Today is my last full day aboard the William T. Piquette and its no surprise that I’m a little bummed out. Even though I think we are making the right decision to continue our adventure on foot through Europe instead of sailing through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean to get back home I was really looking forward to the next crossings we had planned.
To be honest I think I was most looking forward to our planned Atlantic crossing. I wanted to see what is what it was like (in a way) for the thousands of people who took the risk and sailed from Europe to American to build our great country. The Atlantic ocean is the second biggest ocean in the world and I wanted the chance to have the challenge of sailing across it and being more then one thousand miles from land when in the middle.
Also, I feel like after being aboard less than five months I was finally getting settled in to the lifestyle of living on a sailboat. I was just getting a firm grasp on the techniques of sailing and was starting to master the strange vocabulary that sailors use. I had just taught myself how to think in terms of “starboard” and “port” instead of “left” or “right.” I was finally getting quicker and more efficient at taking in the sails when a gale was fast approaching and I had just learned what items hide in every nook and cranny on the boat. I had also just stocked up on some essential items (like soap, books, razors, vitamins, and Nutella) to get me all the way home or at least pretty far.
But, even though I’m sad that my sailing is over (for now) I‘m so fortunate that I’ve had this opportunity. In the last five months I’ve seen and done things that I never would have imaged before.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every sunrise and sunset that I’ve watched from the bow almost everyday. I’ve seen playful pods of dolphins, I’ve passed right next to massive cargo ships in the middle of the night, I’ve set foot on some of the most pristine beaches I’ve ever seen, I’ve slept on deck in the cold rain (just in case an extra hand was quickly needed), I’ve stood watch under the blazing equatorial sun and under a low full moon that casts a shimmering silver pathway on the ocean water and draws you in to itself. I’ve seen flashing blue bioluminescence and I’ve driven way too fast on a motorbike in remote and beautiful islands. I’ve watched massive clouds form, rise, and dissolve across the sky and I’ve slept in wave conditions that softly rocked me to sleep or were so rough that sleeping was impossible.
I know how exciting it is to cruise at maximum speed under full sails with solid wind. I’ve learned how to share a small space with four other people and how to cook a pretty tasty meal with limited options. I’ve broken my record of days without a proper shower (previously it was eight, now its ten!) and I’ve seen tranquil whales and the most colorful tiny fish. I’ve watched lightning storms charge across the night sky, I know what its like to smell land before you see it after several days at sea and I’ve floated in the ocean when the waters were smooth as glass.
I am sad to be leaving all of this and to be leaving the boat which has become my home. But, change is something that I’ve learned to be good at and I’m looking forward to what tomorrow will bring! Even though we are still working out our new route I know that we will continue to see and do amazing things and meet amazing people. I don’t know where I’ll be next month but I know that it will be somewhere incredible.
This quick change has forced me to re-evaluate some things a little, too. We are flying to our next destination on a small airplane and I’m restricted to one carryon bag and one laptop bag. This has forced me to really think about what I have with me that is import and necessary, and what is not! I’m soon trading a boat with loads of storage space for my two small backpacks and over the past few days I’ve made some hard decisions about what items I really do need, and which are too big or heavy to carry with me.
I’m excited that even though we aren’t sailing on we are still continuing our journey and I have lots to look forward to! Such as, showering a little more often, cooler weather!, hopefully less bugs and mosquitos and refrigeration. I’m also excited to be spending more time inside each country we will visit next and probably getting to know more people as we travel along. Sometimes when traveling by sailboat it seems like you spend more time enjoying the coastline of a country slowly crawl by than you get to spend in the country learning about it. I fell like this change will give us an even greater opportunity to more thoroughly explore where we are headed next, to get more interaction with local everyday people, and to be surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells, cultures, traditions, and landscapes of the countries we visit next.
Below is a list of all of the items that I’m carrying with me. These are the items that I’ve decided that I really “need.” We’ll see how this list changes as I keep carrying everything!
One Medium Backpack:
1 lightweight sleeping bagOne Small Laptop Bag:
1 inflatable sleeping pad
1 fleece jacket
1 rain jacket
1 pair of sunglasses
4 long sleeve shirts
2 t-shirts
3 pairs of pants
2 pairs of shorts
4 pairs of underwear
4 pairs of socks
1 beanie
1 headlamp
1 small flashlight
1 bandana
1 baseball hat
1 camera
1 mini tripod
1 pair of glasses
1 first aid kit
1 towel
1 cup
3 pens
1 small notebook
1 pair of sunglasses
1 belt
soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, contacts, medicine, chap stick
1 laptop and ac adapterNext stop: Istanbul!
1 external hard drive
1 book
1 iPod
1 universal wall outlet adapter
1 camera and charger