I will hand the writing back to David. I'm done for now so I can go back to working on my sea glass jewelry and other sea glass things I've been trying to craft. The website is under construction for beach-bum-bling.com
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ReplyDeletePam, I have struggled with commenting all day about land owners versus live-a-boards. I love your optimism - however, I think you either have the wanderlust or you don't no matter what the circumstances. I see you two as the former. I can't tell you how many live-a-boards we know that never leave the marinas. We are fortunate enough to be able to balance the white picket fence thing and the wanderlust thing. It's not always easy, but 35,000 miles later I think we are at least trying. My mantra is always to follow your bliss - I want that for both of you. Eleven years ago I also choose to follow my best friends dream - this is my new favorite quote "the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes. We are just followers.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to meet you some day.
Deb
Funny, a little over 2 years ago I found out my husband was having a love affair, his mistress, boaters blogs, and dreaming about doing the Great Loop. This went on for a couple of years before he told me (the dream crusher). I didn't say much and pretended I was only half listening as he went on and on about it. But I secretly started to read the blogs as well, well long story shortened, I joined the AGLCA a month later in Jan 2010, in May we were at an AGLCA rondezous and in July of the same year we were proud owners of a 44' Tollycraft. Now, just over 2 years later we have completed the loop and are now in the Bahamas! Life is Good!
ReplyDeleteOh and the house? Its going on the market as soon as we get back to Massachusetts.
Keep writing Pam it's always good to hear from your point of view. The 'dream' is not always glamorous and there has to be a team effort when cruising. It's good to hear another woman expressing the very same thoughts most of us women experience living on a boat.
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